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Idul Fitri is about virtue of mercy, compassion
The Prophet himself, as the Quran says, was sent as a “mercy for all creatures”— a statement that might sound cliché, but still many tend to forget what it actually means.
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The eighteenth century Kauman Grand Mosque is an Islamic symbol in the Yogyakarta Palace. (JP/Boy T. Harjanto)
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dul Fitri is the biggest annual celebration that drives the largest movement of people in Indonesia. Preceded by mudik, an exodus in the last week of Ramadhan, Idul Fitri prayers and sermons will have the largest number of attendees, much bigger than the weekly Friday prayers.
There will be many halal bihalal (Idul Fitri gatherings), a phrase derived from Arabic that, despite being grammatically incorrect, refers to an event where people exchange apologies and forgiveness.
These sermons with big audiences, therefore, have relatively significant power to shape Muslim discourse.
We hope there will be no preachers who, like in the previous year, talk about inappropriate topics such as electoral politics. This opportunity should be filled with messages of peace.
