This year, the Ukhuwah Islamiyah Mosque (MUI) of Universitas Indonesia (UI) organized the slaughter of sacrificial animals, specifically nine cows and twelve goats, and distributed 1,028 packs of the sacrificial meat. The beneficiaries are UI students, security officers, janitors, canteen keepers, and the community around the UI Depok campus.
The day before the distribution began, the MUI UI committee handed out coupons to the beneficiaries. Other beneficiaries include residents close to the area of the campus, namely Kukusan Teknik, Beji, and Pondok Cina residents.
Other than the slaughter of sacrificial animals, MUI UI also arranged Eid prayer activities and a talkshow, titled, “Bedah Qurban dalam Perspektif Agama dan Kesehatan.” The talkshow, held on Saturday, June 15, introduced two experts, Dr. KH. Muhammad Shofin Sugito, LC., M.A, from the Review, Research, and Development Commission (KPPP) of Central MUI, and Ustadzah dr. Syifa Salma, the Head of Al Hikam Student Islamic Boarding School Depok.
In her presentation, dr. Syifa conveyed in detail regarding the sacrificial procedures and the steps to follow in choosing and slaughtering the sacrificial animals. “The sacrificial animals must fulfill the requirements demanded by the shariah, such as being physically healthy and vaccinated. Next, maintenance of the sacrificial animals is also important in order to ensure that the animal’s condition remains well before slaughter. Other than that, the slaughtering process must be done according to Islamic rules, which dictates that it must be humanely to minimize the suffering of the animals,” said dr. Syifa.
Furthermore, she also explained how the storage and distribution of sacrificial meat must be done thoroughly. Choosing the right parts of the meat and also applying the proper storage method is important to keep the meat fresh and safe to consume. By following these procedures, the practice of Qurban as a form of worship is not only valid according to the sharia, but also brings blessings and benefits to all involved.
Meanwhile, during the Eid al-Adha prayer which was held on Monday, June 17, Ustaz H. Muhammad Nur Tondo Wijoyo, acted as the imam, and Prof. Dr. Muhammad Luthfi Zuhdi, Lc, MA, Ph.D., Head of UI Halal Centre and a Professor at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB) UI, acted as the khatib. In his sermon, Prof. Lutfhi preached on morals and the keys to civilization. He said, “The great sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim a.s. was a form of sincere obedience to Allah Swt.”
Prophet Ibrahim’s story contains many lessons on outstanding patience, obedience, and sincerity in facing the ordeals Allah swt. presented. “This teaches the importance of having noble morals in facing various hurdles in life. Morals that reflect patience, honesty, justice, and compassion will bring not only blessings in this world, but also great rewards in the afterlife,” said Prof. Lutfhi.
For this year’s Eid al-Adha activities, MUI UI facilitated the maintenance, slaughter, and distribution of sacrificial animals, namely cows weighing around 350-400 kilograms, costing around 30 million rupiahs per cow, and goats weighing around 30-35 kilograms, costing around 3.5 million rupiahs per goat. These prices include all operational, maintenance, distribution, and animal feed costs.
MUI UI made use of the Safe, Healthy, Ihsan, and Halal (ASIH) principle in the slaughter of sacrificial animals to ensure that they meet the basics of hygiene, ergonomics, and sanitation. This slaughter process also fulfills halal requirements, veterinary public health, and animal welfare, so that the carcasses produced are safe, high quality, and nutritious for human consumption. In addition, MUI UI also packed the ready-to-be-distributed sacrificial meat in safe and eco-friendly corn starch bags.
H. Achmad Solechan, Chief Executive of MUI UI, expressed his gratitude to every party involved in the 1445 H Eid al-Adha activities in MUI UI. “This has become a momentum for Muslims to provide a spirit of sharing, togetherness, and humanity. I hope this can also continue to strengthen our brotherhood,” he said.
