National

Minister: Dzikir on New Year's Eve should continue

Kamis, 1 Januari 2015 | 10:43 WIB

Jakarta, NU Online
Minister of Religious Affairs, Lukman Hakim Saifuddin stated that the grand Dzikir (repeated praise to God) could be maintained in celebrating the New Year's Eve.<>

"This is the typical Indonesian activity that other countries do not have it," the minister said at the Dzikir event in the At Tin mosque here on Wednesday evening (New Year's Eve).

Thousands of people, including Education and Culture Minister Anies Baswedan and Trade Minister Rahmat Gobel attended the grand Dzikir which took place in the "Beautiful Indonesia in Miniature Park (TMII)" in East Jakarta.

Minister Saifuddin further reminded that Dzikir is a religious order. All parties are required to make preparations for the challenging future.

According to him, the preparation could be conducted through the Dzikir, because God (Allah) is a creator of all beings of the universe.

"So, Dzikir is not only to remember Allah, but also to remember His creatures," the minister explained, adding that humans as the caliph or human leaders on earth also can regulate the earth solely to serve Allah.

Editing by Sudarto Murtaufiq