Late Bloomer: Yogyakarta Ojol Driver Learns Quran from Scratch with Peer Support

Edi Sutanto, a 47-year-old online motorcycle taxi (ojol) driver from Umbulharjo, Yogyakarta, is proving that age is no barrier to learning. He has started studying the Quran from the very basics, beginning with the Iqra primer, through the Majelis Ojol Mengaji (Momen) community. Speaking during a study session, Edi explained that he began learning to read the Quran two to three years ago. His delay was not due to a lack of intention, but rather a lack of information about suitable learning spaces for someone his age. “I started with Iqra, and gradually, thank God, I have now progressed to the Quran. I am around Juz 3 or 4. God willing, I hope to remain consistent and complete the recitation,” he said at the Bausasran Quran House in Yogyakarta on Wednesday. He added that after sharing his concerns with friends, he realised the importance of pursuing spiritual matters for the afterlife, not just worldly affairs.

Edi finally found comfort in Momen, a place where he feels no shame or inferiority. He noted that learning at a local mosque would be embarrassing, as he would be studying the basics alongside kindergarten and primary school children who are already proficient in reading the Quran. The community atmosphere, which he describes as “ngaji sambil ngopi” (studying the Quran while having coffee), has completely erased his self-consciousness. Edi takes his studies seriously, even pausing his ride-hailing application during sessions, believing that the time spent is not a loss but an investment for the afterlife.

He actively encourages other drivers to join, though many decline, citing fears of losing income and the pressure of daily expenses. Edi sympathises but questions the logic, arguing that if God provides free oxygen every day, people should not be so calculating about dedicating an hour to spiritual learning. The Momen programme was initiated by the Mualaf Quran Center to address the anxiety of senior drivers who felt awkward attending regular Quran classes at local mosques, where they might be studying alongside their own children or grandchildren. Programme coordinator Sugiarto explained that the initiative was created about three years ago specifically to cater to these drivers, many of whom still struggle to read the Quran fluently.