Guru Gembul Calls Ustadz Adi Hidayat a “Silent Devil” in His Latest Content
Content creator Guru Gembul is back in the spotlight after uploading a video titled “Eps 1080 | SLAVERY IN ISLAM. USTD ADI HIDAYAT BECOMES A SILENT DEVIL” on October 21, 2026, on his YouTube channel, which has over 1.8 million subscribers. The roughly 22-minute video digs into alleged exploitative practices in some Islamic boarding schools and religious circles, showing clips of a figure’s sermon that he considers problematic.
The most controversial part is labeling Ustadz Adi Hidayat (UAH) as a “silent devil,” referring to the classic term syaitan akhras (silent devil)-someone who knows the truth and sees wrongdoing but chooses to stay quiet. Guru Gembul accuses a number of scholars of refusing to openly criticize various deviations because of manners, fear of losing influence, or other interests.
Guru Gembul stresses that his criticism targets individuals he believes are misusing the name of religion, not Islam itself. The video has sparked mixed reactions: some support it as an effort to cleanse religious teachings, while others see the title and statements as an attack on scholars and potentially divisive for the community.
As of this writing, there’s been no official response from Ustadz Adi Hidayat, who’s known as a scholar active in preaching with a modern and scientific approach, and holds a position in Muhammadiyah. This controversy adds to the long list of clashes between Guru Gembul and several religious figures in Indonesia.
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