It was a homecoming for Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the Prime Minister of Malaysia who was behind the establishment of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) when he addressed the university community. With deep personal ties to the institution, his speech was both a reflection and a challenge, the remarkable one being his call to reaffirm the true purpose of education and the spirit of Islam in today’s world.

The purpose of higher education is to enable individuals to assimilate knowledge, and in turn cultivate wisdom. For one, education is more than certification but a transformative journey. It is a process that must lead students to greater self-awareness and responsibility and in turn foster better societies. In this regard, universities hold a noble role in society. It does not merely transfer information to people but cultivate understanding that will enable them to attain wisdom and ethical discernment. In an age flooded with digital content and artificial intelligence, not all information is knowledge, and not all knowledge leads to wisdom.

To fulfill its sacred mission, higher education must elevate itself from merely serving as an institution for the acquisition of information and skills to an institution that cultivates wisdom, actualized through a clear sense of purpose and transformative actions. As students, academics, and members of this institution, one must ask himself or herself: Why are we here? The answer lies in a sacred duty of participating in the assimilation of knowledge. This necessitates a meaningful effort to equip individuals to grow in wisdom, and to live with integrity.

Further, the assimilation of knowledge and cultivation of wisdom leads to the question of: what actions must we take in the present to serve the understanding we have? The university community should be actively engaged in the pursuit of knowledge, contextualizing it within their time and environment, and applying it meaningfully to bring about personal growth, societal improvement, and positive transformation.

Dato’ Seri Anwar reiterated that IIUM was never envisioned as just another university. It was established with a distinct mission of nurturing graduates who exemplify the integration of Islamic values with intellectual excellence, and who can serve as agents of peace and justice.

This university was intended to be an intellectual sanctuary, that serves as a centre of excellence where graduates are not only academically competent but morally grounded, articulate, tolerant, and free from extremism. We must stay true to the mission of nurturing graduates who are not only knowledgeable, but wise and compassionate.

He highlighted that Islam is not confined to rituals or traditional views alone. Rather, it is a holistic way of life that upholds justice, peace, mercy, and human dignity. As such, IIUM must foster graduates who embody these values in their personal and professional lives. The university must remain a model of tolerance and respectful coexistence, especially as it is home to students from across the globe, many of whom used to come from war-torn regions or minority backgrounds.

Dato’ Seri Anwar called on IIUM to continue being an institution that leads by example, especially in promoting peace, embracing diversity, and standing against poverty and injustice.   Staying true to the university's mission means constantly realigning ourselves with its founding values.

The university environment is given life through its members. Academics and university staff must be committed to the institution’s mission by continuously developing themselves and the institution, as well embracing their roles as murabbis (educator-mentors), guiding students not only intellectually but also ethically and spiritually. Institutional processes upheld by its members should reflect this pursuit of excellence by fostering intellectual rigor and moral integrity; true to it being a garden of knowledge and virtue.

Given the relatively short span of student life, it is essential for students to make full use of the academic ecosystem, including lecturers, libraries, and intellectual discourse activities, to deeply internalize and apply the knowledge they acquire. Indeed, university life represents a critical phase in shaping one’s values, mindset, and sense of direction, and it must be approached with sincerity, discipline, and purpose. For that, students have the responsibility to pursue academic excellence in areas of their choice and relate it with the ways to serve humanity.   Graduates of IIUM must emerge as ambassadors of ilm (knowledge), hikmah (wisdom), and adl (justice). They represent the university’s mission through conduct that reflects tolerance, wisdom, and moral courage. They must be wise, inclusive, and dignified in thought and action. They promote tolerance and respect for differences.

Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s message to the IIUM community was clear: uphold the university’s founding ideals, nurture scholars and graduates who are intellectually and morally grounded, and champion Islam as a faith of justice, wisdom, and humanity. IIUM, he believes, must continue to be a guiding light not only for Malaysia, but for the Muslim world and beyond. IIUM must continue to stand out as a university that harmonizes faith and reason, knowledge and values, tradition and modernity. Let us not forget: to be educated is to be entrusted with the responsibility to serve humanity with compassion, courage, and conscience.

Shukran Abd Rahman is a professor of Industrial and Organisational Psychology in the Department of Psychology, AbdulHamid AbuSulayman Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia. His research areas include career development, change and development of higher education institutions, organizational behavior, academic culture, and employability of students in higher learning institutions.

Sharifah Fatimah Al-Attas is an assistant professor of Sociology in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, AbdulHamid AbuSulayman Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia. Her research interests include social cohesion, inequalities, gender, community engagement and social change, and family dynamics.