Al Azhar Mosque holds Istisqa prayer to pray for rain amidst ongoing disasters
The management of Al Azhar Grand Mosque, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, held an Istisqa prayer to pray for rainfall amidst the ongoing drought and various disasters affecting several regions in Indonesia.
“As Muslims, we respond to this through prayer and seeking forgiveness. We must engage in self-reflection. One of our efforts to ensure that Allah brings rain as soon as possible is through the Islamic law known as Istisqa prayer,” said the Head of the Al Azhar Grand Mosque Office, Tatang Komara, to journalists in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Tatang stated that Istisqa prayer is a specific prayer performed to beseech Allah SWT for rain.
The implementation of the Istisqa prayer is a form of response from the mosque management to the conditions currently faced by the community during times of disaster.
According to Tatang, the performance of the Istisqa prayer at Al Azhar Grand Mosque is also a follow-up to a letter from the Indonesian Mosque Council (DMI), which encouraged Al Azhar to become one of the pioneers of Istisqa prayer implementation in Jakarta.
Furthermore, several prominent figures attended the event, including the General Chairman of the Central DMI and the 10th and 12th Vice President of Indonesia, Jusuf Kalla (JK).
Tatang noted that JK expressed his appreciation for the implementation of the Istisqa prayer and urged the public not to remain passive in the face of various disasters.
“With these successive disasters, we must not remain idle. Effort and prayer are both necessary,” he said.
In addition to praying and making efforts, the public was also encouraged to engage in self-introspection.
Tatang mentioned that JK conveyed this message so that the community could use these various disasters as a momentum for self-reflection regarding potential errors, sins, or negligence.
During the event, the Khatib, Dr. KH. Zahrudin Sulpendy, M.A, delivered a sermon themed “Energy Conservation.”
Congregants were reminded not to assume that the availability of water and natural resources will always be permanent.
Tatang said the sermon also invited the congregation to strengthen their awareness of Tawhid (monotheism) by remembering that Allah SWT is the one who brings rain and grows various plants.
The implementation of the Istisqa prayer at Al Azhar Grand Mosque marks the first such activity for the Al Azhar environment in Jakarta this year.
It is hoped that this implementation will serve as a model and that similar activities will be continued in succession across several other Al Azhar mosques.
“We have already instructed our colleagues in the mosques located in Sentra Primer, Cakung, Cikarang, and Bintaro,” he said.
Thus, he hopes that the implementation of Istisqa prayer can become a collective effort and encourage people in various regions to undertake similar actions.