Indonesian Al-Azhar graduate’s Arabic speech goes viral, offered master’s study

A video of an Indonesian graduate delivering a speech in Arabic at Al-Azhar Al Shareef (Al-Azhar University) in Cairo, Egypt, recently went viral on social media. The video, uploaded on the official account @officialazhareg, has been viewed more than 300,000 times and received 13,500 likes.

In the video, the Indonesian graduate, Yelly Putriyani, receives a warm welcome as she begins her address.

“My name is Yelly Putriani from Indonesia,” she says as she opens her speech, drawing loud applause.

In her remarks, she fluently expresses gratitude to the sheikhs and doctors who taught her and instilled a love for the Arabic language and the Qur’an.

She says she came to Al-Azhar as a student driven by a love of learning and big dreams. She has graduated from the Arabic Literature program.

“We came to seek knowledge in the land of Al-Azhar, and we carry a noble ambition,” says the woman, born in 2003.

Her journey at Al-Azhar and her fluent speech drew appreciation from the university. Beyond featuring the video on social media, Al-Azhar later invited her to the office of the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Prof. Dr. Ahmed Al Tayeb, on Wednesday (Jan. 27, 2026).

Yelly was praised for representing what the university described as a respected model of a Muslim woman. She was viewed as someone able to contribute to social renewal through learning and knowledge.

“The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar directed that she be given the opportunity to complete her master’s degree at Al-Azhar Al Shareef, to support her academic career; this step underscores that she represents a respected model for Muslim women who can contribute to the renaissance of their societies through science and knowledge,” @officialazhareg wrote.

It added: “Al-Azhar relies on outstanding role models in shaping respected examples among its graduates to carry its core message (or values) back to their countries.”

During her four years of study at Al-Azhar, Yelly reportedly has not returned to Indonesia. The university praised her persistence in seeking knowledge, particularly her specialization in Qur’anic studies.

“That shows that her love for the Noble Qur’an has been deeply present in her conscience since childhood, and that became her motivation to choose to study oratory and specialize in the sciences of the Qur’an,” the university said in its post.

Yelly Putriyani’s achievement is not her first. In 2022, while still a first-year student, she won first place in a Qur’an memorization (tahfiz) competition in Egypt.

She outperformed 70 participants from various countries, including Egypt, Nigeria and Thailand, Antara reported. For the win, she received a large tahajjud mushaf, a certificate of appreciation and prize savings.

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