Emha Ainun Nadjib
Muhammad Ainun Nadjib (born 27 May 1953), best known as Emha Ainun Nadjib or Cak Nun/Mbah Nun, is an Indonesian poet, essayist, kyai, ulama, and humanist. He became one of the city's predominant poets by the late 1980s, and by then had also began writing essays. He is the leader of the Kiai Kanjeng group, which stages dramas and musical performances on religious themes.
Also recorded as Muhammad Ainun Nadjib · Cak Nun
Emha Ainun Nadjib

Crisco 1492 · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Name
- Emha Ainun Nadjib
- Birth Name
- Muhammad Ainun Nadjib
- Born
- 27 May 1953
- Birthplace
- Jombang, East Java, Indonesia
- Occupation
- Poet, essayist
- Spouse
- Novia Kolopaking
- Nationality
- Indonesia.
- Education
- Darussalam Gontor Modern Islamic Boarding School.
- Languages
- Indonesian.
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Documentary summary
Muhammad Ainun Nadjib (born 27 May 1953), best known as Emha Ainun Nadjib or Cak Nun/Mbah Nun, is an Indonesian poet, essayist, kyai, ulama, and humanist. He became one of the city's predominant poets by the late 1980s, and by then had also began writing essays. He is the leader of the Kiai Kanjeng group, which stages dramas and musical performances on religious themes.
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wikidata · Q11184612 · wikipedia · Emha Ainun Nadjib
In this article
Biography
Biography
Nadjib worked across writer, poet, literary scholar, culture personality and theatre and 1 further recorded occupations. This article rests on 64 published texts and 55 scholarly references drawn from named institutional registers. Every statement below returns to a source shown in the evidence panel; where the record is silent or divided, the article says so instead of resolving it.

Indonesian poet Emha Ainun Nadjib (also known as Cak Nun) speaking at the slametan for Sitok Srengenge's new poetry collection Ereignis dan Cinta yang Keras Kepala, 2015-08-22
Crisco 1492

Indonesian poet Emha Ainun Nadjib (also known as Cak Nun) speaking at the slametan for Sitok Srengenge's new poetry collection Ereignis dan Cinta yang Keras Kepala, 2015-08-22
Crisco 1492
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Emha Ainun Nadjib • Birth Name — Muhammad Ainun Nadjib • Born — 27 May 1953 • Birthplace — Jombang, East Java, Indonesia • Occupation — Poet, essayist • Spouse — Novia Kolopaking • Children — 4 • Website — https: www.caknun.com
Early life
Early life
Nadjib was born Muhammad Ainun Nadjib in Jombang, East Java, on 27 May 1953. The fourth of fifteen children, he began his education at the Pondok Modern Darussalam Gontor, a pesantren (Islamic boarding school) in Ponorogo. In his third year, Nadjib was expelled for leading a demonstration against school security. He later moved to Yogyakarta, where he studied at Muhammadiyah I Senior High School. He attended the economics program at Gadjah Mada University but did not graduate, leaving after one semester.
Career
Career
Nadjib lived in Yogyakarta for several years, serving as editor of Masa Kini magazine between 1973 and 1976. In 1976 he published his first poetry collection, "M" Frustrasi dan Sajak Sajak Cinta. His 1978 poetry collection Sajak-Sajak Sepanjang Jalan won Tifa Sastra magazine's poetry-writing competition. He focused predominantly on his poetry during this period, studying from the Sufist poet Umbu Landu Paranggi, though he also established the Teater Dinasti theatre troupe. By the late 1980s, Nadjib, together with Iman Budhi Santosa, was considered one of the most senior poets of Yogyakarta. As his works, including his essays, sometimes satirized Suharto's authoritarian regime, he eventually required a security entourage. For two years, from 1984 to 1986, Nadjib lived in Amsterdam and the Hague, the Netherlands, where he spent two years helping with workshops on religion, culture and development. He later described the experience as a critical juncture in his life. Nadjib returned to Indonesia, and his 1988 drama, Lautan Jilbab (Sea of Headscarves), broke the Indonesian record for audience size; Aprinus Salam of Gadjah Mada University writes that this can be attributed to the general populace's increased interest in religious materials. In 1991, Nadjib caused a stir when he left the Indonesian Association of Muslim Intellectuals, citing a difference in vision with the organization and a desire to be an "independent intellectual". In 1998 Nadjib was one of the Muslim intellectuals who spoke with Soeharto before his resignation. Nadjib leads the Kiai Kanjeng group, which stages dramas and musical performances on themes of religious pluralism. It In 2001 the group, then known as Kiai Kanjeng Sepuh, released a recording of Islamic music and chants titled Bermusik kepada Allah, untuk Indonesia, Maiyah, Tanah Air. The group has toured throughout Indonesia, and internationally to such countries as Finland, Italy and Germany in 2006, and to the Netherlands in 2008. Nadjib considered the group a peacebuilder, as its international tours followed the 2005 Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy and controversy over Geert Wilders's 2008 film Fitna, respectively. • Illustration — Nadjib speaking in 2015 Nadjib has frequently traveled through Indonesia to speak about Islamic values and spirituality, drawing thousands of people from a variety of faiths. In 2012 he was hosting five monthly discussions: Padhang Mbulan (in Jombang), Mocopat Syafaat (in Yogyakarta), Kenduri Cinta (in Jakarta), Gambang Syafaat (in Semarang), and Obor Ilahi (in Malang). In 2005 Nadjib received The Muslim News Award of Islamic Excellence. In 2006 he was named Seputar Indonesia Person of the Year in the field of culture. In 2010 the Indonesian Ministry of Culture and Tourism gave him a Satyalencana Kebudayaan award. Nadjib, who is commonly known by the nickname Cak Nun, lives in the Kadipiro subdistrict of Yogyakarta. He is married to the actress Novia Kolopaking. He has four sons: Sabrang, Hayya, Jembar, and Rampak. Sabrang, known by the stage name Noe, is the vocalist for the Indonesian band Letto, Jembar (Senior 2017-2018) and Rampak (Junior 2018-2019) is the Head of Cahaya Rancamaya Islamic Boarding School's Student's Council.
Style and views
Style and views
As with fellow Yogyakarta-based writers such as Kuntowijoyo and Mustofa W. Hasyim, Nadjib poems are heavily influenced by Islam. His Islamic influences have commonly been described as santri or orthodox, though Salam suggests that there are Sufistic influences as well. Nadjib has described his own poetry as "deeply religious and philosophical but esthetic". Nadjib's views on Islam are those of tolerance. He has condemned the 2007 Indonesian Ulema Council fatwa which forbade religious pluralism, as well as regional-level sharia laws. He has supported the rights of Ahmadis to practice in Indonesia, and promoted open discourse with extremist groups as a method for mitigating their impact. Much of Nadjib's earlier works deal with social criticism.
Collected essays
Collected essays
• Indonesia Bagian Sangat Penting dari Desa Saya (1980) • Sastra yang Membebaskan (1984) • Dari Pojok Sejarah: Renungan Perjalanan (1985) • Slilit Sang Kiai (1991) • Secangkir Kopi Pahit (1991) • Markesot Bertutur (1992) • Secangkir Kopi Jon Parkir (1992) • Anggukan Ritmis Kaki Pak Kiai (1994) • "Nasionalisme Muhammad": Islam Menyongsong Masa Depan (1995) • Surat Kepada Kanjeng Nabi (1996) • Tuhan pun "Berpuasa" (1997) • Kafir Liberal (2005) • Istriku Seribu: Polimonogami Monopoligami (2007) • Orang Maiyah (2007) • Kiai Bejo, Kiai Untung, Kiai Hoki (2007)
Other
Other
• Yang Terhormat Nama Saya (short story collection; 1992) • Arus Bawah (novel; 1995) • BH (short story collection; 2005)
Identity
Identity
Emha Ainun Nadjib is recorded with the occupation culture personality. Recorded with the occupation literary scholar. Recorded as writer, poet, literary scholar, culture personality and theatre. Established in Library of Congress under n82161510. Established in FAST under 103029. Identity and origins. The authorities additionally record the headings Muhammad Ainun Nadjib and Cak Nun. His recorded language was Indonesian. He married Novia Kolopaking. One child is recorded: Noe.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1953
Emha Ainun Nadjib was born on 27 May 1953.
1996
Kiai Kanjeng: Emha Ainun Nadjib - Kado Muhammad (1996) is digitised and catalogued by Internet Archive.
Poetry collections
Poetry collections
• "M" Frustrasi dan Sajak Sajak Cinta (1976) • Tak Mati-Mati (1978) • Sajak-Sajak Sepanjang Jalan (1978) • 99 untuk Tuhan (1980) • Nyanyian Gelandangan (1982) • Suluk Pesisiran (1988) • Syair Lautan Jilbab (1989) • Seribu Masjid Satu Jumlahnya (1990) • Sesobek Buku Harian Indonesia (1993) • Tidur Yang Panjang (undated)
Documents and archives
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Emha Ainun Nadjib”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q11184612: Emha Ainun Nadjib
General reference · Wikidata
Selected bibliography
By 2004 Nadjib had published 25 poetry collections. This selected bibliography is based on the ones compiled by and.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
Bibliography printed in the source article · 11
- cite news
- cite news
- cite book
- cite news
- Cite book
- Cite book
- cite book
- cite news
- cite news
- Cite book
- Betts, Ian. Jalan sunyi Emha. Kompas. 2006. 978-979-709-255-9.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witnessauthority record
General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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