The Chairman of the Indonesian People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR RI), Ahmad Muzani, along with a delegation of MPR members, leaders of Islamic boarding schools, clerics, and prominent figures from Islamic organizations, made a pilgrimage to the tomb of Imam Bukhari in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Friday (July 3). During the visit, Muzani expressed his hope that the relationship between Indonesia and Uzbekistan would grow stronger, both through interstate cooperation and the historical and religious bonds that have existed for centuries.

On that occasion, Muzani highlighted the role of the first President of the Republic of Indonesia, Sukarno or Bung Karno, who is noted as the first Indonesian figure to visit Imam Bukhari’s tomb in 1956. According to him, the relationship between Indonesia and Uzbekistan had been established long before the two nations officially formed diplomatic ties. Since Bung Karno’s visit, the Imam Bukhari shrine complex has continued to be a pilgrimage destination for Muslims from all over the world.

Muzani also noted that clerics from the Uzbekistan region made significant contributions to the spread of Islam in the archipelago (Nusantara), particularly in Java since the 15th century. Therefore, the visit by the delegation of Indonesian clerics to Imam Bukhari’s tomb served as a momentum to reconnect the ties of brotherhood that have been built over a long time. He expressed his gratitude for being able to visit Imam Bukhari’s tomb in person while also viewing the monumental manuscript of Sahih al-Bukhari preserved in the museum within the complex. According to him, the book holds a crucial position in the tradition of Islamic education in Indonesia.