UNAIR NEWS – In order to gain good deeds in Ramadan and to anticipate the night of Lailatul Qodar, Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) held iktikaf activity (staying up at night to pray) in Ulul Azmi Mosque Campus C UNAIR from Thursday night, June 30 to Friday morning, June 31. If it used to be held in Nuruzzaman Mosque, Campus B UNAIR then for the first time it was held in Ulul Azmi Mosque.
Opened by Vice Rector III UNAIR Prof. Dr. Mohammad Amin Alamsyah, Ir., M.Si., the activity was participated by about 200 academicians of UNAIR, from high officials, lecturers and professors, students, staff and some locals live nearby.
In the iktikaf, there were sermons from two religious leaders. The first session was from Ustadz Prof. Dr. Ir. Abdullah Shahab, followed with Ustadz Drs. Mohammad Taufik AB for the second session. Past midnight, many prayers were done such as salat tasbih, salat hajad, salat tahajud, and salat witir. Then there was sahur time held on the first floor (ground floor) of Ulul Azmi Mosque and ended with salat Subuh.
In his address, Vice Rector III Universitas Airlangga Prof. Moh Amin Alamsyah said that the activity routinely held in Ramadan should be maintained. There are many benefits gained from it, besides improving good deeds in the glorious night, it also expands knowledge and strengthen our faith.
“We expect more knowledge and insight about Islam and then apply it in daily life,” said Prof. Moh Amin, a professor of Faculty of Fisheries and Marine (FPK) UNAIR.
In his sermon, Prof. Abdullah Shawab from ITS delivered a sermon themed “Spiritual dan Menggali Potensi Diri di Bulan Puasa”. He said that fasting in Ramadan has two main objectives, to make us pious and feel grateful.
”That’s the point of it, as we are pious the rest is done. The second one is to make us feel grateful as Allah has given us faith, health, delight and also feel grateful as we have the ability to feel that way. It seems trivial, but in reality many have had difficulties to feel it. Imagine, not being able to feel grateful,” said Prof. Abdullah Shahab.
While Ustadz M. Taufik AB explained about the meaning of Lailatul Qodar, or known as the most glorious night of thousand months. He also elaborated prayers recommended to recite in the last ten nights in Ramadan.
“To pray, an individual must be sincere so the prayers support the sincerity. The prayers were prayers of asking forgiveness and forgiving others, so our hearts will be clean. Allah will never gives Lailatul Qodar to someone with unclean hearts. Hence, the importance of prayers asking for stronger faith, forgiveness with sincerity,” said Ustadz Taufik. (*)
Author: Bambang Bes
