After The Hajj Congregation From Aceh, Chairman Of Commission VIII DPR: Straighten Intentions To Increase Worship, Reduce Photos And Upload Status On Social Media

Chairman of the House of Representatives Commission VIII Yandri Susanto when handing over the flag of the flag to the Hajj crew of 4th Embarkation Aceh in Banda Aceh (Via ANTARA)

BANDA ACEH - Chairman of Commission VIII DPR RI Yandri Susanto reminded Indonesian pilgrims not to take selfies and upload statuses on social media while in the Holy Land, Saudi Arabia. Congregations must but must focus on multiplying worship.

"Straighten your intentions, reduce photos, upload statuses, selfies, reduce them, because that might disturb our hearts," he said at the release of the pilgrims for the Aceh pilgrim group 4 at the Embarkation Aceh, Banda Aceh City, Aceh Province, Antara, Friday, 17 June.

In the last two years, Indonesia has not sent hajj pilgrims due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So the congregation who departed in 2022 must of course be happy, because currently there are 5.2 million Indonesians queuing up to perform the pilgrimage.

He conveyed that the waiting list for Indonesian Hajj was quite long. In Aceh, the waiting list for Hajj is up to 32 years, even in Makassar the waiting list for Hajj is almost 50 years.

"So when you register for Hajj this year, you will go to the Holy Land in the next 50 years," he said.

"So suppose this is the last time for you to worship in the two holy cities (Mecca and Medina) and then worship in Arafah, Muzdalifah, and Mina. Because there are 10 billion people in the world, this year only 1 million people have the opportunity to wukuf in Arafah," he added.

Moreover, he continued, the Saudi Arabian government increased Masyair's fees during this year's hajj season due to the impact of COVID-19, so the state had to bear the additional costs of up to Rp.

Therefore, he asked the congregation to really be guests of Allah SWT, by not wasting this opportunity. Because, he said, many people want to go to the Holy Land but have not had the opportunity, because they are still constrained by the economy and other things.

"So if there are other intentions, arrogant because you want to be praised by neighbors, then remove it, arrogant feel the most pious then remove it, arrogant will get the title of Hajj, then remove it and intend it for Allah SWT," said Yandri Susanto.

Previously, the Director of Domestic Hajj Services at the Directorate General of Hajj and Umrah Organizers (DG PHU) of the Ministry of Religion, Saiful Mujab, said that so far 40,567 Indonesian Hajj pilgrims have been in Saudi Arabia, out of a total of 100,051 Indonesian hajj quotas this year.

"Today, those who have departed for Saudi Arabia, in Mecca, in Medina, currently have 40,657 pilgrims and 411 officers," he said.