Few academics leave as lasting a mark on a university's journey as this. Over more than four decades of service at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, Prof. Syamsul Anwar has been known not only as a professor of Islamic law, but also as one of the intellectual architects who helped shape the face of modern Islamic legal studies in Indonesia.

After 43 years of service since beginning his academic career in 1983, the Professor of Islamic Law at the Faculty of Sharia and Law UIN Sunan Kalijaga, formally inaugurated to the rank of professor in 2004, has now entered retirement. Yet for many in the academic community, Prof. Syamsul's contributions do not end at this administrative milestone. The ideas, works, and students he has produced remain a living legacy that continues to grow.

As a tribute to his decades of dedication, the Faculty of Sharia and Law (FSH) of UIN Sunan Kalijaga held a retirement ceremony combined with the launch of the book Contemporary Islamic Legal Theory: Epistemology, Methodology, and the Transformation of Islamic Law in the Modern Era, on Wednesday (10/6/2026) at the FSH Technoclass Room. The book was written by Prof. Syamsul Anwar together with several UIN Sunan Kalijaga academics, as an effort to continue and document the scholarly ideas he has developed throughout his career.

Dean of the Faculty of Sharia and Law, Prof. Dr. Ali Sodiqin, regarded Prof. Syamsul Anwar as a figure who has made enormous contributions to the development of both the faculty and the university.

"He is a teacher to all of us, a role model in both knowledge and character. During his time as Dean of the Faculty of Sharia from 1999 to 2003, Prof. Syamsul helped lay the foundation for good academic governance and played an important role in the development of the Faculty of Sharia and Law to this day," said Prof. Ali before university leadership, lecturers, and students of the Faculty of Sharia and Law in attendance.

He noted that one of Prof. Syamsul's greatest contributions was his success in building a bridge of dialogue between the tradition of Islamic law and modern academic approaches. Through his many works and ideas, Islamic law has come to be understood not merely as a body of normative tradition, but as a discipline capable of responding to social dynamics and the changing times.

For this reason, Prof. Ali added, the next generation of academics bears the responsibility of developing and continuing the scholarly tradition pioneered by Prof. Syamsul, particularly in the field of contemporary Islamic legal theory.

"Thank you for the boundless guidance, exemplary character, and dedication of Prof. Syamsul. What he has built will serve as an important foundation for the development of Islamic legal scholarship in the future," he said.

 A similar tribute was offered by UIN Sunan Kalijaga Rector Prof. Dr. Noorhaidi Hasan. Addressing those present, he shared that he considers himself fortunate to belong to the generation that had the chance to study directly under Prof. Syamsul Anwar.

"Prof. Syamsul Anwar is one of the finest lecturers UIN Sunan Kalijaga has ever had. I am one of his former students. We witnessed firsthand the academic diligence, depth of knowledge, and intellectual integrity he displayed throughout his career," he said.

According to the Rector, Prof. Syamsul's contributions are reflected not only in the academic positions and activities he has held, but above all in his scholarly works, which serve as widely cited references across universities, da'wah institutions, fatwa councils, and scholarly institutions throughout Indonesia.

He noted that Prof. Syamsul succeeded in placing Islamic law within a modern academic framework without losing its traditional roots. The many ideas born from his thinking have made significant contributions to the development of Islamic legal theory (ushul fiqih), Islamic law, Islamic economics, and fatwa studies responsive to social change.

"His academic productivity is also exemplary. The dozens of books, articles, and scholarly works he has written in Indonesian, Arabic, and English reflect the consistency of a scholar who never stopped thinking, researching, and writing," he said.

These works span a wide range of fields, from Islamic legal theory and astronomical sciences (ilmu falak) to Islamic transaction law (muamalah) and fatwa studies. However, according to Prof. Noorhaidi, Prof. Syamsul's influence is not confined to the pages of his books.

"His legacy also lives on in the generations of academics he has trained. Many of his former students are now lecturers, researchers, university leaders, judges, and even Supreme Court justices," he said.

For the Rector, the most important lesson Prof. Syamsul has passed down is a scholarly ethos built on precision, honesty, and hard work. In every work and academic discussion, he always placed rigorous argumentation as the foundation for the advancement of knowledge.

"He taught us that knowledge must be upheld through integrity. A scholar must possess not only breadth of insight, but also moral commitment to scientific truth," he said.

Therefore, although he has formally entered retirement, the Rector, as both the university's leader and one of Prof. Syamsul Anwar's former students, believes that the journey of a true scholar never truly ends. Prof. Syamsul's ideas will continue to be read, his works will remain points of reference, and his counsel will continue to live on within the academic spaces he helped shape.

Amid the relentless march of change, it is this intellectual legacy that allows a scholar to remain present long after their formal duties have ended. For UIN Sunan Kalijaga, the name Prof. Syamsul Anwar will always remain an important part of the university's long history of academic integrity. (humassk)