Ahead Of Eid Al-Adha, Mahfud MD: Still A Pandemic Atmosphere, People Are Not Crowding

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD reminded Muslims to continue to adhere to health protocols when celebrating Eid al-Adha. Moreover, this celebration was carried out in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Let's carry out this Eid as best we can according to the situation and conditions that we are facing, namely the atmosphere of COVID-19," said Mahfud in a video description uploaded to the YouTube account of the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, Monday, July 19.

One of the recommendations reminded by the former Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court is not to congregate, including when carrying out religious activities such as praying.

"Hopefully we don't do crowds. The first crowd should pray in their respective homes according to the fatwa of religious institutions," said Mahfud.

Next, he also reminded the public to follow health protocols when slaughtering sacrificial animals.

This, said Mahfud, must be carried out in order to protect oneself from exposure to COVID-19 in the midst of increasing cases that continue to occur. Moreover, the whole series of activities carried out in the middle of Eid al-Adha aims to get closer to Allah.

"The ritual of slaughtering the victim has a spiritual aspect in the context of taqorrub, getting closer to God. Therefore, if conditions limit us from gathering together, let's taqorrub, sacrifice to get closer to God, to be given guidance, given health, and be avoided from Covid," he said

Previously reported, Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas has issued Minister of Religion Circular Letter Number 17 of 2021 concerning the Implementation of Eid al-Adha. In the circular, a number of matters related to Eid al-Adha celebrations have been regulated, such as worship activities in houses of worship to slaughtering sacrificial animals.

Regarding worship activities, said Yaqut, in the midst of this Emergency PPKM, people were asked to worship in their respective homes. "It means that there are no congregations in houses of worship, for example," he said after holding a limited meeting with President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and other line ministries which was broadcast on the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube, Friday, July 16.

Likewise with takbiran activities that become a habit before Eid al-Adha. Yaqut said that people can only do takbiran in their respective homes.

While takbiran in mosques in a crowd, even processions on foot or using vehicles are prohibited.

"We arrange and invite the Muslim community to continue to carry out takbiran but only at home because it does not reduce the meaning of takbiran at all," said Yaqut.

Not only that, the Eid prayer can only be done at home. "There is no prayer in the mosque or in the field during PPKM," he said.

Furthermore, this circular also regulates the slaughter of sacrificial animals and their distribution. Yaqut said, slaughtering activities should only be carried out in slaughterhouses.

However, if the condition of the slaughterhouse is very crowded, then the slaughtering of the animal can be done alone but it must be in an open, wide area, and may only be witnessed by those who perform the sacrifice and the committee.

As for the distribution, it is no longer allowed to use a coupon system to cause crowds. "It is arranged so that the sacrificial animals are delivered directly to those who are entitled," he concluded.