Yunus, Olawale
Since the inception of the tough war between Israel and Hamas on the territory of Palestine, Muslim communities across the world have gathered together at mosques for prayers, as it is the first Jumu’ah to observe. Hence, the Israeli police blocked Palestinian Muslims from getting access to Masjid Al-Aqsa to observe Jumu’ah prayers.
Jusuf Kalla, the former Vice President of Indonesia, has appealed to the Muslim communities, especially Indonesian Muslims who stand with Palestinians, to hold prayers along with the Salat Al-Ghaib, or prayer for the absent. Also, Islamic leaders in Indonesia appealed to all mosques in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation to pray for peace and safety for the Palestinian people.
In a sermon at Abu Bakar Al Shidiq, one of the most conservative mosques in Jakarta, a cleric called for mobilizing “our power and efforts to help the Muslims in Palestine.”
The Qunut Nazilahto prayer, which is one for protection, was requested by the head of the Indonesian Mosque Council in order to beseech Allah for assistance so that “the conflict in the Gaza Strip would end quickly.” He said, “Prayer is a weapon for devout Muslims, “For those of us who have not been given the opportunity by God to take up arms to defend the honor and religion of our Muslims brothers, then we can take up our weapons by raising our hands asking God for His blessings.”