Vice President Ma'ruf Amin Urges Eid Prayer At Home

Documentation - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin gives directions during a coordination meeting of the National Bureaucratic Reform Steering Committee (KPBRN) via videoconference from the vice president's official residence in Jakarta, Thursday, July 15. (Aris KIP Setwapres)

JAKARTA - Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Indonesian Vice President Ma'ruf Amin appealed to all Muslims to perform Eid prayers at home with their families and without congregation in the mosque or in the field.

"Congregation is voluntary, but protecting oneself from the COVID-19 pandemic is obligatory, so things that are obligatory should take precedence over what is voluntary," said Vice President Ma'ruf in his statement in Jakarta, Sunday, July 18.

The stipulation for Muslims to pray Eid al-Adha at home aims to reduce the number of cases of COVID-19 transmission in the midst of the implementation of emergency community activity restrictions (PPKM).

The Vice President emphasized that the policy was not to hinder the worship of Muslims in mosques but to protect the public from the dangers of COVID-19.

Istiqlal High Priest Nasaruddin Umar delivers a lecture at the Tarawih Prayer 1 Ramadan 1442 Hijriyah at the Istiqlal Mosque in Central Jakarta, Monday, April 12 (Mentari Dwi Gayati/Antara)

"This implementation is intended to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic by protecting and keeping the public from being infected and becoming victims," said the Vice President.

Provisions related to Muslim worship during Eid have been regulated in the Circular of the Minister of Religion Number 17 of 2021 concerning the Temporary Abolition of Worship in Places of Worship, Takbiran Nights, Eid Prayers, and Technical Instructions for the Implementation of Sacrifice Year 1442 H in the Emergency PPKM Area.

In addition, the Tausiah of the Indonesian Ulema Council Leadership Council Number Kep-1440/DP-MUI/VII/2021 concerning the Implementation of Worship, Eid Prayers, and the Implementation of Qurban During Emergency PPKM has regulated the provisions of Muslim worship.

Previously, the Vice President asked the ulama to invite the whole community to obey the government's policy by not gathering in crowds when carrying out Eid activities.

"I ask that later in accordance with the provisions, do not do crowds, including one of them doing Eid al-Adha both in the mosque and outside the mosque," said the vice president.

Provisions related to the adjustment of the Eid al-Adha worship 1442 H are carried out to protect the entire community from the transmission of COVID-19 and reduce the number of cases of the spread of COVID-19. "So the ban is to protect the people during the implementation of the Emergency PPKM, right now it is very dangerous. That is the government's consideration," said Vice President Ma'ruf Amin.