Do Not Let the Echo of 'Allahu Akbar' Be Drowned Out by the Sound of Firecrackers

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — The night of takbir should belong to the resounding chants of Allahu Akbar echoing from mosque and prayer room loudspeakers, filling the sky with sincere glorification. However, for years, that sound has often had to share space, even being overshadowed, by the deafening blasts of firecrackers, leaving behind clouds of smoke and scraps of paper along the streets. This year, at least in Bondowoso Regency, East Java, the story is somewhat different. Eid and firecrackers have long been seemingly inseparable in the collective memory of Indonesian society. The tradition of lighting firecrackers and fireworks accompanying Eid al-Fitr is believed by many to be the result of assimilation from Chinese community culture, which then took root and proliferated in local celebration rituals. From generation to generation, the habit has been passed down not for its utility, but because of its familiarity, because that’s how Eid has always felt. However, that familiarity harbours a dark side that cannot be continually ignored. An invisible competition often pervades the festive atmosphere. People compete to light firecrackers with greater explosive power and louder sounds, as if the merriment is measured by how far the noise can be heard. Behind the rumble considered lively, there lies repeated sorrow: disturbed hearing, hearts pounding from shock, and lives lost, both among consumers and homemade producers who mix explosive materials with bare hands in cramped spaces. Explosions in firecracker production homes are not new news. Collapsed walls, injured bodies, grieving families—all repeat almost every year, like a cycle that never breaks. The state has spoken. Police authorities have issued strict prohibitions on the making and lighting of firecrackers and fireworks, especially ahead of and during Eid. Religious scholars have not remained silent either; a fatwa declaring the act haram has been issued, placing the tradition not only physically dangerous but also morally and religiously problematic. However, fatwas and bans, no matter how firm, do not immediately extinguish a habit that has long been fused with feelings. The night of takbir still echoes with explosive sounds. Road stretches around mosques remain littered with scraps of paper from leftover firecrackers.