13th-Semester Graduate Wins Best Thesis in Islamic Studies at UIN Jakarta

Harun Nasution Auditorium, UIN Online News—Amid the demand for on-time graduation, an inspiring achievement was earned by Rafi Sofyan Tsauri, a graduate of the Hadith Studies Program, Faculty of Ushuluddin, during the 139th Graduation Ceremony of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta at the Harun Nasution Auditorium on Saturday (February 7, 2026). Despite completing his studies in his 13th semester, Rafi proved his academic quality by receiving the Best Undergraduate Thesis award in the field of Humanities/Islamic Studies.

In his research entitled “Understanding Hadiths on Working Women through Faqihuddin Abdul Kodir’s Qirāʿah Mubādalah Theory,” Rafi introduced a methodological breakthrough by integrating empirical data from Indonesia’s Central Statistics Agency (BPS). Rather than relying solely on classical texts, he examined the dynamics of female labor participation in Indonesia as a sociological foundation for his hadith analysis.

“I used several sets of real data from BPS regarding women’s participation and labor force figures each year. I found inconsistencies in the comparison between female and male workers, as well as in the growth of the workforce itself,” he explained.

Rafi acknowledged that his journey toward earning a bachelor’s degree was not a fast one. He openly stated that he chose to allocate more time to meet the research quality standards he aimed for, rather than simply pursuing on-time graduation.

“I realize that I am not the fastest graduate, but I chose to fully focus on one in-depth research concern,” he said.

Rafi also shared a message with his peers and juniors about the importance of being aware of one’s academic choices.

“If you want to graduate quickly, you need to know what you are aiming for. If you graduate later, you must understand the consequences. Every choice comes with consequences,” he emphasized.

Rafi’s success was inseparable from the role and patience of his parents. His mother, Siti Nurhasanah, expressed both pride and deep emotion over her son’s achievement. Behind his academic struggle, she said, was Rafi’s understanding of his family’s financial situation.

“He really understands his parents’ economic condition. Whenever tuition payment was coming up, Rafi always informed us far in advance so we had time to prepare the funds,” she shared.

Despite earning this prestigious recognition, his mother reminded Rafi to remain humble and to treat the award as a stepping stone toward higher education.

“Aa’ (Rafi), don’t become arrogant or feel satisfied too soon. Use this achievement as motivation to keep pursuing knowledge and reaching your dreams,” she advised.

(Amanda Fathiyah A. / Fauziah M. / Zaenal M. / Syandana Mazna Aisyah / Photo: Azka Raysa P.)