Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Urges Ummah to Tadabbur the Qur’an, Not Merely Read It

Abdul Mu’ti, the Minister for Primary and Secondary Education, urged Muslims not to stop at merely reading the Qur’an but to elevate their engagement to tadabbur — a deep contemplation of the meanings of the holy verses so that their messages can be internalised and applied in daily life. He made the remarks as a speaker at the Ramadhan Study at Universitas Airlangga in Surabaya on Friday, March 6, 2026. He said, ‘We must not stop at reading. We need to dialogue with the Qur’an through tadabbur so its messages really take root in the heart and drive actions.’ In his view, Ramadhan is a special moment because the Qur’an was revealed in this month, making it appropriate for Muslims to engage in more meaningful dialogue with the holy book. He described Ramadhan in Indonesia as a month of literacy in the context of society, noting that religious traditions thriving during Ramadhan — such as kultum (seven-minute lectures) and tadarus — enrich people’s understanding of the teachings. ‘Ramadhan in Indonesia can be described as a month of literacy,’ he said, ‘because there are many da’wah and study circles that deepen public understanding.’ He also highlighted the phenomenon of vernacularisation of religion, whereby religious teachings enter culture close to everyday life. Traditions such as buka puasa together and halalbihalal, he argued, illustrate how religious values propagate into social practices accepted across circles. On the cautions against mystifying the Qur’an, he warned of tendencies to treat Qur’anic verses as magical talismans, which can obscure the Qur’an’s primary function as hudan li al-nas — guidance for humanity. As a solution, he urged objectification of the Qur’an through tadabbur — reflecting on and understanding the meanings of verses deeply so that their values can be felt and translated into daily conduct, not merely read ritually. In Gorontalo, the drive for Qur’anic literacy this Ramadhan was pursued inclusively. The Taman Pendidikan Alquran Tuli Gorontalo, together with Komunitas Rangkul Asa and the Gerakan untuk Kesejahteraan Tuna Rungu Indonesia (Gerkatin) Gorontalo, held an Inclusive Ramadan School at the Al Muqarrabin Mosque in Gorontalo City. The instructor, Nabila Salsabila Robot, said about 40 deaf participants took part in lessons in sign-language Qur’an recitation, wudu jurisprudence and prayer, the Pillars of Islam, daily etiquette, and khatam Alquran. The programme targets both deaf adults and children, organised into two classes. ‘This is a programme we have designed specifically in Ramadan. Our initial plan arose because we saw very few religious programmes aimed at our deaf friends, whose understanding of Islam remains limited,’ Nabila said. The two-week activity comprises three core elements: adult class, children’s class, and a closing session with inclusive discussion.