 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 . When a group of Islamic organisations formed the Indonesian Islamic Assembly in 1937 , Fakih became treasurer . He continued to be involved in politics and Islamic groups during the Japanese occupation and ensuing national revolution . While serving as minister of religious affairs , he oversaw educational and institutional reform , growing in prominence within the Muhammadiyah . He served as deputy chairman of the organisation under several different leaders before being chosen as its chairman in late 1968 , several days before his death . 
