Amid technological advances and the tide of modernization, mastery of classical Islamic texts, known as turats, remains an important part of the scholarly tradition at State Islamic Higher Education Institutions (PTKIN). This spirit was on display at the Musabaqah Qira'atul Kutub (MQK), a classical text reading competition held as part of the Religion, Science, and Research Olympiad (OASE) III PTKIN 2026. The event brought together students from PTKIN campuses across Indonesia in the Theatrical Hall of the Faculty of Adab and Cultural Sciences (FADIB) at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta.

The two-day competition, held Thursday and Friday, November 5-6, 2026, tested participants' ability to read, translate, and understand kitab kuning, classical Arabic texts written without vowel markings. Through this category, students were challenged not only to master the rules of Arabic grammar but also to demonstrate a deep understanding of the content of the texts and of the classical Islamic scholarly heritage.

The competition began with a preliminary round on Thursday, in which delegations from PTKIN campuses in many regions took part. From that round, the 40 best participants advanced to the final on Friday: 20 male finalists and 20 female finalists. The finalists then competed in front of the panel of judges, each demonstrating their best abilities.

Dr. Jeihan Ali Azhar, the person in charge of the Musabaqah Qira'atul Kutub competition, praised the enthusiasm and sportsmanship of all participants. In his view, MQK is not simply a contest for the championship title but also a means of sustaining the Islamic scholarly tradition within the university setting.

He explained that the competition was run on the principles of transparency and accountability. The entire event was broadcast via live stream, making it accessible to the public, participants' families, and members of the academic community in different regions.

"This competition is held with a very high standard of transparency and accountability in scoring. All matches are streamed live online, accessible to the general public from anywhere, in addition to in-person access for companions and spectators who attend on site," Jeihan said.

This openness is part of an effort to hold a credible competition that also keeps pace with advances in information technology. With digital broadcasting, the public can follow the competition in real time without having to be present. Meanwhile, the companions and spectators in the competition hall offered support to the finalists.

As host, UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta also sent a delegation to compete in this category. Participants prepared for the challenges of the competition, particularly mastery of Arabic grammar, comprehension of the texts, and mental readiness to perform in front of the judges.

More than a competition, MQK is a meeting place between the Islamic intellectual tradition and today's generation of scholars. The ability to read and understand kitab kuning is one of the key foundations for developing the Islamic sciences. For this reason, mastery of turats must be continually nurtured so that the intellectual legacy of the ulama (Islamic scholars) continues to be studied, examined, and applied to the questions of contemporary life.

Through OASE III PTKIN 2026, UIN Sunan Kalijaga provides a space for students to develop their Islamic scholarly competence while strengthening academic networks across campuses. It is hoped that the spirit of turats literacy shown by the participants will not end at the competition arena but will continue to grow into a living academic tradition within the PTKIN community. (humassk)