8 9 5 . ▁The ▁club ▁was ▁inspired ▁by ▁the ▁Jam ’ iy ah ▁al - F ath ani yy ah , ▁founded ▁by ▁Mal ay ▁intellect uals ▁including ▁Sy ek h ▁A hm ad ▁al - F ath ani ▁in ▁Me cca ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 3 . ▁The ▁association ▁was ▁earlier ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Jam ’ iy ah ▁ar - R us yd iy ah , ▁which ▁later ▁renamed ▁itself ▁as ▁Rus yd iah ▁Kl ub ▁R ia u ▁or ▁Ro es id ij ah ▁( Cl ub ) ▁Ri ouw . ▁ ▁The ▁name ▁was ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁Arab ic ▁word ▁" Ro es id ij ah ", ▁meaning ▁intellect uals ▁and ▁" Cl ub " ▁from ▁the ▁Dutch ▁which ▁literary ▁translated ▁as ▁a ▁gather ing . ▁The ▁significance ▁of ▁the ▁Arab ic ▁element ▁in ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁organisation ▁was ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁the ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁group ▁were ▁mainly ▁well - vers ed ▁in ▁Arab ic , ▁as ▁Middle ▁eastern ▁countries ▁were ▁a ▁preferred ▁destination ▁for ▁Malays ▁for ▁further ing ▁their ▁studies ▁during ▁this ▁time . ▁The ▁Dutch ▁element ▁in ▁the ▁name ▁illustrated ▁that ▁the ▁association ▁was ▁progress ive , ▁open ▁to ▁development ▁and ▁change . ▁ ▁The ▁association ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁modern ▁association ▁in ▁the ▁Dutch ▁East ▁Ind ies . ▁It ▁played ▁a ▁major ▁role ▁in ▁supporting ▁intellect uals , ▁artist , ▁writers , ▁po ets ▁and ▁philosoph ers ▁in ▁the ▁R ia u - L ing ga ▁Sultan ate , ▁aim ing ▁to ▁facil itate ▁the