Universitas Muhammadiyah Purworejo (UMPWR) once again enlivened the spirit of Ramadan 1447 H by organizing its Regular Friday Ramadan Study Session for lecturers and staff on Friday, February 27, 2026, at the East Campus Seminar Room of UMPWR.
The study session, delivered by Tri Ermayani, M.Ag., carried a reflective and profound theme: “Improving Ourselves by Improving Our Prayer.” This event served as a spiritual momentum to strengthen the quality of worship while enhancing personal integrity in carrying out responsibilities as educators and administrative staff.
In her presentation, Tri Ermayani explained that prayer (shalat) is not merely a ritual obligation, but the primary foundation of character building. Referring to the thoughts of Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, she described three levels of prayer:
1. The prayer of a hypocrite – merely physical movements without the presence of the heart.
2. The prayer of the heedless – the body is present, but the mind wanders.
3. The prayer of a true believer – presenting the heart, understanding the recitations, and internalizing every movement.
Participants were invited to engage in self-reflection: Which level do we belong to?
The session emphasized the importance of improving prayer from two main aspects:
1. Outward Aspect
• Maintaining thaharah (purity of body, clothing, and place).
• Understanding the meaning of the recitations, especially Surah Al-Fatihah.
2. Inward Aspect
• Presence of the heart (al-hudhur).
• Tafahhum (contemplating the meanings of the verses).
• Ta’dzim (glorifying Allah with feelings of fear and hope).
• Haybah (feeling ashamed before Allah when the heart turns away).
Takbiratul ihram was described as the boundary between worldly affairs and worship—a moment of “releasing” all worldly distractions to fully stand before Allah.
The five daily prayers were likened to a “spiritual charger” for faith. When performed properly and with devotion (khushu’), faith becomes fully recharged, enabling a person to avoid wrongdoing, cultivate time discipline, practice honesty, and develop patience and emotional stability.
As stated in the Qur’an (Al-Baqarah: 153 and Al-Bayyinah: 5), prayer is the best path to return to and draw closer to Allah.
Through this regular study session, UMPWR reaffirmed its commitment to the spiritual development of its academic community. Ramadan is not merely a time to increase personal worship, but also a period to strengthen sincerity, trustworthiness, and professionalism in carrying out the Tri Dharma of Higher Education.
By improving the quality of prayer, it is hoped that UMPWR lecturers and staff will become more disciplined, honest, and individuals of integrity, bringing blessings into every role and responsibility they undertake.
