Supra-Rational from Al-Zaytun: A Journalist Testimony of Resilience and Civilization
*By Ali Aminulloh*
Abridged from the remarks of Drs. Robin Simanullang
On July 30, 2026, during the 80th anniversary of Shaykh Abdussalam Rasyidi Panji Gumilang of Al-Zaytun, senior journalist Robin Simanullang delivered a reflection titled “Supra-Rational from Al-Zaytun.”
For more than 20 years, Robin has been an eyewitness to Al-Zaytun’s journey. He did not come as a spectator, but as a recorder of history, documenting its ideas, challenges, and development.
Robin introduced the concept of “supra-rational” an ability to transcend the limits of ordinary logic. In his view, supra-rational is when reason meets inner depth and spiritual intelligence. It is the capacity to respond to evil with goodness, to transform suffering into creative energy, and to remain productive under pressure.
He saw this most clearly when Shaykh Panji Gumilang faced character assassination and public attacks. Logically, such pressure should produce anger and revenge. Instead, Robin witnessed resilience: no hatred in return for slander, no retaliation for insult. That, he argues, is supra-rational in action.
This resilience is built on what Robin calls “remontada from within” an awakening that begins internally. It rests on three freedoms:
1. Freedom of the Spirit: not allowing fear, hatred, or revenge to control the soul.
2. Freedom of Thought : daring to generate new ideas in education, economy, and nationhood without being bound by public opinion.
3. Freedom of Knowledge: developing independent knowledge that serves public welfare, not just consuming ideas from elsewhere.
Robin also criticized what he called “When the Habitus of Pancasila Is Tried in Its Own Homeland.” He lamented that an institution reflecting Pancasila values faith, humanity, unity, deliberation, and justice was judged unfairly in Indonesia, while Pancasila often remains only a slogan elsewhere. He even wrote two open letters to the President regarding the treatment of Al-Zaytun.
From this experience comes “Novum Gradum” , Robin’s proposal for a “new step” in Indonesian education. Education, he argues, must form individuals who are free in spirit, thought, and knowledge, and capable of answering modern challenges sustainably.
In closing, Robin said his gift to Shaykh Al-Zaytun was not material, but 20 years of documentation, thought, and testimony.
For him, Al-Zaytun’s story is proof that true progress comes not from defeating opponents, but from overcoming fear, despair, and hatred within oneself. That is Supra-Rational from Al-Zaytun : reason guided by faith, and injustice answered with goodness and work for civilization.
Indramayu, August 2, 2026
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