Chairman of Parisadha Buddha Dharma Niciren Syosyu Indonesia (NSI), Maha Pandita Utama (MPU) Suhadi Sendjaja responded to the polemic of Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas about Toa and Dog Barking. What the Minister said according to him was the self-existence of Yaqut as Minister of all religions along with Islam and all its people.
“The Minister of Foreign Affairs has no intention of equating the sound of the azan with the sound of the Barking of dogs, because the Minister is talking about a noise if it is not arranged” Clearly Chairman of Parisadha Buddha Dharma Niciren Syosyu Indonesia (NSI), Maha Pandita Utama (MPU) Suhadi Sendjaja to the editor of kliksaja (25/02/2022).
The response he conveyed was related to the polemic of the statement of Minister of Religious Affairs (Minister of Religious Affairs) Yaqut Cholil Qoumas (Gus Yaqut) regarding the parable of the sound of the azan with the barking of dogs.
MPU Suhadi Sanjaja argues that the azan is a beautiful voice of invitation and praise, so it must be chanted in a harmonious and orderly voice. Therefore, what is conveyed by the Minister of Trade is actually wanting to assert about the majesty of Islam with the voice of the adhan.
“The Minister wants the majesty of Islam, the great sound of the azan well-heard and it must be chanted, chanted with a shahdu chant, the volume is not too loud, so that it can be heard as a symphony that is harmonious and soothing sanubari”. Added MPU Suhadi Sandjaja.
MPU Suhadi said, if the azan is chanted regularly and beautifully will feel more majesty than the sound of the azan.
What was conveyed by the Minister of Trade according to MPU Suhadi is a form of saying from the Minister of Trade to Muslims and also to all other religious people in Indonesia.
“The Minister of Religious Affairs is very dear to Islam and his people and also dear to all religious people in Indonesia, so he wants to be able to protect all religious people in Indonesia as a whole and fairly.
“The statement arose from the intention to realize his behavior as Minister of all religions.” Obviously MPU Suhadi Sandjaja.
Unintentional
Regarding the polemic of dog barking, MPU Suhadi defended the Minister of Religious Affairs that the Statement of the Minister of Religious Affairs was unintentional.
“Because you want to compare with the sound moreover for the noise? The sound of the dog is indeed noisy, irregular and unruly, in contrast to the sound of the azan that can and needs to be arranged so that it becomes a soothing voice of call and praise, electrifying sanubari, in accordance with its meaning as the voice of call and the voice of the majesty of the Religion of Islam.
“I mean the intention of the Minister of Trade is to convey that the sound of the azan is not the same and cannot be equated with the sound of a dog gong, because the sound of the azan is the sound of call and praise so it must be arranged and regular volume, tone and mood. Instead, the Minister wants to moderate the majesty of this azan to its true nature.” MPU Suhadi Sandjaja said.
“The appeal of the Minister of Religious Affairs should inspire us (all religious people) when chanting religious voices, so that all who listen to it (although different religions) will feel cool, comfortable, peaceful, also enjoy and feel its majesty”. MPU Suhadi Sendjaja explained to the editor of kliksaja.
Polemic of Adzan
As is known with Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas delivered a statement that invited controversy in the community, related to the new rules he anointed, namely on the rules for the use of loudspeakers in mosques and mushalla.
Initially Gus Yaqut said that the purpose of SE Rule No. 5 of 2022, which regulates the time and volume of the use of loudspeakers before and after the prayer was to maintain harmony between religious people.
“This circular was issued with the aim that no other religious people are disturbed,” gus Yaqut said during a visit to Pekanbaru, Riau on Wednesday (23/2).
According to him, loudspeakers can still be used by Muslims to worship as long as they do not interfere with the comfort of other religious people. “It is regulated how the volume should not be hard, a maximum of 100 decibels. There’s no ban. This rule is made solely to make society more harmonious,” he said.
Gus Yaqut said the guidelines he made were aimed at increasing benefits and reducing the unsannable.
Dog Barking
He said in Indonesia with a muslim majority, there are many mosques near the distance. “We imagine, I’m Muslim, I live in a non-Muslim neighborhood, then their house of worship rings the toa five times loudly at the same time, that’s how it feels?” he said.
Even Yaqut exemplifies the condition like a Muslim who lives in the non-Muslim majority and hears the sound of dogs sling around the house.
“For example, suppose our neighbor, left right back and back, for example, barking at the same time, we are disturbed no? This means that all the voices must be arranged so as not to become a disturbance,” gus Yaqut said.
Therefore, he emphasized that loudspeakers in mosques and musala can be used, but arranged so that no one feels disturbed. “We have to respect those who are different from us. Support for this is also a lot,” Yaqut said.
