On 26 Rabi’ul Awwal 1317 H (1899 AD), K.H. Hasyim Asy’ari founded an Islamic boarding school in Tebuireng Jombang about 2 km from his father’s Islamic boarding school (T.H. Thalhas, 2002: 113). At first, Tebuireng was a chaotic village full of criminals, gamblers, robbers, and thieves. Many of his friends opposed Hasyim Asy’ari and even laughed at him for establishing an Islamic boarding school in the village. However, with its persistence and upholding the principle that Islamic law is to improve humans, this Islamic boarding school is present in the Tebuireng village community (T.H. Thalhas, 2002: 113-115). Conditions like this attracted Hasyim Asy’ari to establish an Islamic boarding school in a strategic location in the Cukir sub-district, around 8 kilometers southeast of Jombang. Despite these problematic circumstances, he said:
“Spreading Islam means improving the quality of human life. If humans already have a good life, what else should they improve? After all, carrying out jihad means facing difficulties and being willing to make sacrifices, as our Prophet did in his struggle. (Khuluq, 2008: 37).
He took out the disturbances from the village residents who did not like the presence of the Islamic boarding school in their midst by disrupting the lives of the Islamic boarding school students, Kyai, and their families. They even often stab the bamboo walls of the Islamic boarding school with knives, which is very dangerous for the boarding school residents. He brought several Kyai from Cirebon to train his students in self-defense to overcome this. In about a year and a half, the previously lousy relationship between the residents and the boarding school residents became harmonious due to the influence of the Islamic boarding school, which began to penetrate society. The Tebuireng Islamic Boarding School is growing and is a very influential Islamic boarding school on the island of Java, thanks to none other than the charismatic role of K.H. Hasyim Asy’ari, a private figure who is a famous scientist. Finally, on February 6, 1906, the Dutch government registered and recognized this Islamic boarding school (Khuluq, 2008: 39).