Indonesians Seek Comfort in Prayer

Since losing 99 relatives to the tsunami, Muzakkir Mahmud has had no answer for his aching heart and a constant question from his 5-year-old grandson: Where are the bodies of my relatives?

For both, Mahmud sought refuge Friday at Baiturrahman Mosque.

“I wanted so much to come today,” said the 54-year-old government worker, who had stayed away from Friday prayers a week ago because the grounds at Baiturrahman, here in the capital of Aceh province, were strewn with bodies and debris.

But Friday, he walked to services clutching the hand of his grandson, Mahyarullah. And afterward, he said he felt some relief. Quoting the sermon, he said, “We come from God and we go back to God.”

Thousands of people here returned to their mosques Friday, many for the first time since the Dec. 26 calamity. And for a moment, it seemed a semblance of normality had returned. Yet in other ways, nothing was the same.

As worshipers spilled out of the mosque, familiar prayers filled the air. But accompanying them were the grinding and clanking of generators and bulldozers. The air was putrid, with piles of burning garbage dotting the area.

The droves of beggars usually near the gates of the mosque were absent. A lone young girl held out her hand.

Samsuni, 44, was back in his usual spot just outside the entrance, selling traditional hats. They were a little dirtier than usual, but Samsuni had the area all to himself and business was good.

From a distance, the mosque appeared as splendid as ever. But one of the five domes was peeling and its back gate was ripped asunder. The mosque’s library was still empty of books, and the water line was visible, about five feet high.

Inside, there were long cracks running from the floor to the ceiling. More than 1,000 men attended the service, slightly fewer than usual. But there appeared to be more outsiders.

Among them were a former prime minister and Indonesia’s army chief, Ryamizard Ryacudu. The four-star general said he hoped the disaster would provide an opportunity to make peace with separatists in Aceh who had been fighting the government for years.

Over the last two weeks, many people in the city of 300,000 spoke about the tsunami as a sign from God, some seeing it as a sort of punishment and others looking at it as a test of faith.

Murlaila was among a group of women gathered outside the mosque. She said she had come to fulfill her promise to God.

“I said that if I am saved from this disaster, I will pray at the mosque,” said the 45-year-old mother of two, who uses one name. She said the tragedy had reminded her that everything belonged to God. Yet she said she still struggled with her fears, among them that another disaster would strike the city.

“I am afraid to live in Banda Aceh,” she said.

Such sentiments worry Muslim Ibrahim, who delivered the sermon at Baiturrahman. “Yes, some of them lost their spirit. People are now asking, ‘Where is God?’ ” he said in an interview.

Others were letting rumors and their fears get the best of them, he said. Some have run from the city because they fear there will be aerial spraying to prevent disease. That is why his sermon focused on the need to be patient and active, and on the importance of unity.

“For the people,” he said, “if they have strong hope, they will not lose their balance.”