Tuesday, April 21, 2020, the School of Strategic and Global Studies (SKSG) with the School of Environmental Sciences (SIL) held Tarhib Ramadhan 1441 H activities which have become an agenda every year when entering the month of Ramadan. But this time, the event must be carried out online because all Indonesian people need to work together to stay indoors to fight the Covid-19 pandemic that is sweeping across the world. The activity moderated by the Head of School Administration, Abidin Eko Priyono, aims to equip and increase faith in welcoming the month of Ramadan, as well as provide motivation to maximize the practice in the month of Ramadan.

The event was first opened with remarks from Athor Subroto, Ph.D. as Director of SKSG, he said that he was grateful to be able to continue to gather with the SKSG and SIL families on this occasion. Although circumstances make this meeting must be done via online, but he believes this does not reduce the sense of silahturahim of the SKSG and SIL big family. He also said that we all always need to express our gratitude to Allah SWT and send blessings to the Prophet Muhammad SAW. He also expressed his concern for the recent events that have occurred so that the things that can usually be done during the previous Ramadan are no longer the same this Ramadan, if we can usually gather at the Mosque together every Ramadan, then this year things are very different. However, he said that there is always a positive side that can be taken from every incident, namely that we can focus more on gathering with our families at home so that it is hoped that the rewards achieved will remain maximum.

After remarks from the SKSG leadership, the event continued with remarks delivered by Dr. Budhi Soesilo who is the Deputy Director of SIL. He expressed his concern with the current situation, but considering the events that had occurred at the time of the Companions of the Apostle there had also been a plague situation like this, in fact Islam has taught that when facing a plague we need to carry out quarantine. So from there, we all do not need to be discouraged because we are faced with this situation, we must still intend to worship so that hopefully we will be given multiple rewards for carrying out worship with sincerity. Then he also appealed to the entire SKSG and SIL big family not to need to go home because of the isolation process which takes a lot of time even though the leave time obtained is not much.

He did not forget to invite all of us to work hand in hand to help each other in order to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, because the dangers that threaten not only for ourselves but also for others so it is necessary to put aside the interests of our own passions but still stay at home to share with others.

So hopefully what has been predicted by the University of Indonesia and other parties from around the world that Covid-19 will end in November may be wrong and could be faster than these predictions because only Allah knows what will really happen.

He hopes that the entire SKSG and SIL family can remain in good health and can meet again with conditions and circumstances that are different from the current situation and hopefully the Indonesian people can get through the current pandemic well and safely. On behalf of himself and representing SIL, he also apologized physically and mentally for entering the month of Ramadan so that we could all enter the month of Ramadan in a holy state.

The main event was hosted by Kyai Dr. Nurwahidin, M.Ag., SKSG Lecturer, starting with a prayer together. He expressed his praise and gratitude for all the blessings given by Allah SWT in the midst of a very concerning situation at this time due to Covid-19. However, he believes that surely behind all these events, there is wisdom for all of us.

With the current provisions that need to be followed by all of us as citizens during the Covid-19 Pandemic, he hopes that we can all continue to do the practices of the holy month of Ramadan to become priests in our respective homes, as conveyed by Prof. Dr. Haji Abdul Malik Karim Amrullah, “Make the house as My heaven”.

What exactly is meant by Tarhib Ramadhan? Tarhib Ramadhan comes from Arabic which means welcoming with pleasure, joy, and happiness. Therefore, as Muslims we need to equally maximize our work under any circumstances, whenever, and wherever we are, we also still have to work hard, smart, watchful, old, quality, full of creativity, full of integrity and under the foundation of sincerity in order to maximize what Allah SWT has given us all.

Dengan adanya ketentuan-ketentuan saat ini yang perlu diikuti oleh kita semua sebagai warga negara di masa Pandemi Covid-19, beliau berharap agar kita semua dapat terus melakukan amalan-amalan di bulan suci Ramadhan untuk menjadi imam di rumah kita masing-masing, seperti yang disampaikan oleh Prof.

Beliau mengingatkan bahwa pada hakikatnya manusia terbuat dari tanah dan akan kembali ke tanah. Maka dalam Tarhib Ramadhan ini, kita sebagai manusia perlu mempersiapkan diri, terutama menjelang bulan suci Ramadhan. Sebagai umat muslim kita perlu mempersiapkan dan meningkatkan 5 I, yaitu: Iman, Ilmu, Ikhtiar, Ikhlas, Imun.

Selain itu beliau menyampaikan kembali apa yang pernah disampaikan oleh K.H Ma’ruf Amin, yaitu I 2 dan A 2 : Iman, dan Ilmu serta Aman dan Amin. Merujuk pada apa yang dilakukan oleh Rasul, yaitu Rasul tidak pernah meminta jabatan tetapi meminta ilmu kepada Allah SWT. Sehingga kita sebagai umatNya, manusia yang sangat banyak kekurangan perlu meningkatkan Iman dan Ilmu sehingga dapat meningkatkan rasa Aman dan Amin untuk selalu berdoa kepada Allah SWT.

Tahrib Ramadhan diakhiri dengan doa bersama yang dipimpin oleh Kyai Nurwahidin memohon agar Covid-19 segera berakhir dan kita semua terus diberikan kekuatan, kesehatan, ketabahan dan kesabaran oleh Allah SWT. Aamiin.