Returning from Mecca, Darwis changes his name to Ahmad Dahlan as he is disturbed by the trend of Islamic laws in his society; that borders on heresy, Syrik (polytheism), and Bid’ah (wrong innovation). Using a compass, he proves that the direction of Qibla (that points to Mecca), in the Great Mosque of Kauman is wrong. The discovery angers every Kyai (Islamic experts), especially the head of the Great Mosque of Kauman, Kyai Penghulu Cholil Kamaludiningrat. Dahlan, who studied in Mecca for five years, is seen as a rebel upstart. Since the proposal of changing the direction of Qibla is rejected, Dahlan starts a movement calling for the change. On his first sermon as a preacher, Dahlan criticizes the habits of residents in his village in Yogyakarta: "In a prayer, only a sincere and patient heart is needed, it requires no Kyais, money, let alone offerings". As a result, Dahlan gets a hostile reception.

When the beautiful Asih arrives, the local community is thrown into chaos. She joins a local band and the married women of the community begin to expel her out of the village.

Set during the war between Dutch/Allied troops and the people of Cibening Cakung in 1945, the story begins when a young man captures 22 Indian soldiers and four British crew members who land on Rawa Gatel. Based on real events, the factual protagonists are KH Noer Ali, leader of Laskar Hizbullah, who is also an ulama (religious leader) who founded the Islamic boarding school; Luke Kustaryo from the Indonesian People's Army; Bang Jole, a local fighter; and Hussein Kamali, an intellectual. Among the fictional characters are H Komar and his wife, who are executed by the Dutch, in front of their children. Then there are also Mahfud and Hafid, members of Hizbullah, who are opponents but who reconcile when they are about to die.