Climate message from religious minister at The International Quran Competition

MOSAIC-INDONESIA.COM, JAKARTA -- The climate message  was delivered by Minister of Religious Affairs (Menag) Prof. KH Nasaruddin Umar at the opening of the 4th International Quran Tilawatil Musabaqah (MTQ) in Jakarta, Wednesday (29/1/2025). Mr Nasaruddin, in the event attended by 60 delegations from 38 countries, confirmed that the Quran pay attention to the preservation of the environment.

He explained that the Qur'an does not condone all acts of exploitation of nature. According to him, this is a challenge for Muslims. “We must prove that the Qur'an pays attention to environmental preservation as a necessity,” Nasaruddin said in remarks posted on the ministry's official Youtube account.

Menag said that previously there was a presumption that cited holy books, such as the Qur'an, the Gospel, the Torah, and the Zabur as the cause of environmental damage. The concept of man as a leader (caliph) on earth has been used to justify the exploitation in nature. “If we read the Qur'an in its entirety, many verses affirm that although man plays the role of caliph and nature is subjugated to him, man is still commanded not to overstep,” he explained.

Nasaruddin revealed that the sustainability of the earth depends on the way humans take care of it. According to Menag, the message of the Qur'an is very clear that man should be friendly to nature. He should not to destroy or tame it.

“The Qur'an from the very beginning introduced the concept that there are no inanimate objects. Everything in this realm glorifies, praises, and loves God. There is no way something can love without emotion. Thus, the universe is not just an object, but also as a subject,” he said.

According to Nasaruddin, a well-kept environment is an important factor in shaping a devout and solemn human being in worship. “It is impossible for us to be obedient and solemn servants if our environment is damaged,” he added.

Director General of Islamic Community Guidance Ministry of Religious Affair, Abu Rokhmad added that MTQ International was first held in Indonesia in 2003, followed by the second edition in 2013 and third in 2015. Today, the 4th International MTQ carries the theme “Qur'an, Environment, and Humanity for Global Harmony”, which focuses on the role of the Qur'an in safeguarding the environment, building humanitarian values, and creating global harmony.

“Through this theme, we are invited to reflect on how the Qur'an can be a guide in caring for the earth and building harmonious relationships between people,” he said.

The two main races contested are Tilawah and Tahfiz Qur'an. Of the 187 countries participating in the pre-qualification stage in 2023, as many as 60 participants from four continents qualified for the grand final round. The delegation consisted of 17 Tilawah Putra participants, 7 Tilawah Putri participants, 19 Tahfiz Putra participants, and 17 Tahfiz Putri participants.

“The event will be judged by 22 competent and international-standard judges. A total of 15 are from Indonesia, while the other 7 judges are from the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia,” Abu Rokhmad said.

Environmental Friday sermon

The Directorate General of Islamic Bimas of the Ministry of Religious Affairs published a circular on the theme of Khutbah Friday on January 31 and February 7, 2025. The circular was published in the framework of the International Day of Brotherhood of Man which is commemorated every 4 February.

The Circular is addressed to the Head of the Regional Office of the Provincial Ministry of Religion/Chairman of the provincial BKM, Head of the Office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the District/City/Chairman of BKM District/City, Head of the Religious Affairs Office of Kecamata/Chairman of BKM of the sub-district, the Chairmen of BKM Kelurahan/village, and Chairman of the Council of Prosperity of Mosques throughout Indonesia.

The International Day of Human Fraternity is designated by the United Nations (UN) on February 4, 2019. This determination is in connection with the signing of the 'Charter of the Brotherhood of Man' by Grand Sheikh Al-Azhar Ahmed Al Tayeb and the Leader of the Catholic Church Pope Francis in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

“In support of the commemoration, as last year, we issued a circular calling on Friday's Khatib to deliver messages of human brotherhood (ukhuwah insaniyah) at the two Friday prayers on January 31, 2025 and February 7, 2025,” said Bimas Islam Director General Abu Rokhmad in Jakarta on Wednesday (29/1/2025).

In particular, Abu Rokhmad continued, there are two main messages that he wants to emphasize on the anniversary of the International Day of Human Fraternity 2025: Inclusion and Care for the Environment. “The themes of inclusion and the environment are also in line with the spirit of the Istiqlal Declaration signed by Menag Nasaruddin Umar and

Pope Francis in September 2024,” he added.

Alternatively, the Ministry also includes several Khutbah Friday manuscripts that can be downloaded at the link: https://simbi.kemenag.go.id/eliterasi/portal-web/naskah-khotbah.

In addition to the khutbah circular, the Ministry in cooperation with the Muslim Hukama Assembly (MHM) also organized a Friday Khutbah writing contest with the same theme, inclusion and environment. MHM is an international institution founded by Grand Sheikh Al Azhar Prof. Dr. Ahmed Al Tayeb. An Indonesian figure who also served as Minister of Religious Affairs (1998), Prof. Dr. M. Quraish Shihab is noted as a founder and member.

“There are more than 30 million prizes prepared for the contest to write the script of this sermon,” he said.