Muslims in Indonesia seem to be in a festive mood of Eid al Fitr, better known as Idul Fitri or Lebaran celebration.

The aura of the holiday spirit can now be felt in the Greater Jakarta areas where the normally congested streets are pleasantly deserted, and one can actually take a deep breath without inhaling a lungful of pollution.

Muslims in Indonesia, who account for nearly 90 percent of the countrys population, are celebrating Lebaran on July 25-26 this year.

During this time, the capital city of Jakarta reveals itself as a friendly city, with wide, tree-lined avenues where pedestrians can stroll on the pavements without the risk of being hit by a motorbike.

The prevailing custom of Lebaran in Indonesia is one of the largest temporary human migrations observed globally when workers return to their hometowns to celebrate with their families and relatives and to seek forgiveness from parents, in-laws, and other elders.

Such a mass exodus, or homecoming, is known in Indonesia as "mudik," which is an annual tradition wherein the people living in major cities, such as Greater Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, and elsewhere, travel to their hometowns to meet their relatives.

Early on Sunday morning, mosques in Jakarta and elsewhere were packed with thousands of worshipers performing Eid al Fitr prayers and then listen to sermons, focused on unity and integrity, goodness, social spirit, and many more positive things.

The Idul Fitri prayer service at the Istiqlal mosque in Jakarta was started at 7 am on Sunday with the presence of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), Vice President Jusuf Kalla, and other state officials.

Also present at the Idul Fitri prayer service at Southeast Asias largest mosque with the capacity of 120,000 people were also thousands of Muslims from all corners of the state capital city of Jakarta.

In his Idul Fitri sermon at Jakartas Istiqlal moaque, Prof. Quraish Shihab preached on "Idul Fitri and the Spirit of Strengthening the Unity and Integrity."

Quraish Shihab gave some advice on unity for Muslims both as individuals and in society.

"The unity of the human self consists of the spirit and the body. The unification of the soul and body makes the man intact so that there is no separation between faith and practice, neither feeling nor behavior, deeds with morality, idealism with reality, and these are all complementary parts," Shihab remarked.

In the meantime, Peoples Consultative Assembly (MPR) Vice Chairman Hidayat Nur Wahid in his Idul Fitri sermon at Nurul Hidayah Grand Moaque in Bintaro, South Jakarta, said all the goodness during the holy month of Ramadan must continue to be practiced, although the fasting month has ended.

Hidayat said that even though Ramadan is over, the relationship and efforts to spread goodness must continue to be done.

In East Kalimantan provincial city of Samarinda, Arifin Nurdin remarked in his sermon at the Al-Hijriah Baitullah mosque that the importance of social spirit in the society should be maintained.

"The meaning of fasting from the social side is that we have to help our relatives and neighbors who need help," Arifin Nurdin remarked in his Idul Fitri sermon.

He noted that after fasting for a month and able to resist temptations such as eating, drinking, lust, and patience in all things, the Muslims on this day of victory should celebrate it with joy and forgive each other.

Nurdin reminded that after Lebaran festivity is over, all Muslims must translate the meaning contained in Ramadan by increasing brotherhood to all people, feeding the hungry, helping others in need, and increasing faith and piety to God.

In addition, West Java Governor Ahmad Heryawan also said in his Idul Fitri sermon that diversity or differences is a gift from God Almighty, so it is necessary for the whole society to maintain harmony and tolerance.

"Diversity is a gift from God, and in the Quran it is explained that all nations and tribes must know each other," the West Java governor said during the Idul Fitri prayer service at Gasibu field in Bandung on Sunday.

According to him, Indonesia is a country that has a variety of ethnicity, tribes, religions, and languages, but all are wrapped in a concept of state ideology called Pancasila.

Indonesian society has often been reminded to maintain togetherness and to strengthen unity and integrity in building this nation regardless of different ethnic, religious, and racial backgrounds.

In building the nation and maintaining the unity and integrity, the racial, tribal, and group differences should not be raised for any reason.

Many leaders including the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) Chairman Oesman Sapta have said that all elements of society in Indonesia must participate and contribute in the development of the nation without differentiating the tribe, religion and class.

Tolerance and mutual respect in diversity, according to the DPD chairman, is Gods grace that can make Indonesia stronger.

In a press statement, Oesman Sapta remarked that to continue to debate over the differences will only make the Indonesian nation step backward instead of moving ahead.

"All elements of the Indonesian nation must maintain unity and integrity within the framework of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) without questioning the differences, and not be easily provoked by hoaxes that can damage the harmony and unity of the nation," Sapta remarked

Source: ANTARA