Outcry Over Quran Memorisation Challenge with Alcohol Prize
A promotional challenge for alcoholic beverages disguised as a Quran memorisation contest has gone viral on social media, drawing sharp responses from various segments of society. Footage circulating online shows the incident taking place at a music festival in Jakarta, where a booth for an alcoholic beverage brand challenged visitors to memorise Surah Ad-Dhuha. The video indicates that visitors who successfully recited the verses were rewarded with what is believed to be alcohol. The clip also shows an audience member reciting the verses of Ad-Dhuha one by one, followed by applause upon completion.
The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has strongly condemned the act. MUI Fatwa Division Chairman Prof KH Asrorun Niam Sholeh stated that the marketing gimmick, which combines sacred verses with alcoholic drinks, violates religious order, moral ethics, and applicable law. He asserted that the perpetrators must be held accountable for their actions. Niam, who is also a Professor of Islamic Jurisprudence at UIN Jakarta, explained that the Quran is the highly sanctified word of God, and reciting it is a form of worship of great value. Conversely, he noted that alcohol is a beverage strictly forbidden in the Quran. He described the gimmick of reciting the Quran with the lure of an alcohol prize as a form of degrading the sanctity of the holy book.
Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) also expressed regret over the promotional stunt at The Sounds Project music concert in Ancol, North Jakarta. PBNU Head of Religious Affairs Ahmad Fahrur Rozi emphasised that the Quran is a holy book whose dignity must be preserved and should not be toyed with for commercial or entertainment purposes. He urged anyone involved in the act to possess moral sensitivity and responsibility, stressing that creative freedom must not violate the boundaries of respect for religion and the feelings of religious communities. He called on the police to investigate the case professionally and demanded a thorough evaluation to prevent such an incident from recurring.
PDIP lawmaker Selly Andriany Gantina, who leads the party’s faction in the House of Representatives’ Commission VIII, criticised the promotion, warning that religion must not be turned into a marketing gimmick. She stated that symbolically pitting or exchanging the Quran for alcohol is highly uneducational and dangerous if normalised. Gantina noted that using Quran memorisation as part of a promotion or game to obtain alcohol is deeply inappropriate and has the potential to hurt the feelings of Muslims, as the Quran holds a sacred position in Islam. She urged the involved parties to distinguish between creativity in promotion and actions that degrade religious symbols and sanctity.
Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung condemned the promotion, stating that linking alcohol promotion with religious activities desecrates the religious life carefully maintained in Jakarta. He instructed his staff, specifically the Assistant for People’s Welfare, Ali Maulana Hakim, to coordinate and take firm action against the incident. Pramono reiterated that the Jakarta Provincial Government deeply regrets that such an event occurred in the city. Meanwhile, police are investigating the alleged blasphemy case and have summoned the event organiser and the master of ceremonies for questioning.