Anis Fitrina, a student of the Faculty of Dirasat Islamiyah (FDI), earned the title of Best Graduate and Best Thesis Writer at the 66th/123rd Graduation Ceremony of the Dirasat Islamiyah Study Program at UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. The award was presented during the Graduate Briefing event held on Thursday, February 24, 2022, online. Her thesis, titled “HUKM AL-IJHÂD ‘INDA MAJÂLIS AL-FATWÂ FÎ AL-‘ÂLAM AL-MU’ÂSIR”, focused on studying fatwas concerning the legal status of abortion according to fatwa councils in the contemporary era. She examined several fatwa councils from different countries, including the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), Egypt’s Fatwa Authority, Palestine’s Fatwa Authority, the U.S. Fatwa Authority, Malaysia’s Fatwa Authority, the European Fatwa Authority, and Singapore’s Fatwa Authority.

Anis shared that one of the challenges she faced during her research was finding references, as most journals on the topic were in English, and some were in Dutch. "The challenge was in finding references. We had to read fatwas from each country, and there were so many. So, I had to read continuously, then summarize and extract key points," she explained.

The process of writing her thesis also involved many struggles, tears, and sleepless nights. The title of her thesis even changed twice during the research process. Through this study, Anis found that fatwas on abortion varied significantly between countries. For example, Egypt's fatwa strictly prohibits abortion except when the mother’s life is at risk, while other countries allow many exceptions to the abortion ban.

Anis expressed her joy and gratitude for the success of her hard work over the past year, with the support of her parents' prayers and the guidance of her thesis advisor, Aida Humaira. Ustazah Aida was always supportive, offering feedback and checking on the progress of her thesis. As for being the best graduate, Anis had set a goal to maintain a high GPA from the beginning of her studies. She was able to maintain a GPA of 3.83 at the end of her studies.

In closing, Anis shared a motivational message for her junior students at FDI, encouraging them to give their best efforts, as success is the result of hard work. "Whatever we do now will bear fruit, but the results depend on our effort," she concluded. (FDI Journalism Team: Suci Amalia).