He pointed to the role of santri in Indonesia’s struggle for independence as an example.

"So, if the santri carried out jihad to expel the Dutch, the santri community must also be able to get rid of the coronavirus in their own way; they have to pray a lot and set an example for the community," Nasaruddin said on Thursday.

The former deputy religious affairs minister emphasized that the method used by the government to curb the spread of COVID-19 was the same as the Prophet Muhammad's protocol when dealing with viruses in his era.

Nasaruddin conveyed the words of Prophet Muhammad that, if a virus develops in a place, never enter that place and if it is already in it, don't leave that place.

"The [current] protocol is an example of what the Prophet did. The pandemic is real. If you say there is no such thing [as the coronavirus pandemic], you will make a fool of the community. You’ll be responsible for that later," said Nasaruddin in a talkshow on "Healthy Indonesia, Strong Santri" in commemoration of National Santri Day at the Graha BNPB Jakarta building.

Masdalina Pane of the Indonesian Epidemiologists Association (PAEI) said the virus control method in the time of Prophet Muhammad was still relevant today and known as the quarantine method.

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