Indonesia
A Lesson in Patience and Perseverance. By Prof. H. M. Mas’ud Said, MM., Ph.D.
Today, Monday, August 3, 2026, I attended the dissertation defense of H. Hidyatul Mustofa, the 164th doctoral candidate at Unisma’s doctoral program.
Despite being ill and using a wheelchair, he traveled all the way from Blora, Central Java, to UNISMA, a 6-hour journey from his home. A true example of patience in life.
At the age of 68, he attended classes and completed academic assignments, never feeling tired, accepting his situation while striving to complete his studies within six years.
His passion for a better life and his aspiration to earn a doctoral degree drove him to remain enthusiastic, endure the pain with patience, and persist in achieving his goal.
Despite his limitations, he continues to strive for what he believes in, his sense of responsibility. He remains tenacious. Even with many areas needing improvement, he will still carry out his duties to the best of his ability.
I am 16 years younger than him, and as his co-advisor, I feel I have learned a valuable lesson about something important: the tenacity to strive for betterment.
He said, “I must be able to do this and strive to do so; I must change my fate.” “I must succeed, even if I have to do it in a wheelchair.”
He quoted a verse from Surah Ar-Ra’d, verse 11: “Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is within themselves.”
May we all learn from him
