Free Lunch to Lodging, Istiqlal Mosque Preps 35 Public Services
Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta has rolled out a “Blessed Friday” program offering free lunch every Friday, while also preparing 35 free services covering education, health, social, sports, and religious consultation. The program, kicking off Friday (8/7/2026), is open to all worshippers and aims to turn Istiqlal into a mosque-based public service hub.
The Grand Imam of Istiqlal Mosque, who is also the Minister of Religious Affairs, Nasaruddin Umar, said the free lunch program will run regularly and is open to everyone regardless of gender. This initiative is a collaboration with the President’s Special Envoy for Youth Development and Arts Workers, Raffi Ahmad, and is expected to grow into a social solidarity movement.
Besides lunch, Istiqlal Mosque provides various other free facilities, like foreign language courses (English, Mandarin, Arabic, and more) with native speakers, a fitness center, futsal court, basketball, and table tennis, free lodging with a capacity of 70 beds, an ambulance, a library, and services for people with disabilities. These services are designed to meet the concrete needs of the community and expand the mosque's function from a ritual center to a space for service and empowerment.
Nasaruddin emphasized that this concept follows the example of the mosque’s role during the time of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as a center for various community activities. Istiqlal Mosque also opens its facilities to people of all faiths, with plans to develop programs like mass circumcision, martial arts training, and guidance for new converts. This initiative is hoped to become a model for other mosques in Indonesia in integrating worship functions with social services.
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