Vice President proposes reopening of mosques

Jakarta, NU Online

Rules for the Implementation of  public activity restrictions (PPKM), which previously closed houses of worship, have now been revised by reopening mosques and prayer rooms.

 

Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia KH Ma'ruf Amin made the remaks following the various aspirations and demands from clerics  (kiai) throughout the country.

 

“Alhamdulillah, I have tried, because many people protested not to close (mosques). In the latest regulations, it has been stated that there are no more words to close mosques, but what prohibited are possible gatherings. So this is in accordance with the demands of the kiai," the Vice President said during a virtual meeting with Muslim scolars (ulema) and Islamic religious leaders throughout Indonesia, here on Monday (12/7).

 

Kiai Ma'ruf explained, even though the mosques have been opened, it is still not allowed to pray in congregation, either in performing rawatib prayers, Friday prayers, and Eid prayers. Eid prayer is prohibited not only inside the  but also outside the mosque. This rule is set until it is possible to perform congregational prayers again.

 

He emphasized that Covid-19 was a danger that must be avoided because religion provides rukhshah for not praying in congregation in the mosque.

 

According to Kiai Ma'ruf, as long as there are so-called rukhshah allowed, religion does not allow Muslims to run into danger.

 

"However, we can't just look for rukhshah, rather the one or permissibility where there is a method, such as danger, so we use rukhshah to protect the people and it is a religious rule or maqasid sharia (the purpose of sharia), namely hifzunnafs or protecting lives," he said, calling on the clerics to always protect the people from various (fake) information that flows freely on social media timelines. He said that currently there had been many issues, news, slander, and reports that are not true or hoaxes.

 

“Nowadays, the era is flooded with information. Some are true, some others are lies, slander, hoaxes, provocation. All this is mixed up in society. Many people could no longer distinguish which information is true and which is false. It is named as the post-truth era. The truth is now disguised by lies. This is what is happening today,” the Vice President said.

 

One of the hoaxes is about Covid-19 as a conspiracy. In fact, the Vice President said, the Covid-19 pandemic was real. Therefore, he named this time as zamanul istisybah or the era of similarity. An era that makes many people mistaken for not being capable of differentiating various information.

 

"O Allah, show us what is right and give us the ability to follow it. (And) show that falsehood is false and give us the ability to stay away from it. Don't let the truth and the lie be confused so that we cannot distinguish between the two," the Vice President explained.

 

Reporter: Aru Lego Triono

Editor: Sudarto Murtaufiq