Friday Dhikr and the Path of Education that Liberates the Mind
(Excerpted from a sermon by Sheikh Al Zaytun)
By Ali Aminulloh
After Friday prayers, the Rahmatan Lil ‘Alamin Al Zaytun Mosque once again became a space for contemplation. It was not only a place of worship, but also a space for inner dialogue between faith, reason, and the future of education. On Friday, December 19, 2025, Sheikh AS Panji Gumilang delivered a sermon as part of a routine event known as Friday Dhikr, a spiritual-intellectual forum that links dhikr with contemporary awareness.
That day, the Sheikh’s message opened with a note of hope: as we approach the end of December, may all endeavors end in goodness. However, that hope was quickly linked to the enormous responsibility of how education must move further, become more liberated, and more meaningful.
From Declaration to Implementation
Al Zaytun has declared the LSTEAMS curriculum, which consists of Law, Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics, and Spirituality. This is a conceptual leap that not only adds letters to the acronym but also deepens the meaning of education. However, the Sheikh cautioned that the declaration should not stop at jargon.
“The implementation details have not been detailed one by one,” was more or less the homework conveyed. Therefore, a special team needs to be formed to work seriously, discussing, detailing, and bringing LSTEAMS to life in daily learning practices.
Beyond the Limits of the National Curriculum
In his sermon, the Sheikh delivered a sharp yet insightful critique of the national curriculum framework, which has so far relied too heavily on STEM. Without Law, without Art to humanize, and without Spirituality to provide direction, education easily loses its soul.
As a result, students grow up with technical skills but lack a sense of nationalism. Nationalism becomes a foreign concept, not a living feeling. In fact, love for the homeland should grow from the nation’s fundamental values, from appreciation, from feeling, from collective consciousness. Even the national anthem should be internalized, not simply sung.
Ma’had as a Space for Contemplation, Not Doctrine
The Sheikh reaffirmed the identity of Ma’had Al Zaytun: a place for contemplating the Quran, not merely memorizing or studying difficult-to-understand books. Education should not become an intellectual pressure that leaves students “constrained in their thinking” by their teachers.
Teachers are not enforcers of truth, but guides to awareness. Their job is to guide, not indoctrinate. Therefore, teachers need to first discuss together what to learn, what books to use, and what values to instill.
Collective Work Across Levels
This message flows into a structural need: the formation of an integrated curriculum team from PAUD, MI, MTs, MA, to universities. IAI Al-Azis must be on the same page. Education cannot proceed in isolation; it must be a unified process from early childhood to adulthood.
The Teachers’ Council, the Dormitory Council, and the heads of educational units were asked to gather, deliberate, and appoint those worthy of joining the team. From there, LSTEAMS was defined not as a new burden, but as a path of independent thinking.
Liberating Ways of Thinking
The Sheikh reminded us in a firm yet hopeful tone: Ma’had is not a place for narrow-minded thinking. True education is one that broadens the mind, fosters the courage to ask questions, and sharpens the sensitivity of the conscience.
Therefore, teachers were asked not to indoctrinate. Doctrines stifle critical thinking. Education should instead produce individuals capable of thinking, feeling, and taking responsibility for their choices.
The Friday dhikr that day ended not with applause, but with a meaningful silence, the silence of those being invited to rethink the essence of education. At the Rahmatan Lil ‘Alamin Mosque, dhikr does not stop at words, but rather transforms into an awareness: that the future of the nation is determined by the courage to liberate reason and cultivate rational spirituality.**
Indonesia, December 19, 2025
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