SHAH ALAM, Sept 11 — The Turath Islami Festival, which started in Selangor, has now expanded to the national stage.
The festival not only highlights the jewels of Islamic knowledge but also serves as a platform to help the community navigate the anxieties and confusion of modern life.
Dato’ Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari said the festival, first introduced in 2023, has been elevated to the national level, bringing together a larger number of local and international Islamic scholars.
Amirudin added that ongoing efforts since the festival's inception include the translation of Imam Al-Ghazali’s magnum opus, *Ihya’ Ulumuddin*, into Malay, a project that is now fully completed, spanning 40 volumes.
“Efforts to elevate turath works are being carried out continuously through the translation of major Arabic texts into Malay, followed by study and research programs, and culminating in the inaugural Islamic Turath Festival in 2023, which highlighted Imam Al-Ghazali and his magnum opus, *Ihya’ Ulumuddin*.
“During the inaugural event, we endeavored to translate the entire 40-volume *Ihya’ Ulumuddin* series, and Alhamdulillah, by the fourth year, all 40 volumes had been completed,” he said.
Amirudin said this during a live broadcast of the Selamat Pagi Malaysia programme on RTM1 today to promote the Malaysia Islamic Turath Festival 2026, themed ‘The Wisdom of Islamic Heritage.’
The Selangor Islamic Turath Festival (FTIS), now elevated to the national level as the Malaysia Islamic Turath Festival (FTIM), is expected to attract 75,000 physical participants, featuring 42 events held from September 13 to 20 at Masjid Putra, Putrajaya.
Amirudin said this edition focuses on the work *Al-Hikam* by Ibn Ata’illah al-Sakandari, which addresses among other topics, spiritual life, sincerity, reliance on God, and how individuals cope with various forms of anxiety.
He added that internalizing *turath* works are crucial as society faces the challenges of modern life, which often give rise to confusion, stress, and restlessness.
“In navigating modernity, we need knowledge, deep understanding, a gentle heart, a tranquil soul, and a clear mind,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Zulkifli Hasan said the hosting of the National Turath Scholars’ Symposium or the Muzakarah Ulama Turath at the Seri Perdana Complex holds special significance, as the Prime Minister’s official residence serves as the venue for the gathering of intellectuals and religious scholars.
Zulkifli remarked that this development illustrates the relationship between religious scholars (*ulama*) and state leaders (*umara*) in elevating…knowledge as part of societal development, while also marking a new chapter in the effort to revive the tradition of Islamic scholarship.
“What is interesting is that it is being held at the official residence, the Seri Perdana Complex; the Prime Minister’s home.
“It is remarkable how the Prime Minister’s residence has been transformed into a center of learning attended by the public and religious scholars alike,” he said.
Zulkifli added that Malaysia has the potential to expand turath studies from the national level to the Nusantara region and eventually to the global stage, thereby emerging as a leader in advancing the tradition of Islamic knowledge.
“God willing, we aim to organize this turath scholars' symposium annually. Our hope for this symposium is to foster a unity of thought in collectively advancing the nation.
“We also harbor a grand ambition to formalize and expand this initiative across the Nusantara region and, perhaps, to the global level, with Malaysia leading the way,” he added.
