South Tangerang, FAH Online News – On a night of heavy rain, three students from different faculties and departments were struggling to complete the syarhil recording for a competition they didn't even plan to do at first. Amidst the sound of the wind and the roar of rain forcing them to repeat the video shoot many times, no one expected that the footage would take them to the stage of victory. One of them is Siti Robiatul Adawiyah, familiarly called Rubi, a 3rd semester student in the Arabic Language and Literature Study Program.

Rubi is not a new name in the world of Musabaqah Syarhil Qur'an. His interest has emerged since he was in junior high school. But the journey is not always smooth. He left Sharhil and chose to focus on Musabaqah Fahmil Qur'an. Until college, he found the door again through UKM HIQMA. “I want to learn again, hang out with MTQ friends. And because there was no interest in the Fahmil Qur'an, I decided to return to studying syarhil,” he said.

But there is one thing that makes Rubi doubt: feeling inferior. “I want to prove to myself that I can also fight fear and feelings of inferiority,” he said. Apart from that, he carries a mission of da'wah. Syarhil for him is not just a competition, but a means of conveying the message of the Qur'an to the community.

The opportunity came from a friend who gave news about the Anniversary & Da'wah Festival held by the UIN Maulana Malik Ibrahim Surabaya Da'wah and Communication Study Program. Fully supported by his friend, Rubi invited two colleagues from the Dirosat Islamiyah Faculty and the Tarbiyah Faculty to form a team. “At first he was just making a syarhil team, but thank God, Allah has given him a way at the international level,” he said.

The competition takes place in a hybrid manner, through two rounds: the heats and the final. The registration and collection time for works is only one week. Something that for others may be very short, but for Rubi and her team, enough to give their best. They prepared for the preliminary round in just one day of training. As a result, on November 17, 2025, their names were announced as finalists.

What made the journey even more dramatic was the final time which was only one day from the announcement. They have to leave for Surabaya immediately, with quite a bit of travel costs. “As students who have both migrated, accommodation is enough to make us confused. "We finally decided to use our respective savings," said Rubi. But they went anyway, believing that an endeavor should not stop halfway.

When it came to performing, all the anxiety and fatigue of the journey seemed to disappear. “As soon as I stepped on stage, I forgot anything. I only have one focus: we have to show our best,” Rubi recalled. They appeared before judges, domestic participants, and delegates from abroad such as Egypt. The atmosphere is tense, but Rubi believes: When you focus on yourself without caring about people's judgments, it will encourage you to show your best

One of Rubi's most unforgettable moments came when he prayed, hoping to win second place at least. “But MashaAllah... Allah gives more. We were announced as First International Champions.” he said

For Rubi, this victory is not his alone. He expressed his thanks to many parties: family, his friend Safina Prayogo, his teammates, PA lecturer Mrs. Cahya Buana, HIMLA, BSA friends, especially class 3A, BSA Head of Study Program and his staff, and the FAH Deanery. “I am proud to be part of FAH,” he said.

More than just achievements, Rubi wants to show that Arabic Literature students also have a role in the world of da'wah. “From any faculty and department, we can as long as we are willing to try,” the message.

From this trip he learned one important thing: don't be afraid to take chances. “If you try, there are two possibilities: 50% succeed, 50% fail. But if you keep quiet, you will definitely fail 100%,” he said.

In the future, Rubi hopes that the campus will continue to facilitate and appreciate outstanding students so that more young talents will dare to step up like him.

Rubi's journey is proof that success is often born from the courage to try, even when the situation is far from perfect. From a record repeated by storm, to finally standing as an international champion, this story became the inspiration that the light of achievement could be born from even the simplest places.