On mass prayer

On mass prayer

From Rakyat Merdeka

Allow me to comment on Mr. Said Agil's recent statement about Nahdlatul Ulama (NU)'s istighosah (mass prayer) scheduled for April 29, in Jakarta as follows: 1. Istighosah is the prayer of prophets conducted when something is at stake. For example, the Prophet's prayer when he was ready to go to war in Perang Badar (Badar War). But the Prophet did not ask his troops to collectively say amen. 2. The venue for the prayer. What those Muslim clerics said recently about the place for conducting istighosah was right in that Muslims should pray in mosques or schools. Except for asking for rain and for holy day sholat (ritual prayers and actions performed five times a day), nothing concerning praying in an open field is written in the hadith (the chief source of guidance for understanding religious matters). I doubt that Said Agil is aware of this kind of thing. 3. Why should prays be held in a large field, participated in by tens of thousands of Muslims of a particular group, particularly when many assume it to be a form of political intimidation against their opponents? The best thing the NU could do at the moment is, I think, help President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid with his projects of road repairs, accommodating child refugees of the Sampit tragedy in pesantren (Islamic boarding schools), and so forth. Helping Gus Dur by mass intimidation clearly will only harm his reputation.

I should like to take this opportunity to appeal to all who call themselves kyai (Muslim elders) or ulema to comprehend fully that they are heirs of the prophets.

A ZIDAN NOVANTO

Jakarta