Fakih Usman

Kyai Hajji Fakih Usman
Official portrait, 1956
6th Minister of Religious Affairs
In office 3 April 1952 – 30 July 1953
President	Sukarno
Prime Minister	Wilopo
Preceded by	Wahid Hasyim
Succeeded by	Masjkur
In office 21 January 1950 – 6 September 1950
President	Sukarno
Prime Minister	Abdul Halim
Preceded by	Masjkur
Succeeded by	Wahid Hasyim
Member of the People's Representative Council
In office 4 March 1956 – 5 July 1959
Constituency	West Java
Member of the Constitutional Assembly
In office 4 March 1956 – 5 July 1959
Constituency	West Java
Personal details
Born	Fakih Usman (1904-03-02)2 March 1904 Gresik, Dutch East Indies
Died	3 October 1968(1968-10-03) (aged 64) Indonesia
Nationality	Indonesian
Political party	Masyumi
Occupation	Islamic leader politician
Cabinet	Halim Wilopo

Fakih Usman (alternatively spelled as Faqih Usman; [faˈkɪh ʊsˈman]; 2 March 1904 – 3 October 1968) was an Indonesian Islamic leader and politician of the Masyumi Party. He twice served as the Minister of Religious Affairs under the cabinets of Abdul Halim and Wilopo from January until September 1950, and again from 1952 until 1953. In his early years, Fakih was criticized by conservative Muslims for his involvement with the modernist Islamic Muhammadiyah organization, though he is remembered fondly by the group. Born to a merchant and his wife in Gresik, Dutch East Indies, Fakih studied with his father and at a series of pesantren (Islamic boarding schools) until the 1920s.

In 1925 he became involved with the Muhammadiyah, rising quickly through the leadership until he became the head of the Surabaya branch in 1938. He was also active in local politics, in 1937, he became the treasurer of the Indonesian Islamic Assembly. He continued to be involved in politics and Islamic groups during the Japanese occupation and the ensuing national revolution. Following the end of the war, he was appointed Minister of Religious Affairs. As a minister, he oversaw educational and institutional reform, growing in prominence within the Muhammadiyah. He also served as deputy chairman of the organization under several different leaders before being chosen as its chairman in late 1968. He died several days later.