Profile of KH Nasaruddin Umar: An Intellectual Scholar in the Running for PBNU Chairman

Ahead of the 35th Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Congress at Tambakberas Islamic Boarding School, Jombang, on August 27–31, 2026, the name Prof. KH. Nasaruddin Umar has surfaced as a potential candidate for PBNU Chairman. His emergence isn't based on any political declaration, but on a long track record as a scholar, academic, and bureaucrat. Currently serving as Indonesia's Minister of Religious Affairs, Nasaruddin Umar once held the post of Katib Aam PBNU, a strategic position often referred to as NU's 'intellectual kitchen.' He's also known as a Professor of Tafsir at UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, Rector of PTIQ University Jakarta, and the Grand Imam of Istiqlal Mosque. In NU tradition, leadership is measured by depth of knowledge, spiritual maturity, and the ability to maintain unity. Nasaruddin Umar is seen as having gone through various phases: from the pesantren world, academia, international dialogue, to state bureaucracy. At the Ministry of Religious Affairs, he promotes strengthening interfaith harmony and inclusive religious services, aligning with a vision of religion as a source of compassion and national inspiration. Nonetheless, the determination of the PBNU Chairman fully follows the consultative and electoral mechanisms of the Congress. As of now, there's no official candidate designation, and several names are still circulating among the aspirations of Nahdliyin members. https://kabarbaik.co/masuk-bursa-ketua-umum-pbnu-jejak-prof-kh-nasaruddin-umar-meniti-jalan-sejarah/