On Sunday, 4 Jumaadal-Awwal 1431 A.H. (18 April 2010) an historic event for the Ummah of Islam occurred in Indonesia. At an Islamic market in the southern Jakarta suburb of Depok, the silver Daniq (1/6 Dirham) and the Nisfu Dirham (half dirham) were officially launched by the Murabitun Amir of Indonesia, Pak Hajj Zaim Saidi at a ceremony attended by the Mayor of Depok, Bapak Dr Ir Nurmahmudi Isma'il, the Chairman of the Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI), Depok, Prof. Dimyati Badruzzaman, the leader of Pesantren Babussalam in whose grounds the market was held, Kiyai Sanwari Ahmad, the Chief of Police of Depok, ABPK Sayidal Mursalin, the leader of Wakala Al Kautsar, K.H. Saifud-Din and dozens of Muslim elders and male and female students from the madrasah.
The significance of this event cannot be overstated. This is probably the first minting of the Daniq as an actual coin, (rather than as odd-shaped clippings from dirhams), in the history of the ummah of Islam. It is also probably the first production of Daniqs of any sort for hundreds of years. Not only does it facilitate standardisation of the weight and value of the Daniq, but it makes the use of silver as a currency unit accessible to the common people. For example 1 Daniq would pay for the cost of a lengthy angkot (mini bus) ride within Jakarta or an ojeg (motorbike) ride of about 2 kilometres. As these are both extremely common forms of transport in Indonesia there is now the potential of spreading the use of the Dinar and Dirham to the entire nation of over 240 million people.
The launch of the Daniq and Nisfu Dirham was extremely well received by the attending officials. The Mayor of Depok, Nurmahmudi Ismail, welcomed the positive effects of the introduction of the dinar-dirham to society and their use in trade transactions. The advantage of these Dinars & Dirhams is twofold. First, to save money without it losing its value and even increasing it. But this benefit is limited. Second, to transact, exchanging them in buying and selling and thus providing benefit,' he said. The Mayor expressed the hope that the use of the silver dirham coins would become so widespread that they freely circulated throughout the community. He also expressed the hope that in the near future local shopping complexes would become pilot projects for the use of the Dinar & Dirham.
Earlier in the proceedings, Prof. Dimyati Badruzzaman, Chairman of the Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI), Depok, gave a description of the verses of Qur'an that mention the Dinar and Dirham. He also stated that it has already become a commitment of the MUI of Depok to continue to socialize both these currencies of the Sunnah.
Even the Chief of Police, Bpk Sayidal Mursalin, spoke of the need to get back to using gold and silver coins saying they were the time-honoured, traditional form of coinage in Indonesia until the early 1900s.
The Market itself was very festive, attended by more than 20 traders from Depok and Sawangan. Hundreds of community members thronged the bazaar to shop using the various units of the Dirham coins. The small but useful Daniq coins proved so popular that the Wakala Al Kautsar kiosk had to replenish its stock of these coins several times from the Parent Wakala of Nusantara (WIN) established by Bapak Hajj Zaim Saidi, Amir of the Murabitun of Indonesia. Many of the visitors at the market were mustahik (people eligible to receive zakat) who had received a distribution of zakat in dirhams the previous afternoon, or early that morning. These were distributed by Baitul Mal Nusantara (another arm of the Amirate of Indonesia) and also by Dompet Dhuafa Republika, the largest Islamic charitable organisation in Indonesia. The total amount of Zakat distributed, amounted to 150 Dirhams (4,950,000 Rupiahs or about €400.)
This was the 7th Market Day Festival in Java organised by Wakala Induk Nusantara (WIN) in co-operation with JAWARA (Jaringan Wirausahawan dan Pengguna Dinar Dirham Nusantara/ Dinar Dirham Users Network). Plans are now under way to greatly increase the frequency of the markets. Encouraged by Sundays enthusiastic response to the Daniq and Nisfu Dirham we pray that Allah subhanahu wa taala, continue to grant us success in the task of firmly establishing the Dinar and Dirham once again as the currency of the Ummah of Islam.
Written by Abdalwasi McCormack
Mayor of Depok, Bapak Dr Ir Nurmahmudi Isma'il explains the benefits of the Dinar & Dirham at the Market Day Festival
Courtesy Republika Online TV : http://www.republika.co.id
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