Perhaps most of the students in Pare or other people more knowing about Mr Kalend Osen as the owner of Basic English Course (BEC) rather than Kiai Yazid.
But you will find Kiai Yazid’s pictures if you come in at BEC. He is so special for the directors of BEC. He is the best teacher for Mr Kalend. He always looked at Mr Kalend when he taught his students and gave his suggestions for Mr Kalend. Even That, Mr Kalend asked his permission to build a course that we now call BEC. Mr Kalend also married one of Kiai Yazid’s nieces and made him stay in Pare till now.
Kiai Ahmad Yazid Thohir is someone who passed away around 1990-1992. He was able to speak nine languages like Arabic, English, Hebraic, Persian, Dutch, French and Japanese.
Mr Kalend said that Kiai Yazid studied those languages by himself. The books, which have many languages like Hebraic, Persian, Dutch and others, were found in his house. In those books are available some notes from Kiai Yazid. He signed some pages with a quote or his signature. That’s proof Kiai Yazid could understand more than five languages. Even that, some books are found with Alfiyah’s quote inside. Kitab, which is written by Imam Suyuthi, is the best Kitab that discusses Arabic. Once, Kiai Yazid said that the centre of languages is Arabic. And he also started his studying of languages with Arabic.
Mr Kalend as the owner of the Basic English Course, also said that Kiai Yazid was a diligent person. He used to read books after isya’ in his house. No matter what would Santri does, He always read his book. So even though his santri do something till that’s done, Kiai Yazid was still in his chair.
If you visit Kampung Inggris Pare, you will find a board “Ahmad Yazid Center”. And Actually, There is the Center of Languages. The place which many people started their study about language before BEC was built.
Maybe not all of Pare’s students and other people know and understand about him. But They know that he could speak nine languages and always be the main topic in Mr Kalend’s speech in every opening’s programs.
Kiai Ahmad Yazid Thohir showed us that we can’t ban and confine santri when studying another language. Never think that santri needs to learn Arabic only. And then we ask them “What will you do if you study another language? That’s not urgent and useless”. Nothing is useless in this world. Because our God, Allah SWT, never create something useless. Everything is useful. If we still think that something is futile, simply because we haven’t known the function of that one.