Haula Noor

HIJRAHFEST RAMADHAN, held in Balai Kartini, Jakarta, on 8 March 2025. Picture taken during author’s fieldwork. The dakwah (preaching) scene in Indonesia has undergone significant evolution in recent years, in style, method, venues, and medium. The reception of these messages has also changed. Dakwah, which is traditionally conducted in mosques, is now held in seminar-style settings, and a number of them are even held in ballrooms.

As the Ministry of Religious Affairs promotes the concept of Pesantren Ramah Anak (Child-Friendly Islamic Boarding Schools), the controversy over a young preacher in rural East Java who was seen kissing and holding small girls during his onstage sermon casts a shadow over that initiative. Mohammad Elham Yahya Luqman, widely known as ‘Gus Elham’, faced widespread public criticism for inappropriate conduct. He is a young preacher from Kediri, East Java, born into a pesantren family.

The community of religious preaching in Indonesia has come under scrutiny amid concerns about the disconnect between the actions of some preachers and the moral values they advocate. In particular, one regrettable incident in December 2024 involving Gus Miftah (Miftah Maulana Habiburahman) brought these issues to the forefront. On 22 October 2024, President Prabowo Subianto had appointed Miftah as a special envoy for religious harmony.