West Kalimantan Religious Affairs Office Urges Mosques to Provide Pilgrim-Friendly Services
Pontianak — The Regional Office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs in West Kalimantan Province has requested mosque administrators along homecoming routes to provide Pilgrim-Friendly Mosque services during the Eid al-Fitr exodus for the year 1447 Hijriah.
“Mosques have a strategic role not merely as places of worship, but also as spaces for social service to the community, particularly for pilgrims undertaking long journeys,” said H Mi’rad, Head of Islamic Religious Affairs at the West Kalimantan Regional Ministry of Religious Affairs, in Pontianak on Tuesday.
As such, the office has appealed to mosque administrators along homecoming routes to participate in providing services for pilgrims.
Through this programme, mosque administrators have been asked to keep mosques open 24 hours to provide safe and comfortable rest facilities for those travelling during the homecoming period.
Beyond promoting the Pilgrim-Friendly Mosque initiative, the West Kalimantan Ministry of Religious Affairs is also strengthening inter-agency coordination to ensure that Ramadan and Eid observances proceed safely and smoothly.
He stated that the Ministry of Religious Affairs, in coordination with Islamic scholars and relevant institutions, has established zakat fitrah amounts adjusted to current rice market prices.
“We appeal to the public to pay zakat fitrah through official and trustworthy zakat collectors, whether through mosques or zakat management institutions, so that distribution reaches the intended recipients,” he said.
Mi’rad also addressed the potential divergence in determining Eid al-Fitr for 1447 Hijriah. He noted that Muhammadiyah has set 1st Shawwal 1447 Hijriah on Friday, 20 March 2026.
Meanwhile, the government through the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia will determine the beginning of Shawwal through a determination session (sidang isbat) based on the results of lunar sighting (rukyat) and astronomical calculations (hisab).