Abdurrahman Wahid was born on the 4th and 8th month of the Islamic calendar year 1940 in Denanyar Jombang, East Java from the pair Wahid Hashim and Solichah. There is a belief that he was born on August 4, but the calendar is used to mark the day of his birth is the Islamic calendar, which means he was born on 4 Sha'ban, equal to 7 September 1940.
He was born with the name Abdurrahman Addakhil. "Addakhil" means "the Conqueror". The word "Addakhil" is not well known and changed the name of "Wahid", and then more fondly known as Gus Dur. "Gus" is a typical boarding school honor calls to a child kiai means "brother" or "mas".
Gus Dur is the first son of six children. Wahid was born in a very respectable family in the Muslim community of East Java. Grandfather of his father is K.H. Asyari Hashim, founder of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), while his maternal grandfather, KH Bisri Syansuri, is the first boarding school teacher who teaches a class in women. Gus Dur's father, K.H. Wahid Hashim, was involved in the Nationalist Movement and became Minister of Religious Affairs in 1949. His mother, Mrs.. Hj. Sholehah, is the daughter of the founder of Boarding Schools Denanyar Jombang. His brother is Salahuddin Wahid Wahid and Lily. He married and had four Sinta Nuriyah daughters: Alisa, Yenny, Anita, and Inayah.
Gus Dur never openly stated that he has Chinese blood. Abdurrahman Wahid claimed that he was a descendant of Tan Kim Han is married to Tan Lok A, Raden siblings Broken (Tan Eng Hwa), founder of the Sultanate of Demak. A Lok Tan and Tan Eng Hwa is a son of the Princess Campa, daughter of China who is a concubine of Raden UB V. Tan Kim Han himself then based on the study of a French researcher, Louis-Charles Damais Qodir identified as Sheikh Abd al-Shini who discovered his tomb in Trowulan.
In 1944, Wahid moved from Jombang to Jakarta, where his father was elected the first Chairman of the Muslim Party of Indonesia Syuro Council (Masyumi), an organization which exists to support the Japanese army who was then occupying Indonesia. After the declaration of Indonesian independence on August 17, 1945, Gus Dur back to Jombang and remained there during the Indonesian war of independence against the Dutch. At the end of the war in 1949, Wahid moved to Jakarta, and his father was appointed as Minister of Religious Affairs. Abdurrahman Wahid studied in Jakarta, go to primary school before moving to SD KRIS Matraman Perwari. Wahid also taught non-Muslims to read books, magazines, and newspapers by his father to expand his knowledge. Wahid continued to live in Jakarta with his family although his father was not a minister of religion in 1952. In April 1953, Wahid's father died in a car accident.
Wahid continued education and in 1954, he entered the Junior High School. In that year, he was not the next grade. His mother then sent Gus Dur to Yogyakarta to continue his education with the Koran to the KH. Ali Maksum Krapyak at boarding school and studied in junior high. In 1957, after graduating from junior high, Wahid moved to Magelang to begin Muslim Education at Pesantren Tegalrejo. He developed a reputation as a gifted student, boarding school education completed within two years (should be four years). In 1959, Wahid moved to a boarding school in Jombang Tambakberas. There, while continuing his own education, Abdurrahman Wahid also received his first job as a teacher and later as head of school and madrasah. Gus Dur is also employed as a journalist for magazines such as Horizon and Culture Magazine Jaya.
