Upon his return to Yogyakarta , Darwis ( now played by Lukman Sardi ) change his name to Ahmad Dahlan and begin teaching Islam , preaching that prayers need only come from inner peace and do not require large donations or sacrifices . Conflict soon arise between Dahlan and the local kyais ( religious leaders ) after he show that the direction in which they pray is wrong , pointing not to the Kaaba in Mecca but to Africa . The kyais , especially Cholil Kamaludiningrat ( Slamet Rahardjo ) , decry Dahlan as the leader of a cult and provoke a crowd of their followers to destroy the building next to Dahlan 's house used for studying prayer .