UPNVJ Public Relations – The commemoration of the Prophet Muhammad's birthday 1448 H/2026 M at the National Development University "Veteran" Jakarta (UPNVJ) is a moment of reflection for the academic community to re-understand the meaning of religiosity which is not only oriented towards rituals, but also manifested through concern for others.

In his sermon, Prof. Dr. KH Suwendi, M.Ag., Professor of UIN Jakarta, invited the UPNVJ academic community to emulate the morals of the Prophet Muhammad SAW by balancing the role of humans as servants of Allah ( abdullah ) and caliphs on earth.

The commemoration of the Prophet Muhammad's birthday 1448 H/2026 M, which carried the theme "Emulating the Morals of the Prophet Muhammad SAW in Building a Generation of National Defenders who are Religious, Have Integrity, and Have Noble Morals," took place on Monday (28/9/2026) at the Bhinneka Tunggal Ika Auditorium, 4th Floor, UPNVJ.

Beginning his sermon, Prof. Suwendi highlighted the story of the brotherhood between Salman Al-Farisi and Abu Darda' as an example of the importance of balance in life. In the story, narrated by Imam Al-Bukhari, Salman reminded Abu Darda' that humans have responsibilities that must be fulfilled in a balanced manner.

"Indeed, your God has rights over you, you have rights over you, and your family has rights over you. So give everyone who has rights their rights," said Salman Al-Farisi's message as quoted in Prof. Suwendi.

According to Prof. Suwendi, this message illustrates that religiosity is not only related to human relations with Allah SWT, but also includes responsibility towards oneself, family, and the social environment.

He explained that humans from an Islamic perspective have two main positions, namely as servants of Allah who show submission and surrender to Allah SWT, and as caliphs on earth who have a role to protect, manage, and provide benefits for life.

Worship Must Give Birth to Social Concern

In his presentation, Prof. Suwendi emphasized that the quality of a person's religiosity is not only measured by personal worship, but also by its impact on social life.

He explained that there are different paradigms of religion, starting from the formalistic approach which emphasizes the external aspects and rules of worship, the substantialistic approach which emphasizes the meaning and values behind worship, to the integrated approach which combines the two.

"Islam requires that, in addition to being pious individually, we also be pious socially, both of which go hand in hand in religious practice," was one of the messages emphasized in the sermon material.

Prof. Suwendi linked this message to Surah Al-Ma'un, which reminds us that religious observance should not be confined to rituals alone. He believes that worship should foster concern for those in need, such as helping others and building social solidarity.

He also conveyed the hadith of the Prophet Muhammad SAW regarding the importance of loving others as part of perfecting faith.

"A person's faith is not perfect until he loves his brother as he loves himself," is the message of the hadith conveyed in the sermon material.

Maintaining Morals in the Midst of Progress

Furthermore, Prof. Suwendi reminded us that a person can lose the meaning of their religious life if their religious practices are not reflected in their daily behavior. He cited a hadith from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) about those who are called "bankrupt," namely those who carry out many acts of worship but still engage in actions that harm and hurt others.

This message serves as a reminder that morals play a vital role in a Muslim's life. Honesty, guarding one's tongue, respecting others, and avoiding actions that harm others are all part of implementing Islamic values in social life.

Religious Moderation and the Spirit of National Defense

In the final part of his sermon, Prof. Suwendi also discussed the importance of religious moderation as a perspective in carrying out religious life in a diverse society.

He explained that religious moderation is an attitude of practicing religious teachings while maintaining human dignity and building public welfare based on the principles of justice, balance, and adhering to the constitution as an agreement for national life.

According to him, there are four important indicators of religious moderation, namely national commitment, tolerance, anti-violence, and respect for tradition.

These values align with the spirit of national defense that is UPNVJ's identity. According to the message conveyed in the sermon, national defense is not only realized through grand actions but also through everyday attitudes such as maintaining integrity, respecting diversity, working responsibly, and providing benefits to the community.

Through this commemoration of the Prophet Muhammad's birthday, UPNVJ invites all academics to make the example of the Prophet Muhammad SAW an inspiration in building individuals who excel in knowledge as well as being strong in character, social awareness, and national responsibility.