Their role was not only as spiritual guides for the people but also as fighters who took part in bringing forth an independent Indonesian nation. The cooperation must be maintained. To maintain this, Aksi Cepat Tanggap (ACT) has partnered with clerics to build this nation’s civilization, under the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI).

ACT will seek MUI’s guidance in the actualization of humanitarian programs that include food, education, economy and health to build the nation and bring prosperity. With such lofty aspirations, the cooperation aims to bring prosperity through the signing of an MoU between MUI and ACT.

Chairman of ACT's supervisory board, Ahyudin, said the agreement was a general agreement. MUI, as a state institution that focuses on guiding the Muslim community, and ACT, a humanitarian organization from the Muslim community, feel the responsibility to collaborate so that the role of Muslims in massive humanitarian movements will be realized in multiple programs.

These programs include waqf. Currently, several waqf programs have been carried out in collaboration with MUI, including waqf programs to support food production.

"Why food? Because the pandemic has brought a global and severe food crisis. We design food programs from food production to distribution through the Productive Food Waqf and Productive Rice Field Waqf. Currently, we are helping farmers with their production capital. In addition, we are also providing free drinking water. We bought drinking water from a processing plant to be distributed to the public for free,” he explained.

Ahyudin continued, the cooperation has existed for a long time. Among forms of cooperation is in the support for Palestine and through the first harvest of the Waqf rice field in East Java. This cooperation is expected to grow.

MUI secretary-general Amirsyah Tambunan said, the nation needed the help of all parties to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic. According to Amirsyah, people must have tansiqul harakah (coordinated movements) and taswiyatul manhaj (similarity in mindset).

“We would like to express our appreciation to ACT, whose track record has been proven. Hopefully, today's MOU can be followed up so that the Covid-19 pandemic will not lead to an economic pandemic. Hopefully, this cooperation can go well," said Amirsyah.

He added that one of the steps that MUI and ACT must take is to help the nation in education, health and food.

“Education is a very serious concern for us. Our children at home are addicted to gadgets. Through education, we must teach and enlighten them. Health is also important because healthy people can build a strong nation. In addition, we must break the chain of middlemen. We hope that this collaboration can help meet the needs of the people," he explained.

MUI general chairman KH Miftachul Akhyar explained that the cooperation was also a form of da'wah (Islamic propagation) for MUI and ACT. “This is a smart move because ACT always provides for people in need. For us, this is also a form of Islamic propagation. Hopefully, ACT can continue to cooperate with MUI. I thank ACT, and, hopefully, all of this has double value and I hope that ACT will continue to be a blessing and be more advanced and become a protector of the people," he said.

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