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ctor Dude Herlino says he does not reduce his activities during the holy month of Ramadhan and believes that fasting is not an excuse to wake up late and laze around.

The 32-year-old actor who often plays a calm Muslim character in a number of soap operas now appears as an ustadz (Islamic teacher) in a soap opera titled Dalam Mihrab Cinta (In the Pulpit of Love) on RCTI.

Born as Dua Desember, a name taken from his birth date of December 2, Dude says he loves reading the biographies of big leaders because he can learn from them. The biographies of Indonesia’s late first president Sukarno, late first vice president Mohammad Hatta and Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein are among his collection.

“I recently read the history of Chinese leader Mao Zedong. I learnt of his unbeatable spirit and hard work in making China an extraordinary nation,” said the soccer fan.

Dude said the greatest value he tried to keep in mind when reading these biographies was that they refused to give up.

“These people usually went through difficult phases in their lives, such as being imprisoned or exiled. They are examples of people who rose up after they had failed, so why can’t we do the same thing?” he said.

Muhammad SAW: The Super Leader Super Manager by Syafii Antonio

This book tells of how the Prophet Muhammad created his concepts of management and leadership in Islam.

Hidup Sesudah Mati (Life After Death) by Bey Arifin and

Menjemput Maut: Bekal Perjalanan Menuju Allah SWT (Welcoming Death: The Guide for A Journey to Allah) by Quraish Shihab

I learnt about how Islam describes life after death. These are amazing books. What makes them interesting to me is that they contain knowledge that I must know. There is an end to our existence in the world and a new beginning in the afterlife. We have to be responsible for all the things we do on earth. Death is the start of a long journey.

— Indah Setiawati