Category: Premium
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What are the important lessons from the success of Teuku Umar University in Meulaboh, West Aceh
On March 9, 2022, I was invited as a speaker at the Seminar on the Transformation of Digital Society in Coastal Areas at Teuku Umar University, Meulaboh, West Aceh, which is the second time I visited this campus in 2018; I was also invited to speak in one of the seminars. I was stunned…
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Gnosis in Islam: Philosophy, Theology, and Sufism in the Search for Maโrifah
This essay explores the concept of gnosis (maโrifah) in Islam, understood as the highest form of knowledge that unites intellect, spirituality, and revelation. From Dhลซโn-Nลซn al-Miแนฃrฤซโs early articulation of mystical knowledge to al-Ghazzฤlฤซโs integration of law and Sufism, and from Ibn โArabฤซโs metaphysics to William Chittickโs insights, the tradition of maโrifah shows that true knowledge…
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The Experience of Struggling to Understand Islamic Studies in Indonesia: An Autobiographical Outlook
Muslim and non-Islamic scholars have been interested in studying Islam since its emergence.ย The concept ofย ‘ilm becomes a central point in understanding Islamic tradition and thought. Scholars need to explore and understand how the idea ofย ‘ilm. The history of Islamic thoughtย has influenced humankind’s perspective for more than 13 centuries. For example, Fazlur Rahman (1997) describes Islam…
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What are the chances of Anies Baswedan in the 2024 presidential election in Indonesia?
In 2010, I met Anies Baswedan at Walailak University, Tha Sala, Nakhorn Sri Thammarat. He was still the Rector of Paramadina University in Jakarta. I sat beside him talking about Surin Pitsuwan, the former Secretary-General of ASEAN. I suspect that Surin Pitsuwan is interested in the figure of Anies Baswedan. After that, we enjoyed…
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The Stories of Perantau in Nusantara (#03)
Some of the provinces that we passed were often called โIndonesia Miniโ because almost all ethnic groups were in their area. The concept of “Indonesia Mini” can almost be found in several areas. Even when we were in Jakarta, the concept of โ Indonesia Miniโ was explained in the political escalation in Indonesia, which…
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The Warung as World: Coffee, Power, and Social Life in Aceh
In Aceh, coffee is not merely a beverage. It is a social contract, a public ritual, and a medium through which hierarchy, generosity, obligation, and political intelligence are continuously negotiated. The warung kopi is where Acehnese society thinks aloud, reads itself, and transforms historical change into everyday conversation.
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The Story of Perantau in Nusantara (#02)
The life of perantau initially struggled. An informant told how a perantau community was built in the interior of Papua. He jokingly said that initially, the village is established because there were perantau from Java who worked on a project. They then settled there. Build a house. The family came from Java. The market happens…
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Touring Indonesia Harmoni #32: A White-Knuckle Bus Ride to Surabaya and Reunion with Nyak Ver
ย I then suggested to my wife that we simply stay overnight in Pati to rest. But she was adamant about continuing on to Surabaya. For me, rest is the single most important thing on a long-distance journey, all the more so since we had already covered a fairly long stretch, from Padang to…
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Touring Indonesia Harmoni #31: The Grueling Bus Relay from Merak Toward Surabaya
ย On 8 November 2021 we reached Merak Harbor aboard the Sembodo bus. The clock showed 9:30 at night. During the trip, I had already asked the Sembodo bus crew to find us a bus heading to Surabaya. While on the ferry, it turned out the bus crew had coordinated with another bus bound…