Revealing the First Verse of the Quran: Minister of Religious Affairs of Indonesia Attends Nuzulul Quran Festival at UIN Jakarta

Jakarta, UIN Online News - UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, in collaboration with Masjid Fathullah, commemorated Nuzulul Qur’an, with attendance from the Minister of Religious Affairs, Prof. Nasaruddin Umar, M.A., the Rector of UIN Jakarta, Prof. Asep Saepudin Jahar, Ph.D., M.A., and the Chairman of Masjid Fathullah, Dr. Asyari Hasan, M.R.E., CM., on Monday (10/03/2025).

Comprehending the Divine Verses

Nasaruddin opened his presentation by analyzing the semantic interpretation of "Quran" itself, which denotes a collection. Anything that constitutes a compilation is referred to as "Quran.".

The term "Iqra," spoken by Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as the first verse, is an imperative verb without a direct object, signifying the phrase's universality. The directive to read in Iqra encompasses the reading of all collective works; hence, all readable materials must be carefully examined.

The Quran, humans, and the cosmos are all entities that must be comprehended by every Muslim: "We will show them Our signs in the universe and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that this ˹Quran˺ is the truth. Is it not enough that your Lord is a Witness over all things?" (Al-Fussilat: 53).

The rationale for the use of the term Iqra before bismirabbika is that a Muslim should attentively consider all of Allah's words in their entirety as the whole verses. Iqra, which is the first word revealed in the Quran, signifies inductiveness in legal decision-making, hence precluding any type of subjectivity.

"The Qur'an has imparted a methodology of 'Read!'. Therefore, read all the verses initially and subsequently validate them with the Quran. To understand the little, you must first understand the whole," he concluded.

UIN Jakarta as the foremost religious institution

Nasaruddin Umar anticipates that UIN Jakarta will foster innovative studies in the domain of religious profundity, and he urged them to assume prominent roles in religious activities, in addition to debating the Quran. Along with its professional lecturers and dedicated researchers, UIN Jakarta will establish its remarkable achievement in religious fields.

"For an extended period, we have been constrained by the way of close-minded thinking, which often renders us stagnant, unable to withstand critics, intellectually deficient, and ultimately forgotten by the Muslim society itself. Through consistent Islamic research, UIN Jakarta will embody the courage to think differently," the Minister of Religious Affairs of Indonesia said.

(M. Hanif Al-Fatih/Zaenal M./Muhamad Arifin Ilham/Photo: M. Yahya & M. Ghifari Rahman)