TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesia Ulema Council (MUI) has issued a fatwa on Friday prayer, dhikr (remembrance of God) and religious activities held outside the mosque. The fatwa holds that religious activities may be performed in places other than the mosque under certain circumstances.
The MUI fatwa chief commissioner Hasanuddin said that under normal circumstances people shall perform Friday prayer in a building, particularly in a mosque. “But under certain circumstances, Friday prayer may be performed outside the mosque providing it would still [be performed] near residential areas,” he said as released on MUI website on Tuesday, November 29, 2016.
He said that certain issues must be taken into consideration before performing Friday prayer outside the mosque, such as a guarantee of the solemnity of the prayer and the place shall be free of najis (impurity).
He went on to say that people must inform Police with planned Friday prayer outside the mosque in order for the latter to set up security measures and traffic management. Those participating in the prayer must also abide by the applicable law.
He said that religious activities shall not interfere with public interest as reasonably as possible. Muslims using public facility for religious activities must coordinate with the authorities.
The activities shall be held as reasonably necessary and authorities shall facilitate the performance in an orderly manner. “Religious activities that do not meet such requirements are haram [forbidden],” he said.
Hasanuddin said that Friday prayer is mandatory for adult Muslim men unrestricted by udzur shari (valid reasons under Sharia law). Udzur shari include, safar [travel], illness, rain, disasters and important duties.
“Protest for amr makruf nahi munkar [to call for what is right and forbid bad deeds], including demanding [better] law enforcement and justice will not render Friday prayer void,” he said.
Muslims tasked with securing the protest, which would make it impossible to perform Friday prayer, are not required to do so and shall instead perform Zuhr prayer.
VINDRY FLORENTIN