Style Guide

THERE is no need for the public to fuss over whether it is permitted or not to recite the Qur'an in a Javanese style. This matter is trivialor furu, to borrow a term from Islamic law. This squabbling is a waste of energy. There are many other problems faced by this nation.

The fuss started when Muhammad Yasser Arafat recited the An-Najim lines 1-15 of the Qur'an in mid-May. The reading by the lecturer from the Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta State Islamic University, which sounded like the chanting characteristic of a wayang Javanese puppet performance, sparked controversy because the way of reciting the Qur'an is not simply a way conveying the holy message. This is even more true if it is done during an official state function, which was the marking of the Isra Miraj holiday at the State Palace in Jakarta.

June 2, 2015