Cultivating the earth is not enough if it only means building and exploiting natural resources. Starting from that idea, three students at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta developed a discussion of human responsibility as khalifah (steward) through the concept of isti'mar: making the earth prosper while also protecting it and caring for it so that it is not damaged. They then connected this concept to the recent problem of forest and land fires (karhutla).

In a paper of about 6,000 words, they set out in detail how the mandate to cultivate the earth also carries an obligation to care for it and prevent its destruction. The work earned the UIN Sunan Kalijaga team first place in the Qur'anic Scientific Writing category at the Religion, Science, and Research Olympiad (OASE) III PTKIN nationwide, held at UIN Sunan Kalijaga on November 4-6, 2026.

The team consisted of Tria Feri Ardona from the Qur'anic Sciences and Exegesis Study Program in the Faculty of Usuluddin and Islamic Thought; Ahda Dana Ilahy from the Islamic Religious Education Study Program; and Fitra Asra Muliani D from the Islamic Education Management Study Program, both in the Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teacher Training.

Ahda explained that writing a Qur'anic paper requires a deep dive into the discourse of exegesis. Participants must understand the views of the exegetes (mufassir), examine their arguments, and then build a foundation for the concept they propose in their writing.

"In a Qur'anic paper, we were asked to dig deeper into the discourse, or debates, in exegesis: what the existing exegetes have said, and then develop the main concept we offer in the paper," Ahda said.

Through this process, Ahda continued, the team developed an interpretation of human responsibility in making the earth prosper. They highlighted environmental stewardship as part of that responsibility, including preventing the forest and land fires that have occurred frequently of late.

"This study required me and the team to connect our reading of exegesis with environmental issues in an argumentative way. We needed to understand each view we used before placing it as a basis for the discussion," he said.

Ahda said that understanding exegesis and bringing together the views of different exegetes was one of the biggest challenges in writing the paper. Under the guidance of their advisor, Imas Lu'ul Jannah, M.A., he and the team read exegetical texts, discussed their explanations, and deepened their understanding of the concept they were developing.

The backgrounds of the three study programs allowed for a division of roles. The in-depth work on exegesis was supported by expertise in Qur'anic Sciences and Exegesis, while Ahda took charge of linking the discussion to the karhutla problem. The perspective of Islamic Education Management also enriched the development of the paper. All the parts were then discussed together to form a coherent argument.

According to Ahda, working across study programs also required a willingness to listen to one another. Differences in perspective had to be reconciled through discussion, including when weighing suggestions and deciding the direction of the paper.

"Because we come from different study programs, we learned together, respected each other's opinions, and understood our teammates' suggestions to get a good result," Ahda said.

Ahda also said that preparation for the competition involved intensive mentoring, from writing the paper to the presentation. On several occasions, he recalled, they went through mentoring sessions at their advisor's home from morning until night.

Repeated run-throughs of the presentation helped the team explain their ideas in a logical sequence and prepare for the judges. He and his teammates had to master the content of the paper, understand the urgency of the problem they raised, and be able to justify the connection between the exegetical basis and the concept they offered.

Ahda considers writing skills that follow Indonesian language conventions, public speaking ability, and self-confidence to be important assets in the competition. His experience in scientific writing and essay competitions also helped him through the process.

"My studies in the Islamic Religious Education Study Program, my advisor's guidance, and various activities such as article-writing seminars helped me develop my writing skills. I then deepened that foundation through teamwork during the OASE III preparation," he said.

After the competition, Ahda and the team plan to submit their paper for publication in a relevant journal. Publication is expected to open the way for their ideas to be read, examined, and discussed more widely.

For Ahda, the success is also a reminder for students to keep developing their interests even after facing failure. He encouraged students who pursue writing or other fields to treat their experiences as lessons.

"There may be one or two failures along the way, or even more. But believe that behind those failures there is certainly wisdom to be gained," he said.

The plan to publish is a next step from the study that brought the team its victory. Through their reading of exegesis, they sought to carry the discussion of human responsibility, namely isti'mar, further into a concrete problem: how to make the earth prosper while also protecting it from destruction. (humassk)