Auditorium of Prof. Dr. Suwito, MA SPs UIN Jakarta, SPs NEWS – The Graduate School (SPs) of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta held the 1676th Doctoral Promotion Exam in the Auditorium Room of Prof. Dr. Suwito, MA on Monday, April 27, 2026 with promovendus Muhammad Firdaus.

Firdaus is a student of the Doctoral program in Islamic Studies with a Concentration in Religion and Health. His dissertation is titled "Antimicrobial Potential of Ajwa Date Extract (Phoenix dactylifera) Based on Zamzam Water Solvent on Total Germ Numbers in Fruit Flies (Drosophila melanogaster): Islamic Mediterranean Therapy Approach".

This study seeks to answer the challenge of the lack of empirical evidence regarding the antimicrobial effectiveness of Ajwa dates despite its well-known reputation in classical Islamic literature.

Departing from the limited data on bioactive content and effective concentration variations, Firdaus conducted an in-depth experiment to analyze the Total Number of Germs (JAK) in fruit flies. In this context, fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) act as mechanical vectors that carry various microorganisms, becoming a bridge to understand how date extract can suppress germ growth.

The methodology used in this research is an experimental posttest-only control group design. Firdaus conducted a series of trials that compared the control group with various variations in the concentration of Ajwa date extract dissolved in Zamzam water, and observed its effects based on different exposure time intervals.

The results of data analysis using the two-way ANOVA test showed very significant findings. It is known that Ajwa date extract contains flavonoid compounds with very high intensity. Statistically, there is a noticeable difference in the average decrease in the number of germs based on concentration and length of exposure, which proves that this formulation is not just a health myth.

One of the crucial technical findings is the determination of the Lethal Concentration (LC50) value of 42.53% and the Lethal Time (LT50) of 14.31 minutes. This figure gives a strong indication that at high concentrations, the combination of Ajwa dates and Zamzam water has a very fast and capable antimicrobial effectiveness in paralyzing pathogenic microorganisms.

Theoretically, the results of this study reinforce previous studies conducted by Al-Farsi, Lee, and Al-Daihan that also identified the polyphenol richness in dates. However, Firdaus' research goes further by proving that the characterization of these phytochemicals has a real impact on the bioindicators of living things that often interact with humans.

The novelty of this research lies in the use of fruit flies as a bioindicator of infection. While previous research generally focused only on biochemical tests in the laboratory or bacterial growth in petri dishes, Firdaus used a more dynamic approach to see how potential infections could be mitigated in scenarios that resemble vector interactions in nature.

This dissertation is expected to make a real contribution to the development of science, especially in strengthening the integration between Islamic values and health science. This finding opens up opportunities for the development of sanitary products or natural therapies based on ingredients that have been considered sacred but have now been clinically tested.

Firdaus successfully defended his dissertation under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Yusuf Rahman, MA, Prof. Dr. Arif Sumantri, M.Kes, and Prof. Dr. apt. Zilhadia, M.Si, and was tested in front of a board of examiners consisting of Prof. Dr. Zulkifli, MA, Prof. Dr. Arif Sumantri, M.Kes, Prof. Dr. apt. Zilhadia, M.Si, Prof. Dr. Kamarusdiana, MH, Prof. dr. Flori Ratna Sari, Ph.D, Prof. Irma Nurbaeti, S.Kp, M.Kes, Sp.Mat, Ph.D.

After paying attention to the writing of the dissertation, the comments of the examiner team and the answers of the promovendus, the examiner team determined that Muhammad Firdaus graduated with the title of Very Satisfactory. Muhammad Firdaus is the 1676th Doctor in the field of Islamic Studies, the doctoral program of the Graduate School of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. (JA)