The PTIQ Institute (Perguruan Tinggi Ilmu Al-Qur'an) is the first college in the world to specifically memorize and study the Qur'an. Two years after PTIQ was founded, the Islamic University of Madinah, Saudi Arabia, opened a special faculty for the science of the Qur'an, and PTIQ served as its inspiration.
PTIQ has been around for more than a quarter century. PTIQ was founded on April 1, 1971. Its founder is the Ihya Ulumudin Foundation managed by KH. Mohammad Dahlan (Minister of Religion 1967-1971), Prof. KH. Ibrahim Hosen, LML, and KH. Ahmad Zaini Miftach (Grand Imam of Istiqlal Mosque).
However, on 12 May 1973 the management of this Institute was handed over to the Al-Qur'an Education Foundation, which was founded by Lt. Gen. (Purn.) DR. H. Ibnu Sutowo. Now, the foundation is being continued by one of Ibnu Sutowo's sons, H. Ponco Susilo Nugroho.
The establishment of PTIQ was motivated by the awareness of the increasing scarcity of scholars who are experts in the Qur'an (especially hafiz), while the need of the Indonesian people for scholars who are experts in the field of the Qur'an is very urgent. This is especially so since the National I Musabaqah Tilawatil Qur'an (MTQ) in Makassar in the month of Ramadan 1968 has become a routine schedule.