President Jokowi Joins Semarang Residents to Perform Eid al-Adha Prayer
President Jokowi at Simpang Lima square, Semarang city, Central Java province, Monday (06/17). (Photo by: BPMI Presidential Secretariat/Muchlis Jr)
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo Monday (06/17) performed Eid al-Adha prayer at Simpang Lima square in Central Java provincial capital of Semarang.
The post-prayer sermon was delivered by Chairperson of the General Election Commission Hasyim Asy’ari.
According to Hasyim, Eid al-Adha reminds Moslems of the story of Prophet Abraham, who received an order from Allah to sacrifice his son Prophet Ismail.
“We should emulate and adopt the sacrifice. We should obey and comply with Allah’s commands by sacrificing some of our wealth,” he said, adding that the sacrifice also has a social impact on other peoples.
After the prayer, President Jokowi handed a sacrificial animal to Baiturrahman grand mosque in the city. The sacrificial animal was a Simmental cattle weighing around 1,250 kilograms.
“By saying bismillahirrahmanirrahim, I hereby hand over the cattle as a sacrificial animal to Baiturrahman grand mosque’s Eid al-Adha organizing committee as my family’s sacrificial service to be slaughtered and distributed to those entitled to it. May Allah accept our sacrifice,” President Jokowi remarked.
Eid al-Adha is the second of the two main Islamic holidays alongside Eid al-Fitr. In the Islamic calendar, Eid al-Adha falls on the 10th day of the twelfth and final month of Dhu al-Hijja. The Eid prayer is performed on the morning of Eid al-Adha after which udhiyah, or the ritual sacrifice of sheep, may be performed. In Islamic tradition, the udhiyah honors the willingness of Prophet Abraham to sacrifice his son Prophet Ismail as an act of obedience to Allah. (BPMI Presidential Secretariat/DNS) (GWH/EP)
