The government has signaled to relax worship during the holy month of Ramadan. Nevertheless, the public is advised to always obey the Prokes considering the pandemic is not over yet while maintaining the positive trend of controlling Covid-19.
Ramadan is in sight and we are getting ready to worship fervently in this holy month. When fasting, tarawih, and other worship services are carried out with strict health protocols. Tarawih in the mosque is allowed as long as you wear a mask and bring your own prayer rug. It is recommended that zakat distribution be done directly (to homes in need) so that there are no crowds.
The fasting month of 2022 is the third Ramadan in the pandemic era. We are getting used to living side by side with Corona and implementing health protocols. Even in this holy month we are getting stricter in health protocols (prokes) so that fasting and other worship will run smoothly. Imagine if you get Corona, you will be weak and helpless and prohibited from fasting because you have to take medicine, even though the month of Ramadan is only once a year.
Asep Saeful Gufron, Head of the Bandung City Corona Handling Task Force, stated, “Covid cases are indeed on the decline, but the health procedures must continue to be implemented.” Ramadan must continue to obey the procedures even though the Corona case is sloping because if everyone does not obey the procedures it will be a disaster because there is a potential increase in Corona patients.
Currently the number of patients is only 6,000 per day, much lower than last month which was more than 25,000 per day (in Indonesia). While in Bandung the number of patients is only 2,000 per day. All of this is thanks to the community’s discipline in implementing health protocols. They also vaccinated up to 3 times and followed government programs to deal with the pandemic.
Prokes must be maintained to prevent an increase in cases during Ramadan. We certainly want to go home and don’t get Corona and then cancel going home. How sad if bad luck. Therefore, it is better to prevent by obeying the procedures than to treat and then suffer because of Corona and spend Eid in the hospital.
To implement prokes during Ramadan is actually easy because for the past two years we have been used to doing it. It’s just that during this holy month the procedure is required to be even stricter because if you obey the procedure, you will not get Corona and then you can fast smoothly.
Masks still have to be worn, not only outside the house but also in the yard. When there is a recitation, it is also mandatory to wear a mask and there is a distance between worshipers, to be really safe. Don’t be careless a bit because it’s still a pandemic.
In addition, when traveling, for example, to shop for necessities to break the fast, you must bring a hand sanitizer. The goal is just in case the store does not provide a hand washing place.
In addition, tarawih prayers in mosques are allowed but must obey the procedures. Everyone must wear a mask and bring their own prayer mat. Pilgrims are also advised to perform ablution at home because it prevents crowds at the ablution area in the mosque area. Saf is allowed to meet again but it’s better not to shake hands like before (after praying) because it’s still vulnerable during the pandemic.
The distribution of zakat rice must also be orderly. Amil should give rice and basic food packages directly to the homes of people in need. The goal is to be right on target and there will be no crowds, because if they are distributed in mosques as usual, they are afraid of long queues and automatically violate Prokes.
All prokes must be obeyed so that we can fast and perform other worship in the month of Ramadan smoothly. Even though it’s still a pandemic, don’t be afraid of Corona, as long as you obey the prokes and vaccinations. Hopefully the pandemic will be over soon so things get back to normal as before.
Muhammad Yasin, the author is a contributor to the Press Circle and a Cikini student