MUI Supports The Government To Use Hajj Funds For Infrastructure Development In History Today, July 30, 2017

JAKARTA History today, eight years ago, July 30, 2017, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) supports the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) to use hajj funds for infrastructure development purposes. The support is provided as long as the Ministry of Religion uses it according to sharia and there is flexibility.

Previously, the Ministry of Religion withdrew matters of using hajj funds for infrastructure development. This condition is due to a lot of rejection. All Muslims feel it is unethical to use the hajj funds collected for the purpose of worship to be used as a development pilgrimage.

Organizing Hajj is not something that spends a little money. Indonesian Muslims are willing to save to be able to meet the cost of going on a pilgrimage. This condition puts them on the waiting list for years waiting for the quota to be dispatched.

The Ministry of Religion, which incidentally manages, sees the potential of the Hajj funds that are stockpiled. The owner of the power considers that the funds can be used for other things. Hajj funds want to be used for the benefit of infrastructure development.

The Ministry of Religion is holding on to the results of the decision of the Ijtima Ulama Fatwa Commission throughout Indonesia IV of 2012 concerning the Status of Ownership of the Hajj Depository Funds that are Included in the Waiting List. The Ministry of Religion considers it a way of funding to be used for productive things.

Funds can be placed in Islamic banking or invested in sukuk. However, the Ministry of Religion's desire to use hajj funds for development did not run smoothly. They received rejection. The Ministry of Religion is considered unethical to use hajj funds.

This condition is because those who deposit funds are intended to pay their Hajj costs, not to build infrastructure. There are also those who think that hajj funds can be used as long as they are used to repair or add hajj facilities only to the Hajj pilgrims' hospitals to Hajj guidelines.

The narrative can bring benefits to prospective pilgrims who worship in the Holy Land. Not for other purposes such as building domestic infrastructure. All because Hajj facilities in Saudi Arabia often get criticism from pilgrims.

"The Hajj Law has mandated the establishment of the Hajj Financial Management Agency (BPKH), which is mandated to manage the finances of pilgrims, including investing to be more useful for the benefit of the pilgrims. Then if the Hajj funds are used at will, what are the points of the BPKH formed?," said deputy chairman of Commission VIII DPR RI, Iskan Qolba Lubis as quoted on the PKS page, July 28, 2017.

Rejection does arise from everywhere. However, not from MUI. The ulama institution actually fully supports the use of hajj funds for development on July 30, 2017. One of these funds can be used for government infrastructure projects.

However, MUI provides conditions. The funds can be used as long as they are in accordance with sharia and there are benefits. MUI also emphasized that when the funds were invested, the Ministry of Religion was asked to provide investment benefits to pilgrims.

"The Ijtima Ulama Forum has agreed that it is permissible to produce hajj funds deposited by pilgrims for investment as long as they are carried out according to sharia and there are benefits. BPIH deposit funds for prospective hajj candidates, which include a waiting list in the account of the Minister of Religion, mayharrufkan for things that can provide benefits, including placement in Islamic banking or being invested in Sukuk form," said Secretary of the Fatwa Commission of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) Asrorun Niam Sholeh as quoted on the tempo page.co, July 30, 2017.