Istiqlal Mosque Postpones Qurban Slaughter Amid 150,000 Worshippers
- VIVA.co.id/Foe Peace Simbolon
Jakarta, VIVA – Istiqlal Mosque, one of Indonesia’s largest mosques, became a central location for the celebration of Eid al-Adha 1446 Hijri.
Thousands of worshippers from various regions filled the mosque from early morning to join the Eid prayer, which was scheduled to start at 7:00 AM local time.
Abu Hurairah, Head of the Eid al-Adha Committee at Istiqlal Mosque, stated that the animal sacrifices (qurban) would not be carried out on the same day as Eid.
One of the main reasons, he explained, was the massive crowd expected to attend.
“The slaughter of sacrificial animals at Istiqlal Mosque will be held on Saturday, not on the day of Eid al-Adha itself. Why? Because on Eid, the number of attendees is overwhelming—around 100,000 to 150,000 people,” said Abu Hurairah on Friday (June 6).
Sapi kurban di Masjid Istiqlal, Jakarta.
- VIVA.co.id/Foe Peace Simbolon
He stated that the decision to delay the sacrifice aims to streamline the process, particularly the distribution of meat.
Abu Hurairah also emphasized that the distribution of qurban meat is no longer done directly at the mosque. Instead, it is delivered to applicants who have previously submitted formal requests.
“We’ve received many proposals from orphanages, nursing homes, people with disabilities, mosques, prayer houses, religious study groups, universities, and others,” he explained.
For organizations known to the committee, the meat can be picked up directly from the mosque after coordination.
For others, the meat will be delivered to their location to avoid the crowd.
“With this method, we can ensure there will be no large crowds on Saturday,” he added.
As of now, the mosque has received around 60 cows for sacrifice.
