Mahfud MD Talking About Virtual Worship In Ramadan

JAKARTA - The government, through the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD, asked the public, especially Muslims to obey the advice not to perform tarawih prayers in congregation. This aims to break the chain of spreading COVID-19.

By not worshiping outside the house in congregation, the community can avoid disease outbreaks. In Islam, avoiding disease outbreaks is something that must be done.

"Staying away from dangerous diseases is our effort not to be close to the haram. If congregational prayers are sunnah, then it is better not to do something that is haram than to do something that is sunna," Mahfud said in a press conference broadcast via BNPB's official YouTube account, Saturday. , April 25th.

However, it is undeniable that in some areas there are still people who hold congregational prayers. It's just that, said Mahfud, these activities cannot be sanctioned like the criminal article. The reason is, worship activities in accordance with religious norms are not prohibited.

For this reason, the government makes regulations in a better way by appealing to and cooperating with community or religious leaders. However, in implementing this rule, there is an element of firmness that is used, namely, Articles 214 and 216 of the Criminal Code.

In this article, this will apply if the community takes resistance when the police reprimands and requests that the religious activity be disbanded.

"For example, there is a crowd of police asking to disperse (the crowd) but you insist, and the police there can arrest the person concerned for resisting. But we don't need to be too harsh," said Mahfud.

Then, continued Mahfud, there is great hope that the community can understand and understand and obey these rules. So, the COVID-19 pandemic will end soon and no more people will die from the disease.

However, if people still want to worship, for example, praying tarawih in congregation, it is advisable to do it virtually using existing technology. Because, it is only a question of substance without reducing the reward of obligatory worship.

"It's a matter of substance, feeling unanimous is a necessity, the substance is that we will be able to stay in touch, can still use the virtual WA group, be sent online to give alms, we don't have to open together and go around sahur, we understand first and accept it as fact and obey," said Mahfud.