The Great Mosque Of Palembang Shortens Tarawih Prayer Time, No Kultum

Great Mosque of Palembang (Aziz Munajar/Antara)

JAKARTA - The Great Mosque of Palembang shortens the time by reducing the reading of the imam's sunnah in Tarawih Prayer so that it can still be carried out 23 rakaat in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chairman of the Palembang Grand Mosque Foundation Ahmad Sarnubi in Palembang, Monday said his party continues to defend the number of rakaat Shalawat Tarawih, as in the previous Ramadan, but the time is limited only until 20.30 WIB.

"Usually imam khatam one juz in 23 rakaat Tarawih, now one juz divided from Maghrib, Isha', Tarawih until Dawn Prayer and that for 30 days," he said.

It ensures that the implementation of Tarawih Prayer at the Great Mosque of Palembang complies with COVID-19 health protocols, the mosque youths have been assigned to monitor the congregation to measure body temperature and wear masks.

A number of hand sanitizers are also prepared at the entrances of mosques and worshippers are encouraged to use them whenever they will worship, he said.

However, it does not restrict the capacity of the mosque because the capacity during Tarawih Prayer is estimated to number 1,000 people and is still accommodated with a distance of one to two meters between worships.

"For kultum Tarawih is not held because the great mosque has never held kultum Tarawih," he said.

According to him, at the time of Ramadan, The Great Mosque of Palembang only held a lecture at every completion of the obligatory Prayer, but this time Ramadan special time was also shortened from 30-45 minutes to only 15 minutes.