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Zakaria bin Muhammad Amin (7 March 1913 - 1 January 2006) was an Indonesian ulama, politician, and writer. He is known as a prominent freedom fighter from Riau who played an active role through various fields. Zakaria was the founder of Al-Khairiyah Islamic Boarding School, the first formal school in Bengkalis. After Al-Khairiyah was closed during the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies, he founded MDTA Mahbatul Ulum, a madrasa to continue the legacy of the school.
Early life and education
Zakaria was born on 7 March 1913 in Bangkinang, Kampar Regency, as the eldest child and son of the three children of Muhammad Amin and Taraima, who came from Kuok Village, located not far from Zakaria’s birthplace. He had two younger brothers named Hasyim bin Muhammad Amin and Ahmad bin Muhammad Amin. Zakaria also had a half-brother named Ahmad Sanusi bin Muhammad Amin (died 2022) and two half-sisters, Siti Maryam binti Muhammad Amin and Syarafiah Norwawi binti Muhammad Amin (1935-2002), from his father’s second marriage.<ref name=":1" /> Zakaria’s siblings worked as farmers and traders. In terms of education, they could only attend elementary-level schooling (Sekolah Rakyat/SR) because pursuing higher education was extremely difficult during the colonial era. All five of Zakaria’s full and half-siblings lived in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. They made a living by farming and trading glass and ceramic goods, and they gradually became Malaysian citizens in the 1960s in accordance with the regulations of the Malaysian government.

Both of his parents worked as ready-to-wear clothing traders in rotating markets that moved from one village to another along the Riau-West Sumatra road.<ref name":1" /> They owned a herd of water buffaloes as livestock, which were grazed along the ridges of the rice fields they owned.<ref name":1" /> It was on these rice field ridges that Zakaria spent his childhood, helping his parents tend to and herd their livestock.<ref name=":1" /> The life of Zakaria’s parents, who worked so diligently without neglecting worship, left a special impression within him.
As the eldest son, Zakaria was routinely awakened by his parents at four in the morning to help prepare their goods for sale and to perform the Fajr prayer in congregation on time. Afterward, he would spend the day responsible for looking after the livestock. Zakaria was born into a family with strong religious practices and discipline. In raising their children, his parents emphasized several key principles; they instilled honesty, taught them not to meddle in others’ affairs, to avoid confrontation when provoked, never to harm others, and to always help those in need.
During his childhood, Zakaria felt he had no outstanding advantages compared to his siblings, so he never received special treatment from his parents or younger brothers and sisters. His parents showed no favoritism in their affection toward their children, so Zakaria and his siblings grew up in a loving environment. In his early years, Zakaria was much like any other child. While other children enjoyed playing marbles and flying kites, so did he. However, Zakaria preferred herding buffalo along the rice field ridges, occasionally bathing with his friends in the Batang Kampar River, which flowed near his grazing area. When it came to friendship, Zakaria made no distinctions, and he was close with all his friends.
In 1920, at the age of seven, Zakaria enrolled at the Volkschool (Sekolah Rakyat) in Bangkinang but only attended up to the third grade due to his lack of interest.<ref name":0" /><ref name":1" /> At the time, he believed religious studies held far greater value than secular sciences.<ref name":1" /> Noticing his deep inclination toward religion, his uncle Abdullah and aunt Fatimah took him to perform the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca in 1923, when he was ten.<ref name":1" /> The journey to Mecca at that time was still made by ship from Teluk Bayur Port in Padang, West Sumatra, and was quite exhausting because the KLM ship owned by the Dutch East Indies government stopped frequently at multiple ports in its colonies, making the trip take three to four months.<ref name=":1" />
In Mecca, Zakaria and his uncle became acquainted with many Hajj pilgrims from British Malaya.<ref name=":1" /> While performing the Hajj rituals, they also studied religious sciences with renowned scholars there, including Ali Al-Maliki, Sheikh Umar Al-Turki, Umar Hamdan, Ahmad Fathoni, and Sheikh Muhammad Amin Quthbi.<ref name":0" /><ref name":1" /> Together with pilgrims from various countries, Zakaria would sit cross-legged in circles surrounding these teachers after obligatory prayers to study or recite religious knowledge.<ref name":1" /> The subjects he learned included Quranic studies, exegesis (tafsir), hadith, hadith methodology (mustolah hadith), theology (tauhid), rhetoric (balagha), and the art of Arabic poetry (qonafi).<ref name":1" /> Accompanied by his uncle and aunt, Zakaria then settled in British Malaya to further his religious education, as the region was widely known at the time for its strict adherence to Islamic teachings.<ref name":1" /> His scholarly lineage (sanad) traced back to Sheikh Ahmad Khatib Al-Minangkabawi, who once served as the Shafi’i imam at the Great Mosque of Mecca.<ref name":1" /> Sheikh Ahmad Khatib was also the teacher of Sheikh Ahmad Dahlan (founder of Muhammadiyah) and (founder of Nahdlatul Ulama).<ref name=":1" />
In Temerloh, Zakaria studied religion for six years until his teacher, Muhammad Saleh whose father was of Arab descent and mother was a native of Pahang, passed away.<ref name":1" /> Under Muhammad Saleh, Zakaria not only deepened his knowledge in the aforementioned subjects but also mastered Matan Jurumiyah (a classical Arabic grammar text) in its entirety. Zakaria later moved from Pasir Mas to Kuala Lipis, where he stayed for nine months until the area was devastated by floods in 1929.<ref name":1" /> Amid these circumstances, Zakaria and several companions traveled to Bengkalis, stopping at the Islamic school of Masjid Raya Parit Bangkong, led by Tuan Guru Haji Ahmad, to further advance their religious studies.<ref name":1" /> Besides Zakaria and Ahmad, other teachers at the mosque included Muhammad Toha, Muhammad Sidik, and Muhammad Ismail, who all contributed to the teaching there.<ref name":1" />
Career
Zakaria began his career as a teacher at Masjid Raya Parit Bangkong in 1929 at the age of 16.<ref name":1" /> In 1930, a year after returning from British Malaya, he wrote several works that became topics of discussion at the time.<ref name":1" /> Among them was his treatise on the qunut prayer during Fajr, titled Balqurramhi fi Sunniyyati Qunut Subhi, published in the magazine At-Tabib in Cikampek.<ref name":0" /><ref name":1" /> In 1932, Zakaria wrote again about the issue of usholli (prayer intention) in the magazine Hidah Benar in British Malaya.<ref name":0" /><ref name":1" /> By 1939, he had written about the number of rak’ahs in Tarawih prayers and compiled twelve Friday and Eid sermons.<ref name":0" /><ref name":1" /> According to Zakaria, these jurisprudential differences (khilafiyah) were discussed not only domestically but also abroad, including in British Malaya.<ref name":1" /> Having studied in Mecca and British Malaya, he felt compelled to clarify these matters proportionately, hoping to prevent mutual accusations among Muslims.<ref name":1" /> However, due to Zakaria’s frequent relocations during the aggression period, his written works have unfortunately been lost to time.<ref name":1" /> When conditions normalized, he authored a collection of muhadharah (lectures) for madrasah students covering fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), akhlaq (ethics), tauhid (theology), and other subjects.<ref name":1" /> This book later became essential reference material for his students.<ref name=":1" />
In 1933, following the advice of Tuan Guru Haji Ahmad, Zakaria returned to British Malaya, specifically to Bagan Datuk, Perak, to deepen his Islamic knowledge.
<ref name=":1" />
In 1937, after returning from Perak, Zakaria and Tuan Guru Haji Ahmad established Al-Khairiyah Islamic Boarding School, the first formal school in Bengkalis with a classical education system.<ref name":0" /><ref name":1" /> The school was located on Sultan Syarif Kasim Street, on the site of the former Dayang Dermah Orphanage. The land belonged to Abdul Rahman. Students at Al-Khairiyah came not only from Bengkalis but also from various regions, including Selat Panjang, Bagan Siapi-api, Rupat, Tanah Putih, Merbau, Sungai Apit, Bukit Batu, Bangkinang, and other areas. Zakaria taught at the school for six years without receiving any salary.<ref name":0" /><ref name":1" /> When the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies reached Bengkalis in 1943, Al-Khairiyah was closed, and its students were sent back to their respective hometowns.<ref name":0" /><ref name":1" />
As Indonesia’s independence approached in 1945, Zakaria was among the figures who actively propagated the spirit of Indonesian independence to his students and the general public.<ref name":0" /><ref name":1" /> This effort aimed to ignite the fighting spirit of the Bengkalis people at the time.<ref name":0" /><ref name":1" /> He also worked tirelessly alongside Abdullah Nur to rally the people under the theme hubbul wathan minal iman (love for the homeland is part of faith).<ref name=":1" />
During the Dutch Military Aggression II, specifically on 29 December 1948, the Dutch naval forces launched initial attacks on Bengkalis, Selatpanjang, and other areas.<ref name":1" /> Zakaria actively participated in the struggle to defend Indonesia’s independence against the Dutch, who sought to recolonize Indonesia following Japan’s defeat by allied forces.<ref name":1" /> As one of the war’s victors, the Dutch made every effort to regain control of Indonesia by riding on the coattails of the allied forces through NICA (Netherlands Indies Civil Administration), which began occupying Tanjungpinang, Pekanbaru, Bengkalis, and other regions. The defense of Bengkalis City was entrusted to one company led by Lieutenant Mansur, a headquarters company under Endut Gani’s command, one headquarters platoon, and a detachment of police and military personnel. The defense forces were ordered to prioritize coastal defense to block enemy troops attempting to land. After engaging in guerrilla warfare across Bengkalis Island for one and a half months - moving through villages like Kelapapati, Pedekik, Bantan Tua, and Selat Baru - the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) ultimately withdrew to mainland Sumatra. As leader of Laskar Rakyat Sabilillah (the Sabilillah People’s Militia) and Chairman of the Bengkalis Regency People’s Struggle Organization (Badan Perjuangan Rakyat) under Captain Iskandar’s command, Zakaria joined forces with the TNI in armed resistance against the returning Dutch forces attempting to retake Bengkalis.<ref name":0" /><ref name":1" /> The Republican government subsequently assigned Zakaria to relocate to Dumai, where he joined Battalion II/V’s public relations unit and led the movement division with the titular rank of Sergeant Major, remaining under Captain Iskandar’s leadership.<ref name":0" /><ref name":1" />
In December 1949, Zakaria was inaugurated by the Regent of Bengkalis, Muhammad, to serve in religious affairs as the head of Islamic governance.<ref name":1" /> In 1950, he was appointed as the first Head of the Religious Affairs Office in Bengkalis Regency, a position he held until 1972.<ref name":1" /> Zakaria also served as a member of the Bengkalis Regency Regional People’s Representative Council (DPRD).<ref name=":1" />
Despite wartime conditions, Zakaria continued providing Islamic education during his breaks, moving from house to house in Kelapapati, Pedekik, and Wonosari.<ref name":1" /> During peacetime, he maintained these educational activities, though conducted on the modest porch of his home.<ref name":1" />
On 7 August 1955, Zakaria participated in a Bengkalis-hosted conference of four provisional regional people’s representative councils (DPRDS) (Kampar, Bengkalis, Riau Islands and Indragiri) as Bengkalis Regency’s DPRDS representative.<ref name":1" /><ref name":0" /> The meeting unanimously demanded autonomous status for Riau, then still part of Central Sumatra Province.<ref name":0" /><ref name":1" /> Thanks to Zakaria’s efforts with other leaders, Riau Province was officially established on August 9, 1957 under Emergency Law No. 19 of 1957, which established the Level I regions of West Sumatra, Jambi, and Riau.<ref name":0" /><ref name":1" />
Zakaria was a member of the Masyumi Party led by Muhammad Natsir.<ref name":0" /><ref name":1" /> After the Old Order government dissolved Masyumi on 15 August 1960, he joined Nahdlatul Ulama organization, believing it to be the most relevant Islamic mass organization that continued to fight for Islamic values in line with his understanding.<ref name":0" /><ref name":1" />
To continue the legacy of Al-Khairiyah Islamic Boarding School, on 17 July 1963, Zakaria established a madrasa named MDTA Mahbatul Ulum, which included Ibtidaiyah (elementary school), Tsanawiyah (middle school), and Aliyah (high school) levels, located on Gerilya Street, Kelapapati.<ref name":0" /><ref name":1" /> The construction of this madrasa was entirely self-funded by him together with the local community.<ref name":0" /> In addition to leading the institution, Zakaria also taught with a focus on Islamic religious studies based on classical Islamic texts.<ref name":0" /> Until the end of his life, he taught without receiving any payment or compensation. The students who studied at MDTA Mahbatul Ulum from its founding until his passing - amounting to thousands - were not charged any fees. Meanwhile, for the madrasa’s operational costs, including teachers’ salaries, Zakaria gathered donations from benefactors every month.
In addition to teaching at MDTA Mahbatul Ulum, Zakaria was actively involved in teaching at mosques and musallas, such as Parit Bangkong Great Mosque, Kelapapati Jami’ Mosque, Raudhatul Jannah Musalla of Damon, Kayu Manis Musalla, and others.<ref name":0" /><ref name":1" /> He also served as a judge for the district-level Musabaqah Tilawatil Quran (MTQ) competition starting in 1964 and taught at the YPPI Bengkalis religious teacher education program (PGA) from 1964 until its closure in 1970.<ref name":0" /><ref name":1" />
In 1974, Zakaria was appointed as the chairman of the advisory council of the United Development Party (Partai Persatuan Pembangunan/PPP) representing Nahdlatul Ulama, a position he held until 1986.<ref name":0" /><ref name":1" /> He also served as a board member of the Nahdlatul Ulama branch in Bengkalis Regency.<ref name=":1" />
In 1982, Zakaria, together with the local community, initiated the establishment of Al-Ishlah Mosque (formerly known as Surau Haji Zakaria) located on Kelapapati Darat Street, Bengkalis.<ref name":0" /><ref name":1" /> The mosque was intended as a place for the community to perform prayers and engage in other social and religious activities.<ref name":0" /><ref name":1" /> The mosque was located not far from his residence and MDTA Mahbatul Ulum. Based on the endowment declaration, Al-Ishlah Mosque, which was originally established as a surau (prayer hall), was built on land endowed by Abbas in 1974.
After retiring, Zakaria spent all his time as a teacher at MDTA Mahbatul Ulum and preaching.<ref name":1" /> He was still actively teaching in 1991 at the age of 78 and retired in 2003.<ref name":1" />
Personal life
Marriages, relationships, and children
In 1933, Zakaria married Mariah binti Ahmad, a homemaker, and was blessed with three sons: Nashruddin (1934-1999), an employee at the Religious Affairs Office of Bengkalis Regency, Azrai’e (1947-2019), a lecturer at Asysyafi’iyah University of Jakarta, and Syakrani Zakaria (1952-2025), a harbour master official in Bengkalis; as well as four daughters: Aminah (1938-2011), a teacher who served as principal of State Junior High School 2 of Bengkalis, Zaharah (1942-2007), a politician who served as a member of the Bengkalis Regional People’s Representative Council (formerly DPRD Tingkat II) from the Karya Pembangunan faction, Ulfah (born 1943), a midwife at Manado General Hospital, and Hanim Zakaria (born 1950), an elementary school teacher in Pekanbaru.<ref name":0" /><ref name":1" /> Their marriage ended with Mariah’s passing in February 1955.<ref name=":1" />
In 1956, Zakaria married for the second time to Siti Zainab binti Kimpal, an actress, and was blessed with three sons: Zulkarnain (born 1957), a provincial agricultural officer for Riau in Pekanbaru, Nukman (born 1960), a retired Level II food crops agriculture official in Bengkalis, and Gamal Abdul Nasir Zakaria (born 1965), a lecturer in Islamic education and Arabic at the Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Institute of Education, Universiti Brunei Darussalam; as well as three daughters: Rita Puspa (born 1967), a civil servant who served as deputy director of services at Bengkalis General Hospital, Nida Suryani (born 1971), a science teacher at Al-Amin Junior High School in Bengkalis, and Sri Purnama Zakaria (born 1973), an English teacher at State Senior High School 2 of Bengkalis.<ref name":0" /><ref name":1" /> Their marriage lasted until Zakaria’s passing in January 2006.<ref name=":1" />
Illness and death
In 1953, at the age of 40, Zakaria was diagnosed with diabetes. In 2000, he was diagnosed with alzheimer's disease. Zakaria passed away at his residence in Kelapapati, Bengkalis, on 1 January 2006, at 06:00 AM due to diabetes, which he had suffered from, at the age of 92.<ref name":1" /> He was buried at Taman Makam Islam Harapan (Harapan Islamic Cemetery) on the same day.<ref name":1" />

EcoDuro, Inc. is a manufacturing, engineering and marketing company in Ann Arbor, Michigan that holds patents in the major industrial companies for its unique engineered paper pallets. EcoDuro is a company that is focused on developing products for sustainable business practices.
EcoDuro's standard pallets weigh just 9 to 19 pounds, which us about 1/3 the weight of wood pallets that are historically used. Lighter weight has advantages for reduced fuel consumption and reduced air and LTL (Less than Truck Load) shipping costs, as well as help with OSHA compliance.
The EcoDuro and other paper pallets meet the IPPC regulations and are easily recycled and re-pulpable.
History
The Company was founded in 2001 with the name Excalibur Pallet Group and the patents for its engineered paper pallets issued in major industrial countries. In 2004, the company was reformed with the name EcoDuro, Inc. with an investment from Endurance Ventures, LLC, an Ann Arbor Venture Capital Firm as its first cleantech investment. Significant, is that it was one of the rare venture capital backed companies to be moved to Michigan as opposed to being moved from Michigan.
Originally, EcoDuro built its own manufacturing, but after the product was developed, changed its model to contract manufacturing using regional partners who already had paper honeycomb capabilities and expertise.
Manufacturing locations
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Partners
*Honeycomb Products of Michigan, Manufacturing Partner
*Endurance Ventures, LLC, Investment Partner
*Clark Hill, Legal Counsel
Third-party testing
*Michigan State University School of Packaging
*Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Customers
*Amway
*Consolidated Buscuit
*GE Medical
*Ocean Spray
*Pfizer

IMBEWU Political Academy is an initiative of the Democratic Alliance political party in the Western Cape, South Africa, and was started in 2021. The academy functions as an extension of the Provincial Executive Committee with a Steering Committee chaired by Chris Hunsinger, who also acts as the Provincial Coordinator.
Background
Derived from the late James Selfe, who in 2016 suggested that we “grow our own timber” and that “we should invest in our activists,” it will remain our mission to honor and recognize this vision from one of our most respected leaders.
Establishment
During a Provincial Council Meeting in 2020, a formal motion was tabled by Ald. JP Smit for the prioritization, financial allocation, and formation of a leadership training initiative.
The academy was headed by Zimkitha Sulelo from 2021 to 2024. The logo was created to embody and convey the IMBEWU symbol as an image, giving visual meaning to the concept of 'growing our own timber'.
Courses
A one-year leadership course, Trainer Lab for facilitators and trainers, and one-day masterclasses are offered. Applicants are recruited from amongst existing DA members who apply individually at the beginning of each year.