HARVEY, AUSTRALIA — When the holy month of Ramadan arrives, Muslims around the world flock to mosques to perform Tarawih prayers every night. However, according to a story shared by Dompet Dhuafa’s Dai Ambassadors in Australia, for a group of Indonesian Muslims living in Harvey, their journey to the mosque to perform Tarawih is not an easy one.
Harvey is a small town in Western Australia. It is located about 140 kilometers from Bunbury City, where the only mosque in Harvey is located. Every Ramadan night, Harvey’s Muslim residents have to make the long journey to Bunbury to perform Tarawih prayers.
This journey is not an easy one. The distance is long and it takes hours to get there. Even so, the spirit of Harvey’s Muslim residents to worship in the holy month of Ramadan did not fade at all. They are willing to travel long distances to be able to gather with other Muslims in the mosque.
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This distance and time constraint is actually not new to them. Since the beginning of their arrival in Australia, they have realized that worship facilities such as mosques are not as massive as in Indonesia. However, this is actually a motivation for them to be more active in worship.
The long journey to the mosque became a moment of togetherness for Harvey’s Muslim community. During the trip, they shared stories and experiences with each other. They also strengthen each other’s faith. This is proof that the spirit of togetherness and ukhuwah Islamiyah among them is well maintained, despite being far away from their homeland.
For them, the happiness they feel when they arrive at the mosque and can perform Tarawih prayers in congregation cannot be replaced by anything else. This is proof that their faith and enthusiasm for worship does not fade, despite being far from their homeland and being a minority in a foreign country.
Tama, one of the congregants from Aceh, also expressed his feelings to Dompet Dhuafa’s Dai Ambassador for the Australian assignment, Ustaz Arif Ahmad Fauzi.
“This journey is tiring, but when we get to the mosque and see our other brothers and sisters, all the tiredness disappears. This is our journey of faith,” said Tama.
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Although happy, the journey was not always smooth. There are many challenges and obstacles they must face. Starting from uncertain weather, transportation constraints, to physical fatigue from working all day. However, all of that did not dampen their spirit to perform Tarawih prayers.
This journey is a symbol of the struggle of Muslims to continue to worship properly in Kangaroo Country where Islam is a minority religion. It is a story of how faith can overcome all obstacles, and how togetherness can make everything easier.
Hopefully this story can be an inspiration for all of us, that whatever obstacles there are as long as we have strong faith and enthusiasm that never fades, then our steps will feel light. (Dompet Dhuafa)
Wednesday, March 13, 2024
Arif Ahmad Fauzi, Dompet Dhuafa Dai Ambassador