Al Azhar Mosque distributes aid for NTT earthquake victims and forest fires
The management of the Al Azah Grand Mosque, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, has distributed aid to victims affected by the earthquake in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), as well as forest and land fires (karhutla) in several regions, as an expression of social solidarity.
“Alhamdulillah, since a month ago, when the earthquake occurred in NTT, followed by fires and droughts, we have begun educating the students at Al Azhar to donate,” said the Head of the Al Azhar Grand Mosque Office, Tatang Komara, to journalists in Jakarta on Tuesday.
In addition to performing the Istisqa prayer, Al Azhar also organised social aid collections for communities affected by disasters, including earthquake victims and other calamities.
Tatang stated that the donation drive had been underway for a month, involving Al Azhar’s educational units across various regions. From approximately 270 Al Azhar school units in Indonesia, students and school members were educated to participate in the fundraising efforts.
During the performance of the Istisqa prayer, volunteers from the Al Azhar Zakat Management Agency (LAZ) collected further donations. Tatang noted that the funds collected during this morning’s activity ranged between Rp8 million and Rp10 million.
The aid provided by Al Azhar to the disaster-affected areas includes ready-to-eat meals, blankets, clothing, as well as support for providing temporary shelters and clean water wells.
“We are also preparing ambulances for the transport of the sick and for other emergency situations,” said Tatang.
The Al Azhar Grand Mosque held the Istisqa prayer on Tuesday morning, attended by approximately 3,000 worshippers, including the Al Azhar extended family and local residents.
Istisqa prayer is a prayer performed to beseech Allah SWT for rain. The performance of the Istisqa prayer is a form of the mosque management’s response to the conditions faced by the community during times of calamity.
The implementation of the Istisqa prayer at the Al Azhar Grand Mosque also follows a letter from the Indonesian Mosque Council (DMI), which encourages Al Azhar to become one of the pioneers of Istisqa prayer implementation in Jakarta.