Mapping the Rumah Ngaji Movement in Sarawak: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

Rumah Ngaji is a community-based Qur’anic learning movement that promotes engagement with the Qur’an through the approach of Baca, Faham dan Amal al-Quran—reading, understanding and practising the Qur’an. The movement provides flexible learning spaces through homes, mosques, surau, community facilities, educational institutions and other local settings. In Sarawak, Rumah Ngaji has developed through grassroots organisers, volunteer teachers, local learning centres and collaboration with public and Islamic institutions. This preliminary study has two objectives: first, to explore the motivations behind the establishment of and participation in Rumah Ngaji; and second, to map the development of Rumah Ngaji across Sarawak. The study adopts a documentary research approach using academic literature, institutional reports, government publications, newspaper articles and publicly available records. The findings show that communitybased Qur’anic learning has a long history in Sarawak, where Qur’anic classes were traditionally conducted by individual teachers in homes, surau and mosques. Rumah Ngaji therefore represents not the beginning of home-based Qur’anic learning, but a contemporary effort to organise and network an established community tradition. Documentary evidence indicates that Rumah Ngaji Sarawak emerged as an identifiable movement around 2015, with 25 centres reported in 2018 and 32 registered centres reported by Majlis Islam Sarawak in 2026 (Utusan Borneo, 2018; Unit Komunikasi Awam Sarawak, 2026). The findings also show increasing institutional collaboration and the emergence of the Darul Hana Quranic Centre as a coordinating institution for Qur’anic development in Sarawak. The study recommends improved statewide coordination, mapping of underserved areas, teacher training and minimum teaching standards, and development of a central database of centres, teachers and learners.

Keywords: Rumah Ngaji; Qur’anic education; community learning; Sarawak; Qur’anic literacy; Darul Hana Quranic Centre