Chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) Sudarnoto Abdul Hakim called on Muslims to pray qunut nazilah when performing prayers before the commemoration of independence Israel on the 14th of May.
“We call on all Muslims, in accordance with the recent MUI Eid observance, to recite the qunut nazilah prayer when performing prayers for a long time,” Sudarnoto said in his official statement quoted on Sunday (8/5).
In the official PBNU website, qunut nazilah is a qunut prayer that is performed when the Muslims are afflicted with unpleasant conditions, in the form of fear or famine, pandemic or plague, or the like.
From the Ministry’s website, qunut nazilah is performed in the last rak’ah of the five daily prayers when i’tidal with a voice, either performed alone or in congregation, at home or in the mosque.
Sudarnoto assessed that Israel’s independence day on May 14 was very hurtful to Palestinians. The reason is, right on that date in 1948 there was a massive expulsion of Palestinian Arab citizens.
The moment of the expulsion, he continued, was dubbed the day of disaster or Yaum an-Nakbah and is always commemorated by Palestinians by intensifying resistance against Israel.
Sudarnoto hopes that by praying qunut nazilah, Muslims can unite to help Palestine face Israeli occupation.
“All administrators of mosques and prayer rooms, leaders of all Islamic organizations, Taklim assemblies, Islamic educational institutions are expected to participate in conveying this call to encourage reading the qunut nazilah prayer,” he said.
On the other hand, Sudarnoto emphasized that MUI continues to support the Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs, who has shown his seriousness and persistence in defending Palestine.
He appreciated the government’s attitude that so far it has not established diplomatic relations with Israel.
“The government and the Indonesian people still have a debt for the independence of the Palestinian people, which since the Asia-Africa Conference was declared in 1955. Therefore, the spirit of Yaum an-Nakbah’s commemoration needs to continue to be given ammunition for Palestinian independence,” said Sudarnoto.
(rzr/wis)
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