Padang Panjang Commemorates Century Since Devastating Earthquake with Zikir and Disaster Mitigation Call
The City Government of Padang Panjang held a Tausiah, Zikir, and Joint Prayer event to conclude the series of commemorations for the One Century Anniversary of the Padang Panjang Earthquake. The activity, which took place at the Manarul ’Ilmi Islamic Centre Grand Mosque on Monday evening, served as a crucial moment to strengthen spiritual values while simultaneously increasing public awareness of disaster preparedness.
Deputy Mayor Allex Saputra, reading the speech of Mayor Hendri Arnis, stated that this centennial reflection is not merely about remembering a major event in the city’s history. More than that, this event serves as a reminder to continuously build a culture of disaster awareness.
‘This series of centennial earthquake reflection activities is an effort to build collective public awareness about the importance of disaster mitigation. We want to realise Padang Panjang as a resilient and disaster-prepared city, while also inviting the entire community to draw closer to Allah SWT through prayer and introspection,’ said Allex.
He added that joint prayer is an inner effort to seek protection from Allah SWT. Furthermore, this activity aims to preserve historical memory so that the catastrophic events of the past become valuable lessons for current and future generations.
‘May through this joint prayer, Allah SWT always protect Padang Panjang, bestow blessings upon its people, and foster a spirit of togetherness in building a culture of disaster awareness,’ he said.
On the same occasion, the Chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) of Padang Panjang City, Zulhamdi, delivered a sermon inviting the congregation to take lessons from the massive earthquake of 1926. He referred to the records of historian Muhammad Rajab, which depicted the terrifying nature of the event, leading many residents to believe that the Day of Judgement had arrived.
Zulhamdi stressed that calamities are part of Allah SWT’s decree and must be faced with a combination of faith and physical readiness. ‘Do not wait for a disaster to return to Allah. Do not wait for a trial to enliven the mosques. Let us make this centennial commemoration a momentum to return to enlivening mosques, prayer rooms, and religious study gatherings,’ he urged.
The city government hopes that through the synergy between strengthening disaster mitigation and spiritual efforts, religious values and a culture of preparedness will become deeply rooted. This is expected to become the main foundation in realising Padang Panjang as a resilient, religious, safe, and blessed city.