<![CDATA[Institutional emblems in Islamic higher education are less studied empirically compared to the broader fields of Islamic architecture, manuscript illumination, and decorative arts. This research explores the philosophical, spiritual, and cultural significance of the emblem of Universitas Islam Negeri Prof. K.H. Saifuddin Zuhri Purwokerto (UIN Saizu) and details how these meanings form a unified visual identity. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, the study combines Peircean semiotics with modern visual-grammar theories. Data collection involved in-depth interviews with four key institutional figures responsible for designing, endorsing, and interpreting the emblem, along with document analysis, conducted from January to March 2021. Results reveal that each visual element, such as the term Allah depicted as a mountain, the paired Kudi blades, the green background, the yellow circle, the five-feathered wings, the prostrating figure, the paired feather roots, the book, and the blue gemstone, serves both as an institutional identifier and as a symbol embodying Sufi values like tawhid, tazkiya al-nafs, and ma'rifatulla>h. These elements also encode the civic principles of Pancasila and Banyumas local wisdom. The emblem functions as a visual dhikr, integrating religious devotion, civic duty, and cultural identity into a cohesive institutional symbol. Contribution: This study contributes to the study of Sufism within the semiotics of institutional branding, offering a replicable model for interpreting emblems as condensed expressions of Sufi values and providing Islamic higher-education institutions with a framework for designing visually grounded, culturally rooted, and civically engaged visual identities.]]>
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