Exclusive, Nasaruddin Umar: Istiqlal Mosque 20 Percent For Worship, 80 Percent For Empowering The People

The mosque is not only a place of worship that is divine. Mosques can be optimized for various activities and empowering the people. According to Prof. Dr. KH. Nasaruddin Umar, MA, as the Grand Imam of the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, what happened to the mosque he now leads, 20 percent of the mosque functions as a place of worship and 80 percent of the mosque as a place for empowering the people. This is the function of the mosque at the time of the Prophet Muhammad SAW.

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Istiqlal Mosque has a variety of activities in addition to the routine series of worship that is usually carried out every day. There are educational activities that include madrasas from elementary to high school levels, education for cadres of scholars in collaboration with Harvard University, Cairo University and IIQ (Institute of Alqur'an Science) Jakarta. There is also training to read the Koran and Arabic which is free of charge. Economic empowerment of the ummah through economic activities. And raising funds through the Istiqlal Global Fund. Not limited to collecting, the funds collected are channeled to those who are economically affected.

"The function of the Istiqlal mosque is only 20 percent as a house of worship. The remaining 80 percent is used as a place for empowering the ummah and other citizens of the nation. There is dialogue between houses of worship, Kindergarten to Aliyah Education, Istiqlal Business Center, Istiqlal Global Fund and Ulama Cadre Education," said Nasaruddin Umar.

Even the Ulama Cadre Education program in collaboration with PTIQ (College of Qur'anic Sciences) Jakarta, Harvard University, and Cairo University really attracted the ambassadors of friendly countries, especially from Western countries. “I asked the Ambassadors of friendly countries, especially from Western countries, why they were interested in asking the PKU Istiqlal alumni to be assigned to their countries. They see Islam in Indonesia as moderate Islam. Not like Islam in other countries. And moderate clerics are more suited to their country. So, the orders have not been completed yet," he said.

According to Nasaruddin Umar, what was carried out at the Istiqlal Mosque was very open to be imitated or applied in other mosques throughout Indonesia. "There is no secret here, anyone, from any mosque who wants to adopt management and activities at the Istiqlal Mosque, is welcome. In fact, we are happy to be able to make many mosques more lively with various activities, as well as empowering the community and the surrounding environment,” he said.

In connection with the passing of the month of Ramadan and the celebration of Eid al-Fitr, he congratulated all Muslims who achieved victory and returned to fitrah. Despite the differences in determining the beginning of Ramadan and the beginning of Shawwal, his party still adheres to the government's decision in this case the Ministry of Religion. "Alhamdulillah, we are grateful to be allowed to open Istiqlal for Eid prayers. We are also grateful that COVID-19 is also getting more gentle and friendly," he told Iqbal Irsyad, Edy Suherli, Safic Rabos and Rifai who visited him at the Istiqlal Mosque, Central Jakarta, recently. Here is the full excerpt.

On May 2, Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr, what does Eid mean after a month of worshiping in the month of Ramadan? What is it like to return to fitri?

There are two meanings of fitri. Fitri is back to break her fast after fasting, so we have breakfast. The 1st of Shawwal is forbidden to fast. We return to breakfast after previously forbidden. But if Eid al-Fitr or Eid means returning to our sacred identity. Because Ramadan means scorching or burning sins. Thus, it is hoped that after being clean and pure from sins by Amalia Ramadan which we do sincerely, we hope that we are reborn as new humans. Like a newborn baby from the mother's womb.

The determination of the beginning of Ramadan and the beginning of Shawwal is often different, because some are based on reckoning and some are based on ru'yah. How do we deal with these differences?

Istiqlal has his own way of dealing with this, but in the end we will submit to the government and the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI). The government, in this case the Ministry of Religion, always holds an isbath session to determine the beginning of Shawwal and the beginning of Ramadan. But we also conducted an in-depth study of the determination of the beginning of Ramadan and the beginning of Shawwal. We evaluate the science of Falaq used for reckoning and ru'yah. We also conduct internal studies, so that there is a value for their contribution academically to society. Do not just accept (accept) what is from the government, without taking an active role in providing an explanation.

We take an inductive (bottom-up) approach instead of a deductive (top-down) approach. We read something that lives in our society. And something that became an international phenomenon. Also what the government and MUI have done.

So the difference does exist?

That's why we still appreciate the congregation, because there are congregations of the Istiqlal mosque who fast first and some later. We have to be fair to all. Istiqlal belongs to all, we must not discriminate against each other. Because they are all our guests. We have to be careful, for us the manager will accommodate everything. But of course those who are accepted to perform Eid prayers are based on the decisions of the government and the ulema assembly.

But if any of our friends, the congregation of the Istiqlal mosque, are not the same or celebrate Eid first with those set by the government, please do. However, the Eid prayer is not here. Because we think that the majority of the Istiqlal mosque congregation as well as the Indonesian people follow the government and MUI studies. We must not sacrifice those who are greater. It is with great regret that we do not allow a double Eid at Istiqlal. Anyway, no one should be disappointed at Istiqlal, the point is there.

What is your message for Muslims who celebrate Eid?

Eid al-Fitr, thank God we are grateful to be allowed to open Istiqlal for Eid prayers. We are also grateful that COVID-19 is also getting more gentle and friendly. God willing, everything is ready, we have also had a meeting with the Paspampres to anticipate if the president will pray here.

Our security system is standard, because every year the Eid prayer is held here. So the protocol is standard, especially now that we know it. We have 140 CCTV cameras all over the mosque. So don't try to steal cellphones or other items in this mosque. All can be tracked because there is a biometric system. Someone who takes a computer cell phone can find a thief in any corner of this mosque.

You mentioned earlier, Istiqlal conducted a follow-up study on the decision of the isbath trial conducted by the Ministry of Religion, what was that like?

In our first study, there are three things. First, we conduct studies on the results of reckoning and rukyah. We criticize whether the rukyah and reckoning methodology is correct. In reckoning is very human if something goes wrong. The implementation of rukyah also often causes errors. Where is the moon, where are the binoculars, that's called an error. Don't let what you sense is Mars or Saturn. There is a methodology to determine this month or that month. The second is the study of Falaq science, there are about 14 to 17 schools of Falaq scholars who are often used as references. We will confirm with the research results of friends in the laboratory of Boscha, NU and the Ministry of Religion who conducted the survey.

Based on the results of the study, what are the usual recommendations?

The first recommendation for our internal. Many parties often ask questions to the Istiqlal Mosque, thank God we are among those who are quick to respond to public questions. There is a survey that reveals the response of government agencies to people's questions, Istiqlal is one of the best. Questions that go unanswered overnight have been answered.

We do facilitate public inquiries. There is a room that we open for people who want to consult on all kinds of religious matters. People believe because of its validity, because the capacity of the person who gives the answer is safe and capable. We have a muzakarah assembly chaired by Prof. Qurays Shihab, Prof. Aqil Munawar, and top executives of NU and Muhammadiyah, and others. So it is very comprehensive the sources who appear here.

Now that the pandemic has not really ended, how is the worship at Istiqlal?

For this we follow the government's decision and the direction of the MUI, the government in this case the central government and DKI Jakarta. As a state mosque we have to make decisions carefully. Istiqlal is not only a representation of the state, but also an example for about 8,000 mosques throughout Indonesia.

Apart from worship that is hablun minallah, what activities are carried out at Istiqlal?

Many activities are carried out at the Istiqlal Mosque. In addition to worship, worship includes madrasas, education and training, economic empowerment of the people, zakat management, converting centers, libraries, religious consultations, and others. There is Ulama Cadre Education for the S1, S2 and S3 levels in collaboration with PTIQ (College of Qur'anic Sciences). Later this program will take one semester at Harvard University, one semester at Cairo University, and all of these scholarships are funded by the LPDP (Institute for Education Fund Management). They are housed with an emphasis on mastering Arabic and English.

Thank God there were a number of ambassadors from friendly countries who we invited to Istiqlal knowing that they were interested in this program. They asked the alumni of the Ulama Cadre Education program to be placed in their countries, especially Western countries. So not finished education has been ordered. I asked the ambassadors why they didn't order scholars from Middle Eastern countries. They answered that Indonesia's moderate Islam is more compatible with our country.

So your program as an Imam does not only make the mosque a place of worship, but also other activities?

Only 20 percent of Istiqlal is a place of worship, 80 percent is a place for empowering the ummah and other citizens of the nation. There is dialogue between houses of worship, Kindergarten to Aliyah Education, Istiqlal Business Center, Istiqlal Global Fund. Not only do we collect funds, we also distribute them to those who are entitled to receive them. This mosque should not be continuously empowered, but it must also be behind the mosque to empower the ummah.

With these various programs, we are trying to become an independent mosque. So it does not depend on the government and congregational infaq. The amount collected was fantastic, beyond the expectations of the government. We were also surprised that we were able to collect such a large amount of data. The level of public trust in Istiqlal is very high. The funds collected are used to empower the people, especially those who have been laid off due to the pandemic.

Can the management of the mosque carried out in Istiqlal be spread to other mosques, if they can be independent that is extraordinary?

We have no secret, any mosque that wants to imitate the management and pattern of community empowerment that we do is welcome. The more mosques that follow Istiqlal's management, the more grateful we are. We bring together the owners of capital with unemployment, be economic empowerment. We bring together smart/teachers/lecturers with those who want to learn.

Istiqlal is also open to travelers from outside the city, to simply stay overnight and bathe in the mosque's bathroom. This can help people who want to go to Jakarta but don't have enough money to stay in a hotel.

Also of great help to the community is the skills course at Istiqlal. Such as skills courses for the industry about taking care of licensing halal product guarantees. How to understand the elements of halal, we train here.

Istiqlal also trains institutions with hardline and liberal streams. We have the package for 12 days. There is a pre-test and post-test after the training. And thank God this service is also used by several large countries abroad, Europe and America. Tomorrow I will go abroad again for the umpteenth time giving training. Provide training on moderate Islam.

Regarding the accusation of a commercialized mosque, how do you explain it?

I only follow the example of the mosque during the time of the Prophet Muhammad, the area of the mosque where worship is kept clean. What is used for various activities is around the mosque, there is a course for prospective brides, there is also a record of anyone who will go abroad with anything. So the buying and selling activities are not in the mosque which is a place of worship. So, so that we don't misunderstand, we are very open to auditing. We don't want corruption cases in mosques. If anyone in this mosque collects illegal funds, they can report it. We manage our parking professionally. There are also many charity boxes that are filled because we present good lecturers. The better our service to the congregation, the greater the infaq that the congregation gives. There is also a cooperative in this mosque.

In the past, this mosque was managed by pensioners, sometimes they were taken care of. Now those who take care of this mosque are millennials. Doctoral alumni from the Middle East and Europe gather here to make various programs. So there are a lot of activities here outside of worship.

What is the role of you and the Istiqlal mosque in fostering religious harmony?

Inter-religious harmony does not only exist in our dialogue. But also in real form. There is a friendship tunnel between Istiqlal and the Cathedral which is opposite each other. The management of vehicle parking is also carried out together. Cathedral congregations can park in the Istiqlal parking area.

To complete the tunnel, we now involve an artist who will provide the ornaments and decorations. It will become one of Indonesia's icons. So it's not just a tunnel, there's science in it. We will have an inter-religious meeting. As was done at the time of the Prophet Muhammad. There used to be an institution that was attended by 60 different religious leaders. At that time the institution was chaired by Abdullah bin Masih. Those who follow are Orthodox Christians, Jews, and so on. The meeting is from Asr to Maghrib time. After that the Prophet served food to his guests. That's what we are exemplifying now at Istiqlal.

How to prevent the growth of radicalism and terrorism movements which are now a threat to everyone?

There should be no movement organization that contradicts Istiqlal's vision and mission which is the vision and mission of our own country. It's not that we reject them, anyone who wants to come and enter Istiqlal is welcome. However, for the activities of political parties, we firmly reject it. The problem is that when one party is given one, the other party will also ask for it. This mosque is sterile, there is no place for those who will carry out political activities and movements that are contrary to the state.

Since he was a servant of the ummah, he became a mosque administrator from his native area until he moved to Makassar while studying, but to become the Grand Imam of Masjdi Istiqlal, it was unimaginable in Prof. Dr. KH. Nasaruddin Umar, MA. For him this is a noble task to be a servant of God's house.

When he was told that he would be appointed as the high priest of the Istiqlal Mosque, he couldn't believe it. “I never dreamed of becoming the Grand Imam of the Istiqlal Mosque. It was completely beyond my predictions," he said.

One day when he was about to leave for the Bogor Agricultural Institute to become a Friday preacher, he was told that he would be appointed as a high priest. But he didn't believe it. “At that time, I received a call from one of the ministers, he told me that I would be sworn in. I asked what was appointed as? If you are an ordinary administrator, please just be friends. I don't have to be inducted as well," he answered a question about himself who would be inducted.

It turned out that the minister who reported it said that Nasaruddin would instead be appointed as the high priest of the Istiqlal mosque. “He said Pak Nasaruddin would be appointed as the high priest of the Istiqlal Mosque. I said that I was not capable of becoming a high priest in Istiqlal," he said humbly.

The minister continued to convince Nasaruddin for this position. “I then thought all the way to the IPB mosque. I refuse to be a servant of God's house. Frankly, I'm afraid of maggots. If you refuse this position. God willing, I have turned down good positions several times,” he said without mentioning the position in question.

He is already indifferent to worldly positions and positions. Now he has a target to write an interpretation book. "What can you expect again, I've been the Director General at Kemenang, I've been the Deputy Minister of Religion. This time, I was invited to be a servant of God's house. I think it would be very arrogant to refuse this offer,” continued the man who was born in Ujung, Bone, June 23, 1959.

Although he agreed to the position as the High Priest of Istiqlal, he put forward the condition that he be accompanied by senior scholars and professors. From the start he asked for a Muzakarah Council, which is an assembly tasked with reminding each other.

Before he took office, there were two structures within the Istiqlal Mosque, the Grand Imam who headed the affairs of worship. And there is another Management Agency under the Ministry of Religion, which is in charge of managing mosques in general. “This condition is in my opinion ineffective. The problem is that at that time, when the Imam was about to do something, he could not get a budget from the Management Agency. It turned out that I was appointed as the High Priest and also the Chairman of the Istiqlal Mosque Management Board," said Nasaruddin Umar.

Not only was he elected to be the Imam of the Istiqlal Mosque, Nasaruddin was also trusted to be the chairman of the Association of Imams of the World Capital Mosque. "It's not too long ago, how long the tenure will be will be discussed at the World Mosque Imams Association conference here," he said.

After being appointed Nasaruddin arranged a major renovation program, building a friendship tunnel connecting Istiqlal and the Cathedral. “We have 42 work programs launched by the Vice President. In addition to the renovation, we have also won several awards on an international scale," he said. Recently, the Isiqlal Mosque has won a certificate as the world's first environmentally friendly mosque from the World Bank.

When the pandemic was high some time ago Istiqlal also received an award as a mosque with zero corona. "The main Istiqlal room was not found with the corona virus, because of the open construction of the mosque. Smooth air circulation, air from South to North and vice versa flows well. The dome is very high. Then the many green trees that are around also support it," said Nasaruddin, who was determined to maintain this zero corona status.

Gender

In the academic world, Nasaruddin Umar has also attracted the attention of many parties. Various scientific works have been produced both for final assignments when completing one level of education and assignments in relation to being a lecturer. One of the most prominent is the results of his research on "Gender Perspectives in the Koran." The results of this research have become a reference for many parties, either for academic purposes or practical activities in the efforts of women's empowerment and gender equality.

This professor in the field of Tafsir at the Faculty of Ushuluddin IAIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta holds many structural and institutional positions and organizations that are concerned with gender issues. Many people became enlightened after knowing the results of research conducted by Nasaruddin.

It is not surprising that she has held the position of Member of KOMNAS Perempuan, (1999-present), Head of the Religion and Women's Study Program, field of women's studies at the UI Jakarta post-graduate program, (2001-present), expert staff of PSW (Women's Study Center) IAIN Sunan Kalijaga , Yogyakarta, (2001-present), Head of the Department of Social and Women's Empowerment ICMI Center, Jakarta (2000-present). And there are many other institutions that ask Nasaruddin Umar to be involved directly or partially in gender matters.

"Only 20 percent of Istiqlal is a place of worship, 80 percent is a place for empowering the ummah and other citizens of the nation. There is dialogue between houses of worship, Kindergarten to Aliyah Education, Istiqlal Business Center, Istiqlal Global Fund. Not only do we raise funds, we also distribute them to those who are entitled to receive them. This mosque should not be continuously empowered, but it must also be behind the mosque to empower the ummah.”

Nasaruddin Umar