Why JK Urges Nazilah Qunut Prayer Across All Mosques

Former Vice President Jusuf Kalla, also chairman of the Central Leadership Board of the Indonesian Mosque Council (Pimpinan Pusat Dewan Masjid Indonesia), has urged mosque managers nationwide to conduct the recitation of the qunut nazilah during Friday prayers on 6 March 2026.

In his remarks after delivering a sermon at the UGM Mosque in Yogyakarta on Thursday, 5 March 2026, he described the spiritual move as a form of deep concern and a prayer to God for world peace, especially amid escalating conflicts in the Middle East. ‘Let us pray together for peace in the Middle East, for an end to the war, for Iran to be saved, to be at peace, and, if necessary, to be victorious,’ he said.

The 10th and 12th Vice President of Indonesia noted that this collective prayer is a spiritual endeavour to seek safety for regions afflicted by war. He highlighted tensions involving Iran, Palestine, Pakistan, and Afghanistan that are increasingly worrying, particularly after strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran that began on Saturday, 28 February.

In the segment of his sermon at the UGM Mosque, he spoke on the essence of war, which he believed is not merely a clash of arms but a humanitarian tragedy that can devastate the social fabric of a nation over the long term. He said the costs of post-war recovery could be far greater than the war itself. The war’s adverse effects, according to JK, are not only local but ripple through global economic stability, affecting Indonesians as well. He cited conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East as examples that can trigger drastic increases in energy prices and disrupt the world’s food supply chains. He asserted that diplomacy must always be prioritised before military escalation worsens, because ultimately every war should be resolved at the negotiating table.