RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – Environmental messages resonated during the national commemoration of Isra' and Mi'raj at Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta on Wednesday, 15 January 2026. The messages linked those two events – where Muslims believe Prophet Muhammad journeyed in a single night from Mecca to Jerusalem and then to heaven – with environmental issues.

The event, organized by the country's Ministry of Religious Affairs, started with a recitation of the Islamic holy book of Qur'an, about Isra' and Mi'raj. Later agenda are largely filled with sermons, especially by the Minister of Environment, Hanif Faisol Nurrofiq.

He explained that the "surrounding blessings" in Islamic sacred places such as Mecca and Jerusalem, as described in the Qur'an, are not only spiritual blessings but also ecological blessings. He later quoted a Qur'anic verse explaining that humans are khalifah, or stewards on Earth, entrusted with the responsibility to manage the planet responsibly.

“The Earth does not belong to us; it is a trust from Allah - the Holiest and the Highest. Humans are the holders of that trust. Therefore, every drop of water we drink, every piece of land we step on, every forest we use is a trust. To damage it means to betray that trust itself. Humans are guardians of balance, or mizan," he said.

Indonesian Minister of Environment, Hanif Faisol Nurrofiq delivered a sermon on the Isra and Mi'raj National Commemoration at Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta on Wednesday, 15 January 2026. (Photo: YouTube/Istiqlal Mosque)

According to Hanif, Islam teaches that nature is not an inanimate object that can be treated arbitrarily, but rather God's creation that is entrusted to mankind. Therefore, Muslims need to adhere to a religious perspective that helps humans see nature not as an object of mere exploitation, but as a trust that must continue to be safeguarded.

"Islam rejects excessive exploitation. Islam asks us to consume in proportion. Islam requires that development truly pay attention to the environment’s carrying and absorptive capacity,” he continued.

Meanwhile, the country's Minister of Religious Affairs, Nasaruddin Umar, said that environmental messages are rarely linked to the meaning of the Isra' and Mi'raj. According to him, religious acts of worship should shape people to be just toward everything, including nature.

"Sholat, fasting, and remembrance of God should shape a just way of life, including justice toward nature. Because nature also has rights, just as humans have rights. The mandate of khalifah, according to ecological justice, means not being greedy in taking, not being careless in destruction, and not being indifferent to the impacts on future generations," he said.

Indonesian Minister of Religious Affairs, Nasaruddin Umar (center) and other people prayed on the Isra and Mi'raj National Commemoration at Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta on Wednesday, 15 January 2026. (Photo: YouTube/Istiqlal Mosque)

Umar, also the Grand Imam of Istiqlal Mosque, said spiritual purity must go hand in hand with ecological awareness. When ecological issues are conveyed through the language of faith, the message is more easily accepted and put into practice.

"Ecology finds its meaning when faith is not limited to words, but is present in behavior that preserves the earth as our shared home," he said.

Isra' and Mi'raj events are generally commemorated on the 27 Rajab in the Islamic calendar, although not all scholars agree on the date. This year, the Isra and Mi'raj commemoration at Istiqlal Mosque adopted the theme “Eco-Theological Messages in Isra' and Mi'raj,” highlighting the connection between the event and environmental issues.

Istiqlal Mosque is the largest mosque in Indonesia, and one of the largest in the world, with a total capacity of over 100,000 people. Built in the 1960s and 1970s over a former Dutch fort, it symbolizes Indonesia's independence from colonialism.