Please Rain, Bekasi Residents Asked For 3 Days Of Fasting And Istisqa Prayers

Acting Bekasi Regent Dani Ramdan while leading the distribution of clean water aid (ANTARA)

BEKASI - The Bekasi Regency Government (Pemkab), West Java (West Java), invites all Muslims in the area to jointly carry out the Istisqa Prayer in order to ask for rain.

"We pray, ask for rain from Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala (SWT), pray together that it will rain this dry season," said Head of the Welfare Section at the Bekasi Regency Secretariat Benny Yulianto Iskandar, quoted by ANTARA, Friday, September 22.

He said the sunnah prayer asked for the rain to be scheduled for its implementation at the Plaza Field of the Bekasi Regency Government on Monday, September 25 at 08.30 WIB, after the morning rally involving all ASN and non-ASN employees.

His party has distributed the invitation to the entire Regional Apparatus Organization (OPD) and the general public according to the mandate of the regional head as outlined in the Bekasi Regent's Invitation Letter Number RT.04/6707/Kesra/2023.

"According to the instructions of the Acting Regent of Bekasi Dani Ramdan, this Istisqa prayer involves all ASN and non-ASN in the Bekasi Regency Government office environment. We also invite the community to participate in this sunnah prayer," he said.

In accordance with the direction of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) of Bekasi Regency, Muslims are also asked to fast for three days starting today until Sunday (24/9/2023) or before the Istisqa Prayer.

"We also urge the congregation to pray Istisqa prayers to bring their respective prayer equipment," he said.

The Bekasi Regency MUI previously issued a circular letter Number 05/MUI/KAB-BKS/VIII/2023 containing calls for Muslims to carry out ISTisqa Prayers in their respective regions.

"In order to increase faith and piety to Allah SWT, and to deal with the conditions of minimal rainfall in Bekasi Regency, MUI conveys calls to Muslims for Istisqa prayers in congregation in mosques and fields in their respective areas," said MUI Secretary of Bekasi Regency KH Muhiddin Kamal.

According to him, sunnah prayers ask for rain according to the belief of Islam, which is a religious effort with the hope that rain will come in the middle of the dry season.

Referring to data from the Bekasi Regency BPBD Pusdalops, as of Thursday (21/9/2023) at 18.00 WIB, 45 villages spread across 10 sub-districts in the area were affected by drought.

Districts affected by drought include Cibarusah, Bojongmangu, Serang Baru, Central Cikarang, Babelan, Pebayuran, Sukawangi, Cabangbungin, Tarumajaya, and Muaragembong sub-districts.

A total of 178,004 people from 53,178 families (KK) also experienced firsthand the impact of drought. Likewise, 21,250 hectares of agricultural land with 4,097 hectares of them are categorized as threatened agricultural land.