Ramadan 2020: Istiqlal Mosque Scraps Mass Tarawih Prayers
Translator
Editor
April 20, 2020 | 03:15 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta’s Istiqlal Mosque dropped its fifteen Ramadan programs due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak in the capital area. The mosque's management spokesman, Abu Hurairah, said the annual program that would remain was the distribution of donations for orphans and Zakat al-Fitr, an obligatory alm paid before Eid Al-Fitr by all Muslims.
“[The donations and alm payment] must be done online and distributed door-to-door,” said Abu via text message to Tempo on Sunday, April 19.
He outlined that the suspended fifteen programs included mass Ramadan evening prayers or Tarawih, mass iftar or breaking the fast together, religious lectures, dawn or fajr lectures, interactive dialogues, and also Eid Al-Fitr prayers.
For the orphan donation program, he added, people could register through https://forms.gle/eKHkCq3SWPPbZZrUA.
According to Abu, the donations will be distributed in the same way as that of qurban meat during Eid al-Adha. As for zakat, the Istiqlal Mosque management will collaborate with the National Alms Agency Baznas.
“People can pay their obligatory zakat online, and it will be distributed door-to-door to mustahiq or recipients' houses,” Abu explained.
The Jakarta provincial administration has ordered the large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) policy to suppress the spread of the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19. As noted in Article 13 of the Health Ministerial Regulation No. 9/2020 on the guidelines for PSBB, mass religious activities are prohibited, and that places of worship are closed.
ADAM PRIREZA
