Beyond Rhetoric: How UIN Bukittinggi and USIM Are Charting the Future of Islamic Outreach
BUKITTINGGI — The crisp mountain air enveloping Gurun Aua at the foot of Mount Marapi on Monday (Aug 10) did little to dampen the warm exchanges inside the Faculty of Ushuluddin, Adab, and Da'wah (FUAD) at UIN Sjech M. Djamil Djambek Bukittinggi. Upstairs on the third floor, 15 students from Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia’s (USIM) Global Islamic Student Outreach (GISO) program gathered with their West Sumatran counterparts.
Supervised by lecturer Muhammad bin Hashim, the visit on paper bore all the hallmarks of routine academic diplomacy: exchange of souvenirs, formal handshakes, and light banter on Minangkabau scenery and the subtle linguistic nuances in Minangkabau dialects. Yet beneath the surface, the cross-border engagement between these two Islamic communication institutions reflects a deeper paradigm shift: redefining da'wah (Islamic outreach) in an era of rapid disruption.
Moving Beyond the Pulpit
For decades, da'wah has often been reduced to pulpit rhetoric—an oral tradition anchored to mosque microphones. However, social realities outside religious walls are evolving rapidly, proving far more complex.
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| Dr Irwandi, Head of the International Office at UIN Bukittinggi (fourth from left), received an official delegation from USIM led by Dr Muhammad bin Hisham (fifth from left). |
The collaboration between UIN Bukittinggi’s FUAD and USIM’s Faculty of Leadership and Management seeks to push past these traditional boundaries, reframing outreach as "living da'wah”—a practical application of religious values across social, economic, cultural, and technological spheres.
"Modern da'wah can no longer rely on singular rhetoric," said Dr Irwandi, from UIN Bukittinggi's International Office. He noted that merging UIN Bukittinggi's text-analytical and socio-cultural strengths with USIM's community outreach model creates a dynamic framework. Here, faith moves beyond passing judgment to offer practical solutions for contemporary crises, including artificial intelligence ethics, mental health, and environmental awareness.
UIN Bukittinggi Rector Prof Silfia Hanani and FUAD Dean Prof Dr Syafwan Rozi emphasized that internationalization must move beyond signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) to yield tangible joint research and community engagement.
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| Dr Muhammad bin Hisham from USIM (third from right) and Prof Dr Syafwan Rozi of UIN Bukittinggi (third from left) after signing a cooperation pact on Aug 10. |
Navigating Algorithms and Commodification
Collaborating in the digital age presents distinct challenges. Today’s youth face the risk of religious commodification online, where moral substance is frequently eclipsed by algorithmic metrics and view counts.
In response, the partnership emphasizes practical, modern skill sets. Students are trained not only in public speaking, but also in ethical digital content production, measurable community empowerment, and projecting local wisdom—such as the Minangkabau philosophy Adat Basandi Syarak, Syarak Basandi Kitabullah (Custom Based on Sharia, Sharia Based on the Book of Allah)—onto the global stage.
As the USIM delegation departed UIN Bukittinggi that afternoon, the dialogue remained far from over. A shared understanding had taken root: the future of Islamic outreach will not be defined by the volume of the pulpit, but by how deeply its values enrich modern civilization. [IRWANDI]
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