February 18, 2026 | 07:41 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Istiqlal Mosque will once again hold a series of routine activities during the holy month of Ramadan. Starting from breaking the fast together, tarawih prayers with international qaris, religious studies, and itikaf. "Insha Allah, we will have several routine activities," said the Grand Imam of Istiqlal, Nasaruddin Umar at the Istiqlal Mosque on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.
One of the main agendas is the tarawih prayers which begin with the recitation of international qaris. These qaris will take turns performing until the end of Ramadan. Then, the administrators will invite popular ulama and public figures known for their piety to speak.
Istiqlal is also preparing for the Nuzulul Quran commemoration involving MABIMS member countries, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, and Singapore. According to Nasaruddin, the Eid al-Fitr takbir is also planned to be carried out simultaneously and in harmony with the grand mosques in the capital cities of Southeast Asian countries.
Istiqlal also maintains the tradition of hosting large-scale communal iftars. On weekends, the amount of food provided for iftar increases to between 7,000 and 10,000 servings per day. While on regular days, around 4,000 to 5,000 worshipers receive boxed meals.
Other routine activities include the khatam al-Quran by female worshipers from morning until night. The last ten nights of Ramadan are also filled with itikaf which, according to Nasaruddin, is actually more crowded than tarawih. "On odd-numbered nights it is full up to the fifth floor," he said.
The series of itikaf starts with the night prayer, tasbih prayer, and joint contemplation and reflection. Then, the worshipers have suhoor together before performing the Fajr prayer and taking part in religious lectures and discussions.
Outside the Ramadan worship activities, Istiqlal continues its free educational program, such as English, Mandarin, Arabic, Persian, French, and Indonesian language courses for foreigners. There are even classes in Hebrew and Aramaic. Nasaruddin mentioned that the teachers are native speakers brought directly from the countries of these languages.
There are also activities for children, including a regular storytelling program that piques the interest of families.
The atmosphere of Ramadan this year is slightly different, as it is close to the Chinese New Year celebration. Nasaruddin mentioned that the Chinese New Year decorations in the area surrounding the mosque also contribute to the spirit of Ramadan, demonstrating religious tolerance. "This is a very good form of tolerance," he said.
Through these activities, Istiqlal reaffirms its position as not only a place of worship but also a center for social activities, education, and cross-cultural dialogue during the holy month.
Read: Ramadan Fasting: When Should You Recite Your Intention?
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