Helmi Hasan Controversy: Bengkulu Mayor Who Holds Zuhur Prayer Competition In Car Prizes

Helmi Hasan (right) and Mian registered as candidates for governor and deputy governor of Bengkulu on the first day of registration for the 2024 Simultaneous Regional Head Elections in Bengkulu, Tuesday (27/8/2024). (KPU Bengkulu Province)

JAKARTA - Muslims always have a mission to prosper the mosque. The priority was present because the mosque was not only a place of worship, but a cultural center. Helmi Hasan agrees. The Mayor of Bengkulu in the 2013-2018 era (first period) was concerned that the mosque in Bengkulu was often quiet.

The younger brother of Zulkifli Hasan (Zulhas: Politician from the National Mandate Party) has a new breakthrough. He tried to invite Bengkulu residents to participate in the midday prayer competition every Wednesday at the At Taqwa Mosque with a car prize. As a result, the mosque became crowded every day of the competition. Even though many have criticized it.

Mosques are not only known as places of worship. Mosques can become the center of culture. In fact, Muslims believe that anyone who often prospers mosques with congregational prayers is considered a believer.

There is no doubt about that. Helmi Hasan believes that the priority is to prosper the mosque. Problems arise. The Mayor of Bengkulu often saw that the mosque in Bengkulu was quiet. Religious activities are minimal.

A portrait of the mosque as a cultural center has begun to retreat. Moreover, Bengkulu has recently been known as an area with high criminal acts. Helmi also tried to rack his brain. He wanted to emphasize the Bengkulu-ku Religious program. The blusukan action from the mosque to the mosque was carried out.

He also met with scholars who were administrators of mosques in various places. Helmi absorbs a lot of input for input. Helmi's desire to announce the mosque is rising. The idea of zuhur prayers every day is Wednesday at the At Taqwa Bengkulu Mosque with prizes to be rolled out.

The idea was also to get a positive response from scholars. This step is considered to be a stimulus for Bengkulu residents to enliven the mosque again. The prizes are three cars (later to one car), Hajj packages, and Umrah are prepared.

The competition was launched on February 12, 2014. Thousands of participants packed the At Taqwa Mosque. Even though the participants are still dominated by Civil Servants (PNS). The event committee also prepared everything.

Water tankers were also alerted considering that the participants of the midday prayer competition every Wednesday rose. However, the mosque's condition remained quiet during the midday prayer on another day.

"On weekdays, the meaning is not Wednesday, the midday prayer is quiet, at most one and a half saf (rows), there is 24 people in this mosque. This mosque is crowded if Wednesday is the right dzuhur prayer, or Monday maghrib because there is an opening event with the Mayor, the rest is quiet," At-Taqwa Mosque Management, Aidi as quoted by the COMPASS.com page, February 13, 2014.

The ongoing zuhur prayer competition has applicable terms and conditions. Anyone who prays in the congregation 42 times in a row at the At Taqwa Mosque has the opportunity to receive Umrah prizes. Those who pray 52 times in a row will depart for Hajj.

Later, those who can consistently never be late and always on time to the mosque are entitled to a Toyota Innova car that originally belonged to Helmi's wife. The journey of the prayer competition with prizes gave birth to pros and cons.

Those who support consider the prayer competition to be reasonable because it is a stimulus for people to flock to the mosque. Those who criticized not a few. The criticism even arose from the chairman of the Bengkulu branch of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI).

MUI Bengkulu considers the congregational prayer competition to be prone to discrimination and vulnerable to gender bias. The narrative is echoed because the competition that was made actually makes adherents of other religions jealous. Then, the competition is considered not to benefit women either because women have a menstrual cycle.

Women cannot meet the requirements for zuhur prayers every Wednesday in a row. MUI Bengkulu also emphasized that the idea of the competition was nothing more than a happy (shombong) nature. Congregational prayers should be self-awareness, not forced by the lure of prizes.

The presence of thezuhur prayer competition with prizes is also considered as proof that the Mayor of Bengkulu lacks work. The Mayor of Bengkul should have been able to create many programs for the welfare of the people. Not busy interfering in the affairs of Muslims.

The competition ended on October 7, 2015. The winner of the car has also been determined. However, criticism of Helmi Hasan's controversial idea is still present.

"In religion, the most important thing to do in worship is understanding (cognitive), then affective (sikap and values), then psychomotoric in the sense of awareness, not in certain lure, including gifts".

"We want the Mayor to explain that the prize is an excitation so that people's religious awareness increases. Likewise with other religious communities," said the chairman of the MUI Bengkulu, Rohimin reminded the Mayor of Bengkulu before the competition took place as quoted on the Kompas.com page, February 10, 2014.