UNS – Taking the Food Resilience according to Islam in the COVID-19 Pandemic as a theme, Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta invited Dr. TGB. Muhammad Zainul Majdi in the Online Tarawih Recitation. The recitation broadcasted live through Zoom Meeting App and UNS YouTube channel is conducted on Thursday (7/5/2020) after Tarawih prayers. Before, UNS has conducted three similar events with different themes and speakers.
This event also aims to reduce the spread of COVID-19. More importantly, the government also issued an appeal that prayers are conducted at home. Therefore, UNS holds the online recitation that can be joined from home. Indonesia is facing COVID-19 which has disturbed some sectors, including food resilience.
Dr. TGB. Muhammad Zainul Majdi or better known as Tuan Guru Bajang conveyed that at the Rasulullah SAW. time, he created an alternative market that is used not to compete with the general market.
“Sales competition in the general market usually is greater and will bring profit to people with high purchasing power. The higher one’s purchasing power, the higher is the potential of buying the goods, which will affect the availability of the goods,” conveyed the former governor of NTB.
This is similar to Indonesia amid COVID-19. The government is overwhelmed to fulfill its citizen’s rights affected by the pandemic. Not solely in terms of financial aids, the community also has a role in food resilience.
“The people who have rice fields and vacant lands must be utilized as wise as possible. Aside from fulfilling their own needs, it can also be shared with their neighbors,” explained Tuan Guru Bajang.
Food resilience is highly correlated with natural resources. Day by day, the number of the population continues to increase, while the availability of vacant land is inversely proportional.
Food in Islam is something spiritual, it is not solely related to the biological aspect.
“The message of Islam in life is to present Nur. The implementation of Nur is Al-Madinatul Munawarah, a country that is a beacon and role model for humans. As contained in surah Al-Baqarah verse 201 so that Allah will always give goodness in this world and the hereafter,” he added.
In the framework of realizing a good in the world, Allah gave a guideline to humans so that life can go well so that the most important things in life can be fulfilled, one of which is food. Al-Quran pays great attention to the food resilience aspect. Allah has provided means of living for all people, earth has been granted the capacity to provide foods to the living creatures in it for all time. Islam also encourages us to utilize natural resources with our best efforts.
The last point conveyed by Tuan Guru Bajang is on sustainability.
“All that exists must be used wisely, not excessively, not exploited. Islam does not like a waste because it is against Al-Mizan or balance. Therefore, let’s use natural resources wisely to create food resilience for Indonesia,” Tuan Guru Bajang concluded. Humas UNS/Bayu
