Quraish Shihab and Religious Ministers Visit Presidential Palace for Nuzulul Quran Commemoration
JAKARTA — A number of ministers and religious figures arrived at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on the evening of Tuesday, 10 March 2026.
Their visit was intended to attend the Nuzulul Quran commemoration event to be held at the State Palace that evening.
According to Kompas.com’s observations, the guests began arriving at 18:50 WIB (West Indonesia Time).
Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Pratikno and Minister of Religion Nasaruddin Umar wore matching black suits and peci hats, paired with blue ties. Religious figures arrived one after another, including renowned preacher Quraish Shihab, who was accompanied by his wife, Fatmawati Assegaf.
“Let it be heard later. It concerns peace—let there be peace in the world,” he said briefly when asked about the theme of his remarks at the event.
Also present were Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment Muhaimin Iskandar, Chairman of PBNU (Central Executive Board of Nahdlatul Ulama) Yahya Cholil Staquf, Chair of the People’s Consultative Assembly Sultan Bachtiar Najamudin, Head of BPOM (Food and Drug Authority) Taruna Ikrar, and Head of BRIN (National Research and Innovation Agency) Arif Satria.
The government also invited 30 orphans from welfare institutions who arrived wearing Islamic attire at the palace. According to plan, they will receive aid packages as part of strengthening the values of social care taught in the Qur’an.
This theme was selected to affirm the relevance of the Qur’an’s message in addressing various global challenges, including environmental and peace issues.
“The Qur’an speaks not only of the relationship between humans and God, but also the relationship between humans and nature and between one another. For this reason, the message of ecological stewardship and world peace has become very important for us to emphasise,” said the Minister of Religion on Monday, 9 March 2026.
According to him, the values contained in the Qur’an provide moral guidance for humanity to maintain ecological balance whilst building social harmony within global society.
“We wish to demonstrate that the Qur’an teaches ecological responsibility and the spirit of peace. This is an important message that religion is present as a solution to various human problems,” he continued.
The Minister of Religion also emphasised that the Nuzulul Qur’an commemoration at the State Palace represents an opportunity to strengthen collective awareness that the values of the Qur’an must be realised in actual life.
“This commemoration is not merely a ceremony, but also a reminder that the Qur’an’s message must be translated into concrete action—caring for the earth, building solidarity, and bringing peace,” he stressed.