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View all search resultsWeekly 5: Places to study Islam in Jakarta
Jakarta has plenty of interesting sites for both Muslims and non-Muslims to brush up their Islamic knowledge or simply pick up some trivia
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J
akarta has plenty of interesting sites for both Muslims and non-Muslims to brush up their Islamic knowledge or simply pick up some trivia. The capital of the most world's populous Muslim country may lack the religious renown of cities like Banda Aceh, but it has museums, study clubs and classes for anyone wanting to study Islam. Here are five:
Istiqlal Museum
Located inside Taman Mini, Koran House and Istiqlal Museum (BQMI) is a spacious building housing a number of preserved mushaf (manuscripts) and archaeological items related to Islam. Launched on April 20, 1997, the BQMI was an initiative of the Religious Affairs Ministry, which was looking for a proper place to store the country's valuable Islamic archaeological heritage.
The BQMI possesses several valuable Koranic masterpieces, including the Istiqlal and Wonosobo manuscripts.
'The Istiqlal manuscript was a megaproject finished in four years in 1995,' said Dimas Bayu Murti, a collection developer at the museum.
The manuscript is written in gold ink and has a frame painted with motifs from the archipelago.
The Wonosobo manuscript was the largest in Indonesia, Dimas added.
The museum also has an interactive Koran operated by computers and mobile devices, and further boasts Islamic architectural pieces, handicrafts and artistic works related to Islamic culture and history.
tamanmini.com
PTIQ Museum
The Institute of Koran Science (PTIQ) has a museum dedicated to storing old Koran manuscripts in Indonesia. The museum is the institute's main facility and has been open to the public since 1983.
The PTIQ Museum holds historical manuscripts ' its oldest one is more than 500 years old, having been written in the 15th century. The museum received the old manuscript from Sunan Ampel Mosque in Surabaya, East Java.
The museum, which consists of just one small room, collects handwritten and printed manuscripts from Indonesia and overseas, including from Japan, Yemen, Turkey and Southeast Asian countries.
Located at PTIQ on Jl. Batan 1, Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta, the museum is open on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., and is free of charge.
Corners in UIN Jakarta
The only state Islamic university in Jakarta, State Islamic University (UIN) Jakarta in Ciputat, South Jakarta, is a mine of knowledge and references for Islamic study. Students and visitors from various backgrounds come to UIN Jakarta's libraries in search of books, scripts or any material for research regarding Islamic studies.
Aside from the libraries, UIN Jakarta also has 'corners' for film screenings, informal gatherings or reading. The corners are the Iranian Corner, the Chin Kung (Chinese) Corner, Fethullah Gulen Chair which is better known as the Turkish Corner, the Arabian Corner, the American Corner and the Canadian Corner. The corners are spread around the campus.
Each corner resembles a small library with an international atmosphere. Visitors can spend a day reading books provided by the corners or watching interactive learning videos. Some corners, including the Turkish and Iranian, even give free language classes in Turkish or Persian for registered visitors. Seminars and annual events, such as Turkish Day, are held regularly. The corners are open to the public and free of charge.
JP
Islamic Cultural Center
The Islamic Cultural Center (ICC) is a four-story building on Jl. Warung Buncit Raya in South Jakarta.
The ICC is an Islamic study center established by the Iranian Embassy in Jakarta. While the ICC was established as a center for Shiites, the facilities and literature are open for public consumption regardless of background or faith.
ICC committee member Abu Aqil said visitors often visited to study Shia Islam and its aspects; Abu himself offers consultation for in-depth study of the denomination. 'Students often come from universities for dialogues or knowledge sharing,' he said.
The ICC runs public hadith and Koran commentary lectures once a week, as well as offering Persian and Arabic classes.
Abdillah, an Islamic philosophy student from UIN Jakarta, said he was visiting the ICC to attend a seminar held by a Shiite intellectual. The facility and services, Abdillah said, were convenient and comfortable, 'We got a warm welcome,' he said.
Paramadina Foundation
Founded by Nurcholish Madjid in 1986, the Paramadina Foundation holds regular public events including lectures, Sufi meditation sessions and Islam for mualaf (converts).
From Oct. 12 to 18, Paramadina is offering universal sufi meditation with Maulana Syekh Muhammad Ali Hanafiah. The complete schedule of events is available at paramadina.or.id.
Events are held at four locations, including Paramadina University campuses on Jl. Gatot Subroto and in the Sudirman Central Business District (SCBD), both in South Jakarta.
The foundation also invites speakers from abroad like Prof. Chaiwat Satha-Anand, a professor emeritus at Thammasat University's Political Science School in Thailand.
Events at Paramadina are open to the public.
