UIN Bukittinggi Commemorates Hari Santri: A Moral Anchor and Reaffirmation of Identity
BUKITTINGGI — Daybreak had barely touched the slope of Mount Marapi when hundreds of academic staff and students from the Sjech M. Djamil Djambek State Islamic University (UIN) in Bukittinggi gathered in silent alignment for morning prayers (Shubuh paryer). The solemn congregation marked the opening of a series of religious and academic events commemorating National Santri Day (Hari Santri) on Thursday (Oct 22). Beyond its spiritual devotion, the gathering underscored a broader mission: strengthening the institution's spiritual foundation while reinforcing its Islamic intellectual identity in an evolving global landscape.
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| Despite the haze, the Santri Day ceremony at UIN Bukittinggi on Thursday (22 October 2026) remained solemn. |
This year's commemoration served as a reflective milestone anchored in historical, philosophical, and pragmatic dimensions. Historically, the observance resurrects the spirit of the 1945 Resolusi Jihad (Jihad Resolution) issued by revered cleric KH Hasyim Asy'ari. The historical precedent demonstrates that Indonesia's fight for independence was forged through an indelible bond between religious faith and nationalism—two forces that complement rather than contradict each other.
For the people of West Sumatra, whose culture is guided by the philosophy Adat Basandi Syarak, Syarak Basandi Kitabullah (Custom Based on Sharia, Sharia Based on the Holy Book), the roots of santri (Islamic student) culture have long been intertwined with local heritage through the tradition of the surau (traditional Islamic learning lodge). From these wooden structures in the Minangkabau heartland emerged prominent scholars and national figures, including Sheikh Ahmad Khatib Al-Minangkabawi, Sheikh Sulaiman Al-Rasuli, and Sheikh M. Djamil Djambek. The surau served not merely as a house of Quranic instruction, but as a crucible shaping spiritual depth, intellect, and mental fortitude.
In response to digital disruption and rapid technological shifts, UIN Bukittinggi has positioned itself as a modern embodiment of the traditional surau. This strategic orientation was underscored through high-level academic forums, including an international lecture on Islamic civilisation by Dr. Anis Malik Thoha from Sultan Sharif Ali Islamic University in Brunei.
During her address as the ceremony inspector for the National Santri Day commemoration on Thursday (Oct 22), UIN Bukittinggi Rector Prof Silfia Hanani emphasized that the call to "Return to the Surau" is not a plea to retreat into the past. Instead, it represents a movement to internalize core values—moral integrity, self-reliance, and deep religious literacy—and translate them into contemporary academic spaces.
"Today’s santri must not only be proficient in reciting classical texts on traditional woven mats, but must also master digital literacy, science, and technology without severing their cultural and customary roots," Prof Silfia said.
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| The reading of the 2026 National Santri Day address by Rector Prof. Silfia Hanani. |
This transformation provides a crucial pragmatic foundation for the younger generation. Amid risks of moral erosion and information overload in the digital era, the discipline and solidarity fostered by santri culture serve as an ethical bulwark for the nation. UIN Bukittinggi demonstrates that higher education modernization and technological mastery need not dilute traditional identity. By bridging the divide between scientific inquiry and religious wisdom, heritage becomes a steadfast moral anchor for future progress. (IRWANDI)
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