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Heri Mahbub Nugraha
National Santri Day 2025 is commemorated every October 22nd as a moment to commemorate the struggle of Islamic scholars and students (santri) in fighting for Indonesian independence. Learn the meaning, history, and values of Santri Day to build a generation with morals, independence, and love for the homeland, leading to global civilization.
Cordoba Quran - In the Big Indonesian Dictionary (KBBI) , a santri is defined as someone who studies Islam deeply. However, the meaning of a santri is much broader than simply a student at an Islamic boarding school for a specific period.
A santri (student) is a lifelong learner. He or she is capable of independence, reflecting a person who is diligent in worship, knowledgeable, has noble morals, and possesses a strong spirit of devotion to God Almighty and fellow human beings.
The main character of students is formed from the Islamic boarding school tradition which instills spiritual, scientific and social values in a balanced manner, including:
1. Theocentric , namely the belief that everything originates and ends with the will of Allah SWT.
2. Voluntary , reflected in the surrender, simplicity and sincerity of the students in seeking knowledge without any ulterior motives.
3. Wisdom , namely patience, humility, the ability to maintain tolerance amidst differences.
4. Independence , a strong character born from Islamic boarding school life which is far from luxury, but full of values of struggle and simplicity.
With this character, students not only produce ulama and preachers, but also give birth to a generation that is ready to become pioneers of change in various areas of life.
Every October 22nd , the Indonesian nation commemorates National Santri Day — a historic moment to remember the struggle of Islamic scholars and santri in defending Indonesia's independence.
The establishment of Santri Day in 2015 by the President of the Republic of Indonesia is a form of state appreciation for the great contribution of santri and Islamic boarding schools.
The date refers to the Jihad Resolution of October 22, 1945, initiated by KH. Hasyim Asy'ari , the founder of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU). The resolution called for the obligation of jihad for Muslims to fight colonialism in order to defend Indonesia's independence.
From here was born the fighting spirit of the santri, who not only focused on academic pursuits but also appeared on the front lines of the nation's struggle. Santri proved that knowledge and faith could be a powerful force in building civilization.
Today, Santri Day serves as a national reflection—that the contributions of santri are not just a thing of the past, but remain relevant today. Modern santri are encouraged to continue learning, innovating, and contributing to the nation's progress through knowledge, technology, and noble morals.
The commemoration of Santri Day is not just a ceremonial agenda, but a momentum to strengthen the spirit of nationalism and strengthen the values of the Islamic character rahmatan lil 'alamin .
The objectives of commemorating National Santri Day, citing the Indonesian Ministry of Religion and the official social media accounts of National Santri Day, include:
· Commemorating the struggle of religious scholars and students in defending the Republic of Indonesia.
· Emulate their spirit of jihad, sincerity and sacrifice for the sake of national independence.
· Improve the quality of character education in Islamic boarding schools and the general public.
· Strengthening religious values, nationalism, integrity, independence, and the spirit of mutual cooperation.
These values are an important foundation in building Indonesia's golden generation — a generation that is not only intellectually intelligent, but also strong in morals, has noble character, and has a deep love for the homeland.
Every year, the commemoration of National Santri Day has a different theme and is relevant to developments, in 2025 the theme is : Guarding Indonesia's Independence Towards World Civilization.
In today's digital era, the role of Islamic boarding school students (santri) is increasingly broad and strategic. They no longer only study at Islamic boarding schools (pesantren), but also actively contribute to education, media, the creative economy, sports, and even technology.
Modern students are required to be able to integrate Islamic values with modern advances, become role models in morals and innovators in their fields.
As the words of the Prophet Muhammad SAW:
" The best people are those who are most beneficial to other people ." (HR. Ahmad)
The meaning of this hadith is in line with the spirit of Santri Day — that the existence of santri is not only for themselves, but to bring benefits to society, the nation, and the world.
The theme of National Santri Day 2025: "Guarding Indonesia's Independence Towards World Civilization" is a reminder that santri have a great responsibility in maintaining independence and building the nation's future.
Students must be present as guardians of morality amidst the progress of the times, as pioneers of peaceful preaching, and as agents of change who play an active role in raising the dignity of the nation on the global stage.
Through Islamic boarding schools and the spirit of tafaqquh fiddin (deepening religious knowledge, the Quran, Hadith, and yellow books), Indonesian students are expected to continue to play a role in giving birth to a just, moral, and progressive civilization.
Santri Day is not just a commemoration for Islamic boarding schools, but for all Muslims in Indonesia. This moment reminds us that independence did not come easily—it was fought for with the blood, prayers, and sincerity of scholars and students.
Let's make National Santri Day 2025 an opportunity to inspire life and love the struggle, strengthen faith, foster a spirit of learning, and benefit others.
READ ALSO: National Santri Day: Cultivating a Love of the Quran Among Millennials and Gen Z
On Santri Day 2025, let us collectively honor and appreciate the role of santri (Islamic students) who have fought, both in the past and in the present. Be santri in the broader sense: people who continue to learn, have good morals, are civilized, and make positive contributions to religion and the nation.
Happy National Santri Day 2025! Let's continue the struggle to guide Indonesia's independence towards world civilization.
With the spirit of santri, Indonesia will be independent, sovereign, and move towards a world civilization that is knowledgeable and has Quranic morals.
