Universitas Indonesia (UI) through the Ukhuwah Islamiyah Mosque (MUI) provided assistance to 1,100 orphans from Depok City. The assistance was given in the form of a school equipment package consisting of books, stationery, and bags; as well as a toiletries package. The symbolism of providing assistance was held at the commemoration of the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad SAW 1445 Hijriah, which took place on Saturday (7/10), at the MUI UI Depok Campus.
The Chief Executive of the MUI UI, Achmad Solechan, M.Si., said that this event was the second year of the Prophet’s Birthday Celebration at UI which was held with orphans. This activity was supported by sponsors, some of whom are Unilever, FEB UI Alumni Bakti Foundation, Telkomsel Takwa Council, BSI Bank, Baznas, and Nusa Rasa. He hoped that this positive activity can continue so that the benefits can be felt by the community.
“The commemoration of the Prophet’s birthday is a form of our love for the Prophet Muhammad SAW. It is hoped that this event can improve our morals and we can follow the example of the Prophet Muhammad SAW, one of which is the teaching to love orphans. The younger siblings who are here, even though they have lost their beloved father, may they still be enthusiastic about learning and one day they can become part of the UI family,” said Achmad Solechan.
Az-Zahra Ambiya, one of the recipients of the compensation, expressed her gratitude to UI for the benefits she received. She said, “We will use this package for schools. Hopefully, UI’s doors will always be open and I can study at UI in the future.”
The commemoration of the Prophet’s birthday, entitled “Sharing Love, Spreading Smile”, presented Farhan Muhammadi, International MTQ Tahfiz and Tilawah Champion in Morocco in 2022, who opened the event by reciting verses from the Holy Qur’an. The event then continued with a sermon by the Deputy Secretary General of the Indonesian Ulema Council, Habib Ali Hasan Bahar, Lc., MA
According to Habib Ali, Mawlid must still be celebrated because the birth of the Prophet brought good news to the whole world. Moreover, Indonesia is the largest Muslim country with abundant natural wealth. He said, “As Indonesians, we must be grateful that we can hold recitations easily and that Islamic schools are everywhere. We should be grateful for this good condition considering that there are countries out there that are in crisis where its people are afraid to go to the mosque. Therefore, celebrating the Prophet’s birthday is a form of our gratitude to Allah SWT.”
Habib Ali added that another form of gratitude for a Muslim is to continue to increase knowledge about Islam. To support increasing Islamic knowledge within the UI environment, MUI plays a role in providing learning media for anyone who wants to deepen their knowledge of Islam. Several routine programs are held, namely the study after noon, study of Sufism, study of sirah nabawiyah, and recitation of the Holy Qur’an. In fact, every Friday, MUI holds a reading of the 30 juz of the Al-Quran from dawn to mid-afternoon as an effort to ground the holy verses in the UI campus environment.
