The Islamic calendar starts in the year when Muhammad and his followers migrated from Mecca to Medina in an event called Hijrah, which occurred in 622 CE. The term can also mean changes to a better place or condition.
Speaking at the 1445 Islamic New Year Celebration at the Istiqlal Mosque here on Wednesday, transforming the hijrah value will help in realizing Indonesia as baldatun thayyibatun wa rabbun ghafuur, or a land where the kindness of nature and its inhabitants gather.
"Transforming the hijrah value means to replace the value, and there are two hijrah values, namely nafsiyah (spiritual) and amaliyah (behaviour)," Effendy stated, as observed via online means.
The coordinating minister said that realizing spiritual and behavioral hijrah can be achieved by muhasabah, or self-contemplation, and exerting effort to not do what Allah has prohibited.
By distancing oneself from anything forbidden by God, a Muslim is, by himself or herself, adhering to what God has instructed, he affirmed.
"If our one-time muhasabah greatly benefits us. Imagine if we were to utilize this momentum every year to perform our hijrah," Effendy emphasized.
He said that residents should self-introspect about their actions in their daily lives, including on their use of mobile gadgets every day.
"We can now hit anyone without our fist; just by a stroke of a button, we can destroy our brother's morale," the coordinating minister pointed out.
Effendy expressed hope that all individuals would transform their hijrah values to realize Indonesia as a country envisioned by the national founders.
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Translator: Sean Filo Muhamad, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Sri Haryati
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