UNAIR NEWS Minister of Primary and Secondary Education (Mendikdasmen) of the Republic of Indonesia Prof. Abdul Mu檛i MEd attended as a speaker at the 51动漫 (UNAIR) Ramadan lecture on Friday, March 6, 2026. The event took place at Garuda Mukti Hall, Management Building, MERR-C Campus of and was attended by university leaders, lecturers, education staff, and the academic community.
On that occasion, Prof. Mu檛i stated that Ramadan can be viewed as a month of literacy in the context of Indonesian society. According to him, various religious traditions that emerge during Ramadan demonstrate how religion can shape distinctive cultural practices within the community.
Ramadan as a space for religious literacy
Prof. Mu檛i explained that Indonesia has various religious practices that do not always appear in other countries. Traditions such as the seven-minute lecture (kuliah tujuh menit/kultum) and Qur檃n recitation sessions (tadarus) illustrate how religious values develop into social culture within society.
淩amadan in Indonesia can be considered a month of literacy because many religious lectures and preaching activities enrich people檚 understanding, he said.
He also discussed the phenomenon of religious vernacularization, a process in which religious teachings are expressed through cultural forms that are close to people檚 daily lives. Practices such as communal iftar and halal bihalal gatherings reflect how religious values develop within Indonesian social traditions. Through this process, religion becomes more universal in form, allowing people from different backgrounds to accept it more easily.
In addition, Prof. Mu檛i reminded that Muslims understand Ramadan as syahrul Qur檃n, the month when Allah SWT revealed the Qur檃n to Prophet Muhammad SAW. In Indonesia, the tradition of reading the Qur檃n during Ramadan is very strong. Many people even set targets to complete the entire Qur檃n through approaches such as one day one juz. However, he emphasized that reading alone is not sufficient without understanding the meaning of the verses.
Encouraging Qur檃nic reflection
The Minister of Primary and Secondary Education also highlighted a tendency he described as the mystification of the Qur檃n, when people treat its verses in a magical way or merely as amulets. According to him, such tendencies can obscure the primary function of the Qur檃n as guidance for humanity.
As an alternative, he encouraged Muslims to practice objectification of the Qur檃n through the process of tadabbur, which means reflecting deeply on and understanding the meanings of its verses. Through this approach, the Qur檃n can be understood and internalized in everyday life.
淲e should not stop at merely reading. We need to engage in dialogue with the Qur檃n through tadabbur so that its messages truly settle in our hearts and inspire our actions, he concluded.
Author: Maia Chaerunnisa
Editor: Khefti Al Mawalia
