The Department of Islamic Law at the Faculty of Law, Gadjah Mada University, held a public lecture on the theme “Islamic Religious Education in Shaping the Character of Legal Professionals with Noble Morals” on Friday (October 24, 2025). The public lecture took place in the Auditorium of Building B at the UGM Faculty of Law and was attended by students enrolled in the Islamic Religious Education (PAI) course. Two speakers were present at this event: Prof. Dr. KH. Tulus Musthofa, Lc., M.A., a professor at UIN Sunan Kalijaga and the director of the Daaru Hiraa Islamic Boarding School in Yogyakarta, and Prof. Iwan Satriawan, S.H., M.C.L., Ph.D., Dean of the Faculty of Law at Muhammadiyah University of Yogyakarta, who is also known as a legal practitioner and academic. Also present as moderator was Dr. Khotibul Umam, S.H., LL.M., a lecturer in the Department of Islamic Law at the Faculty of Law, UGM.
The public lecture began with opening remarks and an introduction from the representative of the faculty members teaching the Islamic Religious Education (PAI) course, Dr. Muhaimin, S.H., M.Kn., who explained that this public lecture was organized to provide students with insight into the importance of Islamic religious education in shaping scholarly character and legal professionalism grounded in Islamic values, morals, and ethics. Through this public lecture, the Department of Islamic Law at the Faculty of Law, UGM, hopes that students will be able to internalize Islamic values in legal practice and make PAI the fundamental foundation for character development, so that they may become legal practitioners of noble character in the future.
At the start of the lecture, Prof. Tulus Musthofa emphasized that Islamic Education (PAI) plays a fundamental role in shaping individuals of faith, knowledge, and good character. In the context of the legal profession, PAI is not merely a religious subject but a source of ethical values and a moral compass in carrying out the duty of upholding justice. Additionally, he addressed the moral challenges within the legal profession, such as moral pragmatism and corruption, the erosion of integrity, and crises of honesty and responsibility. Under such circumstances, religious education serves as a spiritual bulwark to ensure that legal professionals maintain moral courage and ethical consistency. Furthermore, Prof. Tulus emphasized the need to implement the values of Akhlakul Karimah in the practice of the legal profession, such as the values of Al-‘Adl (Justice), Ash-Shidq (Honesty), Al-Amānah (Responsibility and Trust), Al-Ihsān (Professionalism grounded in spirituality), and At-Tawāḍu‘ (Humility).
Meanwhile, Prof. Iwan Satriawan, S.H., M.C.L., Ph.D., highlighted the importance of integrity as a vital component of legal education. He emphasized that societal ills are more often caused by a lack of integrity than by a lack of knowledge. This leads to problems such as the breakdown of trust and relationships, injustice and social inequality, social chaos and disintegration, as well as the breakdown of systems and institutions. To address these issues, an ideal legal education is needed that integrates spiritual, intellectual, and moral aspects. This aligns with Al-Ghazali’s perspective, namely that education should not merely fill the mind with information but also open the door of the soul to spiritual growth. According to Prof. Iwan, successful education does not merely produce intellectually intelligent individuals but also fosters good character and noble ethics. Without strong morality, a person’s knowledge and intelligence can be used in ways that harm both themselves and others.
The discussion session was interactive. The students were enthusiastic about asking a variety of questions, ranging from the application of Islamic values in daily life and legal practice to ethical challenges amid the dynamics of the modern legal profession. The students’ enthusiasm reflected an awareness that religious, moral, and ethical values serve as a crucial foundation for the development of the legal profession, which is closely intertwined with the temptations of power and vested interests.
The organization of this public lecture aligns with the UGM Faculty of Law’s commitment to supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education), through the strengthening of character education and religious values in legal education. At the same time, the emphasis on strengthening ethics and integrity in the legal profession—which was the focus of this event—also contributes to SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions), as legal professionals of high moral character will serve as vital pillars in creating a fair, clean, and public-interest-oriented judicial system. Through the integration of spirituality, morality, and professionalism, this event is expected to produce future legal practitioners capable of upholding the values of justice and humanity in all their professional practices.
Author: Dita Elvia Kusuma Putri (Instructor, Department of Islamic Law)
