Afnan Zain, the Voice of Faith and Inspiration

In front of his school fellows and teachers of Madrasah 'Aliyah Tahfizhul Qur'an (MATIQ) Isy Karima, Karanganyar, Central Java, on a Tuesday evening in 2021, Afnan Zain Muzakki delivered his sermon. It was part of the routine for every student to take turns delivering a sermon in public as a way to practice public speaking.

There was a verbal slip that triggered laughter from the audience at the time. “Dear Friday congregation, may you be blessed by Allah,” Afnan repeated his words. The room erupted in laughter. The teachers, too, chuckled while trying to hold back their smiles.

Afnan still vividly remembers how nervous he felt during that moment. He had only been studying for two years and was “forced” to appear confident in front of the public. Who would have thought that this moment would turn into an unforgettable experience?

“At boarding school, there is indeed a target to improve the public speaking skills of the students, such as delivering speeches, giving talks, storytelling, and so on," Afnan shared when met at the Sudalmiyah Rais Mosque of Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS) on Thursday (7/11/2024) afternoon.

That incident sparked Afnan's motivation to improve himself and develop his public speaking skills. “It turns out that learning public speaking is not as easy as it seems. There has to be some refinement, and sometimes you need to experience failure before you bounce back,” he said.

Afnan Zain Muzakki. Imam Safii/UMS PR

The Public Health student at UMS is accustomed to public speaking. He has been familiar with this skill since his junior high school days. However, the incident during the sermon had taught Afnan how important it is to learn the art of public speaking.

Afnan honed his public speaking skills on his own. He practiced by actively participating in various activities that required him to speak in public. One of these was delivering sermons and joining regular study sessions.

He admitted that he learned a lot from social media contents too. He acknowledged that taking specialized public speaking classes would provide valuable theory. However, the real training comes when you practice public speaking right in front of your audiences.

Afnan believed there are simple steps that can be taken to improve public speaking skills, such as daring to ask questions in class or expressing opinions in discussion forums. He is confident that these simple steps are part of the process to develop strong public speaking abilities. “The key is courage,” he emphasized.

Now, Afnan has ventured into the world of social media content creation. He began his journey as a new student in 2023, initially using TikTok as his platform. Over time, he also started sharing content on his Instagram account.

Managing his time has been a challenge for Afnan while creating content. He explained that when his content goes viral, it motivates him to produce even more content. “Wow, this content is on the FYP (For You Page). Maybe I can create something for FYP again tomorrow,” said the creator, who has 35.3 thousand followers on Instagram.

Most of the content he produced focused on public speaking, university life, and personal branding. He has collaborated with popular creators such as Ginanjar Rahmawan, Muhammad Sayyidul Barqi, and Dzaky Mubarok. Afnan shares that he collaborates with creators who have similar areas of focus.

Due to his efforts, the Public Health Program at UMS has appointed Afnan as the 2024 Public Health Program Ambassador.

Since childhood, Afnan Zain Muzakki, 20 years old, has dreamed of becoming Hafiz Al-Qur'an. This motivation drove him to spend his high school years at MATIQ Isy Karima in Karanganyar, Central Java, from 2019 to 2023.

“I've been taught since childhood to realize my dream of becoming a Hafiz Al-Qur'an,” said Afnan.

During his time as a santri, Afnan's days were filled with reciting verses from Al-Qur'an, practicing public speaking, and showcasing his abilities in front of fellow santri. He also balanced his activities by studying subjects in the natural sciences, which was his chosen field of study.

Afnan's determination and efforts to become a Hafiz during his high school years bore fruit when he graduated from MATIQ Isy Karima. In mid-2023, Afnan received a four-year Hafiz Al-Qur'an scholarship from UMS.

Afnan conducted the Latihan Keterampilan Manajemen Mahasiswa organized by the BEM FKIP UNS in July 2024. 

With this scholarship, Afnan pursued his undergraduate degree in the Public Health Program at UMS. He viewed this program as a gateway to his new dream: formulating public policies on health.

Continuing his studies in the health field did not diminish Afnan's interest in deepening his religious knowledge. He joined a Quranic student organization, Mahasiswa Pencinta Al-Qur'an (MPQ), as a way to stay connected with his faith.

For Afnan, MPQ is a group of warriors for Al-Qur'an who are always immersing themselves with Al-Qur'an within the campus community. It's no wonder that Afnan chose to join MPQ. “MPQ is a student organization that has focused on Al-Qur'an movement and da'wah," he explained.

Since joining at the beginning of 2024, Afnan has been entrusted with a position in the Syiar Department of MPQ. His work program includes activities such as Ngaji On The Road, orphanage donations, Qur'anic Camps, and Research and Community Service (PPO).

Recently, Afnan participated in a community service program at a mosque in the Jetis area of Kartasura, Sukoharjo, Central Java. His task was to teach children how to read Al-Qur'an.

Afnan's skill in teaching children was truly put to the test. He acknowledged that children are still in the playful phase, which makes teaching the Qur'an to them a challenging task, requiring extra effort, particularly in maintaining consistent learning.

Despite being busy with various activities as a content creator and a student organization leader, Afnan never loses sight of his commitment as a student. He actively participated in several competitions and has earned several accolades, including a bronze medal in the international World Youth Invention and Award 2024 product innovation competition, as well as the 2nd runner up in the international product innovation competition at Indonesia Inventor Days 2024.

He also secured five championships in the national Musabaqah Tilawatil Qur'an (MTQ) competition in 2024, including a first-place trophy in the dai competition category. These achievements earned Afnan the title of Outstanding Student in the Public Health Program at Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS) for 2024

After graduating from the pesantren (Islamic boarding school), Afnan remained active in his role as a dai (Islamic preacher) to spread the teachings of Islam.

According to Afnan, the term dai means the one who invites others to goodness, with the goal of influencing people to become better. Through this, society would recognize Islam as a beautiful religion.

"Every Muslim is a dai. If they have knowledge and good character, they are encouraged to preach," he said.

Afnan expressed concern over the behavior of the current generation, who seem to have lost direction and turn to sinful activities as a form of relief. He emphasized that relief from sin is not true peace.

Afnan delivering a talk on Dakwah Sosmed ala Gen Z at Al-Muhkim Mosque, Colomadu, Central Java, on Saturday (22/6/2024)

“We, as dais, invite them to become better individuals. Islam is the best home to return to,” he continued. “How noble it is when a dai can be a positive influence for others.”

The topics Afnan discussed depend on the setting and the audience he is addressing. While still in the pesantren, he focused on deepening religious knowledge, especially studying Al-Qur'an, supported by the religious environment around the pesantren.

However, when preaching in more diverse environments, Afnan adjusted the topics to suit the audience. One common topic he addressed is mental health and emotional management for the youth.

“Now, materials should be packaged in an interesting way and should be relevant to what the community needs. It's no surprise that many of his religious study posters feature trending terms, like “terbawa arus” or “nggak bisa, Yura.” 

In addition to his preaching in various areas of the Solo Raya region, Afnan is also actively involved as the mosque takmir (administrator) at Masjid Al Yaqin in Kartasura, Sukoharjo. He often leads the prayer.

The target audience of these mosque studies differs from those Afnan conducts outside the mosque, as most of the attendees are elderly. Afnan explained that the age gap with his audience is not a problem.

“Actually, the elderly are more open to materials from a younger dai.” he said. “They feel proud when a young person is devoted to the faith.”

Writer: Gede Arga Adrian

Editor: Al Habiib Josy Asheva

Translator: Farizal Luqman Majid