Al Azhar Honors Indonesia’s Commitment to Human Resource Development

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Al Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt, has conferred high recognition on Indonesia under the leadership of President Prabowo Subianto for its commitment to accelerating the development of high-quality, moderate-oriented (wasathiyah) human resources.

The institution also praised President Prabowo’s dedication to advancing Indonesia’s human capital toward the Indonesia Emas 2045 vision, particularly for the thousands of Indonesian students currently studying at Al Azhar.

“This support is vital for nurturing future scholars of excellence,” said Al Azhar’s Deputy Grand Sheikh, Muhammad Abdurrahman Ad-Duwaini, while receiving a delegation from the ASFA Foundation, according to a statement released in Jakarta on Monday, February 9, 2026, Antara reported.

The delegation, which included 45 pesantren leaders from 22 provinces and 150 Al Azhar postgraduate scholarship recipients supported by Lazis ASFA, was also welcomed by Egypt’s Grand Mufti, Nadhir Muhammad Ayyadh.

In his advice to future scholars and pesantren leaders, Sheikh Ad-Duwaini stressed the importance of mastering comprehensive knowledge to address contemporary challenges. 

“Scholars must be role models. Be scholars who embody wasathiyah (moderation), wisdom, and gentleness in preaching,” he said, cautioning against issuing fatwas hastily without deep understanding. 

Echoing this, Grand Mufti Ayyadh emphasized that fatwas should provide ease while remaining firmly rooted in Islamic principles.

Al Azhar also extended appreciation and prayers for Samsudin Andi Arsyad, known as Haji Isam, Chairman of the ASFA Foundation’s Board of Trustees, recognizing his sustained support for international students. 

“We pray that Allah continues to guide him and grant success in all his endeavors. His support for ASFA–Al Azhar collaboration has been deeply impactful,” said Sheikh Ad-Duwaini.

The partnership between Al Azhar and ASFA Foundation was initiated by the late Commissioner General of Police (Ret.) Syafruddin Kambo. Its highlight has been two consecutive international graduation ceremonies in November 2024 and November 2025, jointly organized with ASFA, involving more than 1,900 graduates from 46 countries. ***