Jakarta — The Grand Imam of Istiqlal Mosque and Rector of the Quranic Sciences University Jakarta, Prof. Dr. KH. Nasaruddin Umar, has expressed his strong support for President-elect Prabowo Subianto’s plan to provide free nutritious meals to students in schools. He believes this initiative will benefit not only students but also their parents.

“This program will help parents as well. We are very hopeful that after going through this nutrition program, we will see a generation of high-quality, intelligent individuals,” Nasaruddin stated.

He elaborated on the significance of various developmental stages in children, emphasizing that proper nutrition during critical periods is crucial for mental and physical development. He explained key stages such as the oral stage (0-1 year), anal stage (2-3 years), phallic stage (3-5 years), latency stage (5 years to puberty), and the genital stage (puberty to adulthood).

“How can we expect a smart generation if children lack the proper nutrition during their growth phases, especially during the phallic stage?” he remarked.

Nasaruddin is confident that the free nutritious meal program will improve the quality of Indonesia’s human resources.

“With this program, God willing, we can foresee that the quality of Indonesia’s citizens will improve, becoming more intelligent. Congratulations to Mr. Prabowo for creating such an Islamic and religious program,” he said.

He cited a Hadith from HR. Al-Hakim that highlights the importance of feeding the hungry: “Whoever is full while his neighbor is hungry is not one of us.” He also referred to the story of “Suffah” during the time of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), a place in the Prophet’s Mosque where the less fortunate muhajirin (migrants) were given nutritious food, including bread, dates, meat, and milk.

Nasaruddin believes that Prabowo’s initiative mirrors these Islamic teachings, promoting compassion and care for others, especially the vulnerable in society. (RR)