Huda, Rian, and Syahid are friends living in Islamic boarding school. They lost someone in their family and aspire to different things in their lives.

Returning from Mecca, Darwis changes his name to Ahmad Dahlan as he is disturbed by the trend of Islamic laws in his society; that borders on heresy, Syrik (polytheism), and Bid’ah (wrong innovation). Using a compass, he proves that the direction of Qibla (that points to Mecca), in the Great Mosque of Kauman is wrong. The discovery angers every Kyai (Islamic experts), especially the head of the Great Mosque of Kauman, Kyai Penghulu Cholil Kamaludiningrat. Dahlan, who studied in Mecca for five years, is seen as a rebel upstart. Since the proposal of changing the direction of Qibla is rejected, Dahlan starts a movement calling for the change. On his first sermon as a preacher, Dahlan criticizes the habits of residents in his village in Yogyakarta: "In a prayer, only a sincere and patient heart is needed, it requires no Kyais, money, let alone offerings". As a result, Dahlan gets a hostile reception.

From the real life story of Marsinah, an Indonesian activist that was kidnapped & found dead on May 1993 after a demonstration act.

Ayu, a girl from a village outside Yogyakarta, wants to become a famous dangdut singer. So in Yogya, Ayu stays with Ningsih, her aunt, who owns a beauty salon. Dimas, her friend, accompanies Ayu, as a street musician, to get musical exposure. Ayu starts to get noticed when she sings. Men are mesmerised, especially by her moves and voice. They throw money at her every time she performs for gratuity, thus she earns the nickname, cewek saweran or gratuity girl.