The Faculty of Law of Universitas Gadjah Mada (FH UGM) held a Religious Gathering and Joint Prayer to officially open its 80th Anniversary (16th Lustrum) Celebration on Thursday (5/2/2026) at the Auditorium of Building B, FH UGM. The event was held under the theme “Understanding the Qur’an to Strengthen National Spirit within the Framework of Diversity.”
The program commenced with a recitation of verses from the Holy Qur’an by Ustaz Tantan Qital Barozi, S.Ag. This was followed by remarks from the Chair of the Anniversary Committee, Prof. Dr. Zainal Arifin Mochtar, S.H., LL.M., and the Dean of FH UGM, Dahliana Hasan, S.H., M.Tax., Ph.D. The official opening of the anniversary celebration was marked by the ceremonial striking of a gong by the Dean, accompanied by the Chair and Secretary of the Anniversary Committee. The Religious Gathering and Joint Prayer featured Ustaz Dr. H. Das’ad Latif, S.Sos., M.Si., Ph.D. as the keynote speaker. In his lecture, he described the social conditions that prevailed during the revelation of the Qur’an, when society was still characterized by jahiliyyah values such as arrogance and resistance to truth, attitudes that were often displayed even by prominent figures of the time.
He further explained that pre-Islamic society frequently marginalized women, whereas the Qur’an elevated the status of women and upheld their rights and dignity. Islam also emerged as a force against various forms of injustice that were openly practiced at the time, including slavery, by promoting the values of human dignity, liberation, and justice
Furthermore, Ustaz Das’ad Latif emphasized the significance of the first revelation contained in Surah Al-‘Alaq, which begins with the command to read. He explained that this command serves as an encouragement to overcome ignorance, backwardness, and injustice through the pursuit of knowledge. He also stressed that knowledge must be accompanied by humility and devotion to God, so that individuals do not fall back into arrogance.
