Sad News! Ustaz Adnan Arsal, Poso Peace Figure, Passes Away
Palu, VIVA - The Islamic religious figure KH Muhammad Adnan Arsal, or Ustaz Adnan Arsal, passed away on Friday at around 6:30 PM WITA in Poso, Central Sulawesi.
“Innalillahi wainnailaihi raji’un, with Allah’s permission and in peace, our father, parent, and teacher KH Muhammad Adnan Arsal has returned to his Lord,” stated Yusrin Ichtiawan, Chairman of the Yayasan Wakaf Amanatul Ummah (YWAU) Poso, on Friday, 27 March 2026.
He also expressed jazakumullah khairan for all the prayers and support from various parties during Ustaz Adnan’s treatment due to illness.
Ustaz Adnan was known as a peace mediator in the Poso conflict. His story of struggle is immortalised in the book titled “Muhammad Adnan Arsal: Panglima Damai Poso” by Khoirul Anam, published in 2021.
Post-conflict, Ustaz Adnan established YWAU in 2001 as an institution for education, preaching, and social activities centred in Kayamanya, Poso, Central Sulawesi. The foundation focuses on Islamic education, social humanitarian efforts, and economic empowerment of the community following the manhaj of Ahlussunnah Wal Jama’ah.
His passing is not merely the loss of a religious figure. For the people of Central Sulawesi, especially in Poso, he was a weaver of hope amid the chasms of humanity. His name has long lived in the collective memory as someone who chose the path of peace when many were trapped in cycles of violence.
He was once given the nickname “panglima” (commander). However, the commander in him was not about war. On the contrary, he stood on a different line, rejecting violence as a way out.
“War will not end with the swing of a machete, but must be resolved through dialogue with an open heart,” one message recorded in the book states.
Amid the prolonged embers of the Poso conflict, Poso once witnessed how people faced each other in wounds and anger. Yet, in that situation, Ustaz Adnan chose to be a bridge, connecting the disconnected and calming the blazing tensions.
He did not lead people to attack. If there was any resistance, it was solely for defence. Beyond that, he invited people to sit together, open spaces for dialogue, and seek humane solutions.