Carving Civilization with Distinctive Education: Prof. Imam Suprayogo’s Testimony to Al-Zaytun’s Excellence
INDRAMAYU-JAYA NEWS.COM – Prof. Dr. KH. Imam Suprayogo, M.Pd., Professor at UIN Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang, delivered an enthusiastic speech at the 6th graduation ceremony of the Al-Zaytun Indonesian Islamic Institute on Monday, December 15, 2025. His visit, which is his umpteenth time, always leaves a remarkable impression of the excellence of this educational institution. More than just congratulations, his remarks served as a profound reflection on the true meaning of graduation and the future vision for the graduates.
First Stage Graduation: From a Perfect GPA to a Prominent Seedling
Prof. Imam Suprayogo congratulated the parents and graduates. He highlighted their academic achievements, with some even achieving a perfect 4.0 GPA. However, in his view, this academic graduation is only a “first stage graduation.”
“If we were selecting seeds to be planted, they would actually have just graduated to become superior seeds. So, in my opinion, what we’re graduating with are actually superior seeds ready to be planted,” explained Prof. Imam Suprayogo.
According to him, true graduation will only occur when these superior seeds successfully grow and are tested in the community’s soil. He emphasized that the trials in society are far more challenging than those on campus.
Imitating the Teacher’s Footsteps: The Challenge of Surpassing Sheikh Panji Gumilang
Education at Al-Zaytun is considered exceptional. Prof. Imam challenges the graduates to go beyond reading books and taking written exams. The ultimate goal is to grow into the likeness of their great teacher, Sheikh Abdussalam Panji Gumilang.
Sheikh Panji Gumilang, at the age of 80, has successfully established an educational institution of this magnitude. Therefore, the challenge is:
1. Self-Evaluation: Ask yourself, “Will I be able to achieve as much as Sheikh Abdussalam Panji Gumilang when I’m 80?”
2. True Graduation: If successful, that’s true graduation.
3. Surpassing the Teacher: It would be even better if his achievements surpassed those of Sheikh Abdussalam Panji Gumilang.
Sheikh Panji Gumilang himself always emulated the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the ideals of the First President, Soekarno, whose spirit of independence was instilled through education.
Al-Zaytun’s Global Vision and Adaptive Curriculum
Prof. Imam Suprayogo envisions the 271 current graduates as seeds. In the next 20 years, he hopes that new Al-Zaytuns will emerge, built by its graduates, spread from Aceh to Papua. He believes this is possible because education at Al-Zaytun is unique. Citing Kopertais’s view on a superior curriculum that must be adaptive, Prof. Imam suggested that Al-Zaytun not simply follow the standard curriculum.
“If you ask what curriculum it is, it’s the Al-Zaytun curriculum. Don’t just follow Mr. Kopertais’ curriculum, or you’ll be less advanced,” Prof. Imam said enthusiastically.
The uniqueness of education at Al-Zaytun also lies in its emphasis on implementation, not just words. Shaykh Panji Gumilang teaches according to Surah As-Saff, verses 2-3 of the Quran, which emphasizes the prohibition of saying something that is not done (kabura maqtan ‘indallâhi an taqûlû mâ lâ taf‘alûn).
Here, students are encouraged not only to speak, but also to imitate those who do what they say. In fact, one must know what one is saying to avoid being a ‘drunk person’ (talking a lot but not knowing what they are saying), citing Surah An-Nisa verse 43 regarding the prohibition of praying while drunk (walabtaqrabu as-shalata ḫattâ ta‘lamû mâ taqûlûna).
Al-Zaytun as a Rival to Medina and a Mercy for the Worlds
Prof. Imam also recounted his experience inviting Professor Fahd Al Ahmadi, Professor of the University of Medina, to visit Al-Zaytun. Initially, Prof. Fahd thought the largest Islamic boarding school in Indonesia was in Sulawesi. After seeing it firsthand, Prof. Fahd acknowledged Al-Zaytun’s greatness with the word “Akbar.”
Prof. Imam advised that information about this superiority be shared with Arab countries:
“There is still a rival, namely, Al-Zaytun, a rival to Medina.”
His hope is that the Rahmatan Lil ‘Alamin mosque in Al-Zaytun will truly be a blessing for the whole world. With his experience educating students from 32 countries, including Russia, he believes Al-Zaytun can become a global education center.
Prof. Imam closed his speech with a final challenge to graduates and female graduates: “Don’t lose to Syaykh Abdussalam Panji Gumilang. If Syaykh doesn’t want to lose to Soekarno, all of you don’t want to lose to Syaykh Abdussalam Panji Gumilang.” Said Prof. Suprayogo.
The graduates are expected to be able to create works that surpass the Shaykh when they reach the age of 80 years. This is a teacher’s dream, which will make Shaykh smile.***
Ali Aminulloh
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