Buya Syafii was the nation’s teacher. As I saw, he led a modest life.
Yogyakarta (ANTARA) – President Joko Widodo paid the last tribute to late Muslim scholar Prof. Dr. H. Ahmad Syafii Maarif who was a concurrently former chief of the Muhammadiyah Islamic organization at Kauman Grand Mosque in Yogyakarta on Friday evening.
Shortly after arriving at the mosque at around 3 p.m. local time, the president, who wore a white Muslim shirt with a black cap, performed the Asar evening congregational prayers.
Thereafter, he joined the janazah (funeral) prayers led by Muhammadiyah chairman Haedar Nashir.
“Buya Syafii was the nation’s teacher. As I saw, he led a modest life,” he remarked.
The president noted that Buya Syafii was Muhammadiyah’s best cadre, who always vocally supported diversity and tolerance among adherents of different faiths.
“He also highlighted the significance of the state ideology of Pancasila as the nation’s unifier,” he stated.
Buya Syafii Maarif passed away at 10:15 a.m. local time on Friday at PKU Muhammadiyah Hospital in Sleman, Yogyakarta.