45 Villages In Bekasi Regency Drought, Regency Government Holds Istisqa Prayer Asking For Rain

Hundreds of employees of the Bekasi Regency Government, West Java attended the istisqa sunnah prayer asking for rain at the Bekasi Regency Government Plaza Field, Monday. (ANTARA/Pradita Kurniawan Syah).

JABAR - Hundreds of state civil servants (ASN) in the Bekasi Regency Government (Pemkab), West Java held the Istisqa Prayer in congregation today. The prayer aims to ask for rain.

"This Istisqa prayer is an inner effort of Muslims to the Creator, pray, ask for rain to be sent in the midst of the dry season and the current drought," said Bekasi Regent Dani Ramdan after praying in Bekasi, Monday, September 25, confiscated by Antara.

Prayers asked for this rain to take place in the midst of the sun at the Bekasi Regency Government Plaza Field. Also attended by elements of the regional leadership communication forum, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), and representatives of community organizations (ormas).

Dani said the Istisqa Prayer was intended to help the people of Bekasi Regency who were experiencing a drought, especially in affected areas, namely 45 villages spread across 10 sub-districts.

"We have carried out the birth efforts and continue to carry out, the delivery of clean water along with supporting facilities, water ready to drink packaging, repair irrigation canals, pumping and so on. Of course, the birth efforts will never be enough and indeed the efforts of birth must be balanced with inner efforts, because all of that is the will of Allah SWT," he said.

Head of the Welfare Section at the Bekasi District Secretariat, Bennie Yulianto Iskandar, said the appeal for Istisqa Prayer had been carried out since the Bekasi Regency MUI issued a circular letter regarding the implementation of Istisqa Prayers throughout the region, including in sub-districts affected by drought.

"Alhamdulillah, this has also been carried out in several areas. In the near future in Serangbaru District because the most affected areas are three sub-districts, namely Serangbaru, Bojongmangu, and Cibarusah," he said.

Secretary of the MUI Bekasi Regency KH Muhiddin Kamal explained that the Istisqa prayer in Islamic view is mandatory when an area enters the season of severe drought as a form of request for rain to Allah SWT.

"So for Bekasi Regency, although there are several areas that have not been affected, there are already some areas that really need water," he said.