AMuslima Inspiring Action: Shared Prayer Clothes and Hijab

Last year aMuslima sucessfully distributed staple foods and school supplies in the villages of Kedungsari, Yogyakarta and Mangunsoko, in slopes of Mount Merapi Magelang Central Java Indonesia. In Ramadan 2017, aMuslima distributed prayer clothes and hijab to the same villages. We chose to donate to the same villages due to they still need our support to strengthening their aqidah. Aid and support from Muslims outside of the villages would be helpful to religious leaders when spreading awareness of Islam in the villages.

In Slopes of Mount Merapi, Central Java

Hamlets in the Dukun Sub-district in Magelang, located on the slopes of Mount Merapi have a small population of young Muslim generations. There is a hamlet consisting of Muslims with 23 families, some with only 7 families. Even in one of the hamlets there is only 1 child still sitting in grade 1 primary school. Ustadz Zulkarnain, together with his wife and 4 young ustadz have helped strengthen their Islamic faith by reviving the mosque, such as encouraging them to pray in congregation, teaching them how to recite the Quran as well as gaining understanding of the messages in the Quran.

The aMuslima team had donated women prayer clothes, hijab, and sarongs for both children and adults to District Dukun Magelang on May 24th 2017. Our team arrived at the location just in time for Duhr prayer.  Zulkarnain who was still in the Abdurrahman Ihsan mosque immediately headed to his house which was not far from the location of the mosque after leading the dhuhur prayer congregation. The division plan, which was originally scheduled for the morning at 8:00 am had to be delayed to the afternoon due to construction in some road.

Ustadz Zulkarnain with his wife
Ustadz Zulkarnain with his wife and two other ustadz

With the help of young ustadz and local residents, all packages of prayer attire from aMuslima donators were immediately picked up from the car to the house of Zulkarnain. Considering there were still many pilgrims staying in the mosque of Abdurrahman Ihsan, we immediately distributed packages containing prayer clothes and hijab. The warm welcome from the villagers who received their Ramadan gifts in the form of prayer clothes and hijab were clearly shown by their smiles and laughter. Our donations were kindly appreciated and received with thanks from the villagers. In fact there were among those who could not wait to open the bag with their gifts as they were excited to try on the hijab that we donated.

They gathered in the mosque
They gathered in the mosque

 

Distribution of prayer clothes, hijab in a few hamlet
Distribution of prayer clothes and hijab in a few hamlet

Not all packages were donated on that day considering the time and distance of the location of each hamlet. Zulkarnain and the team distributed the donations in a few mosques and one of local houses. A total of 150 prayer clothes and adults’ hijab, 46 children’s hijabs as welll as 45 adult sarongs and 5 child sarongs were distributed to residents of Dukun Sub-district from donators of aMuslima. The prayer clothes and hijab were distributed before Ramadan which hopefully could be worn for their Taraweh prayers. On the same day, the aMuslima team had also dropped Ramadan packages to the Village Kedungsari in District Pengasih Kulonprogo in Yogyakarta.

Children of sub-district Dukun
Children of Dukun Sub-district

Kedungsari Village, Yogyakarta

At 15.00 local time, 4th of June, people were invited for Iftar at An Namiroh Mosque located near Kedungsari Village Hall. Approximately 500 people were expected to attend this event including some officials and local religious leaders such as Sub-district head Pengasih, Santoso; Compassionate Chief of Staff, Kuswanto; Chairman of Branch of Muhammadiyah (Islam organization), Palupi Basuki; Chairman of Nadhatul Ulama branch (Islam organization), Sudarman; The Head of Pengasih Village, Sabingin; And the Deputy of the Compassionate, the Chief of the Islamic Religious Counselor (P2A). While aMuslima represented one of donators, Ginus Partadiredja.

Sub-district leader Pengasih Santoso, in his speech mentioned that Muslims in Kedungsari need more attention. Santoso hoped for sacrificial aid, assistance to maintain cleanliness in mosques, and facilities for Quran classes in Kedungsari Village.

aMuslima donors representative (right)
Chairman and local leaders. aMuslima donors representative (with blue batik)

Meanwhile, Partadiredja had a chance to meet with the residents of Kedungsari and also greeted by the donors aMuslima. Partadiredja also advised with the distribution of prayer clothes, hijab, and sarong can increase the spirit of Kedungsari residents to be more diligent with their Salah because the 5 mandatory prayer is one of the pillars of Islam. According to the coordinator of the distribution of the donations from aMuslima, Wagiman Kastawiyana, apparently preparation of the package distribution from aMuslima donators could take up to 2 weeks. Kastawiyana did not work alone, approximately 27 local people helped to make the ninth distribution of this village more accessible to Kedungsari Village community.

Kastawiyana (red batik) with the whole team
Kastawiyana (2nd from left, last row) with his team

A total of 270 packages of adult prayer clothing and hijabs , 90 child hijabs, as well as subsequent donations outside the package such as the 65 adult sarongs and 45 child sarongs. Additional donations of aMuslima outside the package also exist in the form staple food donations, consisting of 500 boxed meals. Kastawiyana also hoped the distribution of these donations will strengthen the Islamic faith of these villagers.

Received the package
Received the package

 

The children also received hijab and sarong
The children also received hijab for girls and sarong for boys

This Ramadan program held by aMuslima for the second time received positive results. Although only less than 2 weeks to raise the fund, the donations have managed to raise up to Indonesian Rp 56.810.600 (US$4273). The money is used for buying prayer clothes, adult hijab, girl hijab, and operational cost for Dukun Sub-district, Kedungsari village, and aMuslima. While the funds collected outside the package amounted to Rp 2,500,000 (US$ 188) for the purchase of 100 sheets of adult and child sarongs and a follow-up donation of Rp 3,000,000 (US$ 226) for the purchase of another 60 adult sarongs. In total we distributed 420 set of prayer clothes/hijab, 136 girls hijab, and outside the package were 160 sarong for both adult and children.

Many thanks to the donators of aMuslima who have took their time to donate and to spread the joy of the Ramadan month to these villages in Indonesia. Hopefully this act of kindness would strengthen the Islamic faith of the villagers not only in the month of Ramadan alone.

Taqabalallahu minna wa minkum. Ramadan Mubarak!

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