Even Though It Is Allowed By MUI, The Great Mosque Of Bandung Still Follows The West Java Provincial Government Rules Not To Close The Prayer Room

Muslims perform Friday prayers at the Great Mosque of Bandung, Bandung City, West Java Province. (AMONG)

BANDUNG - The management of the Great Mosque of Bandung, West Java, will continue to regulate the distance between worshipers for Ramadan even though the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has allowed the prayer rows to be closed.

"There are two versions of this, if the MUI circulars have to be re-closed, but because we are still under the province, we are currently still following government regulations," said Deputy Chairman of the Ramadan Committee for the Great Mosque of Bandung, Zainal Musthofa in Bandung, Antara, Friday, March 25.

He said that the number of people praying at the Great Mosque of Bandung increased ahead of the holy month of Ramadan.

"If our Friday prayers are above 10 thousand now. With a capacity of 15 thousand, then we are more than half," said Zainal.

Officers of the Prosperity Council of the Great Mosque of Bandung are trying to ensure that the congregation of the mosque implements health protocols to prevent the transmission of COVID-19.

Zainal also explained that this year's mosque management plans to return to holding Ramadan activities such as iktikaf and breaking the fast together, after two years of Ramadan activities being canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Hopefully this year it will be possible, because we have also carried out routine recitations," he said.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the West Java Indonesian Mosque Council (DMI) KH Achmad Sidik said that an appeal had been conveyed to all mosque administrators in West Java to clean mosques before Ramadan.

He also reminded mosque administrators to ensure that those who worship in mosques adhere to health protocols.

"If we see now that the pandemic has reduced, including Friday prayers, there is no distance, but this procedure is a must, especially wearing masks," said Sidik.