Koran readings bring Lombok together

Koran readings bring Lombok together

By H. Bur Solihin

MATARAM (Antara): Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara is often known
as the "Island of 1,000 Mosques".

It could just as well be dubbed the "Land of 1,000 Torches"
during the final days of the Ramadhan fasting month.

Local mosques -- actually numbering around 4,500, along with
prayer houses -- are filled at night with the sounds of Koran
reading, starting after the evening tarawih prayers and ending
the following morning when it is time for the predawn meal.

Tadarus Al Qur'an, or recitation of Koran verses, has become a
tradition for marking Ramadhan here.

The recitations, known locally bederus by the Sasak community
in Lombok, date back many centuries. Unlike neighboring Hindu
Bali, the island's population is overwhelmingly Moslem.

Adolescents and elders organize the tadarus for faithful who
pack mosques and prayer houses.

It is especially encouraged during this special month when it
is important for Moslems to get closer to God.

On the 17th day of Ramadhan, the Prophet Muhammad received the
first revelations of the Koran, a date commemorated each year as
Nuzulu'l Qur'an.

Unlike harried urbanites trying to find time to pray in their
packed schedules, Lombok residents make the Koran readings into a
communal activity.

Fifteen to 20 people sit in a circle, with their legs crossed
and each holding a Koran. Everybody reads in turn. Others listen
in silence, but occasionally break in to provide corrections in
pronunciation.

From midnight to 1 a.m. participants partake of snacks
supplied by residents before resuming the readings.

Sessions, organized throughout Ramadhan, are broadcast to the
surrounding community by loudspeaker. About 15 complete sessions
of Koran recitations are held in the month.

These complete readings of the entire Koran -- which consists
of 6,236 ayat (verses) in 114 surah (letters) -- takes place
after the 20th on odd-dated days. The community calls the
tradition maleman.

The da'i, or religious teachers, remind all Moslems on these
dates to enhance their observance of spiritual duties.

These nights are special. Among them (the exact date is left
as a mystery to mortals) is the Lailatul Qadar, or the "night of
power", when Allah gives the most blessings and shows mercy to
all.

Torhes

Devotees believe it would be a loss to sleep the night away
instead of celebrating His teachings.

A few claim to have experienced the most holy night ("better
than a thousand months," says the Surah 97) citing the experience
of serenely cool winds or experiencing anew nature's greatness.

To welcome the coming of Lailatul Qadar, Lombok residents
light torches, or dilah jojor, around their homes.

These torches are to light the way for angels descending to
earth. They are led by Gabriel, the angel who first revealed the
Koran to the Prophet Muhammad.

Each house burns at least 25 to 30 torches made of cotton and
jarak fruit crushed into oil. These are mixed and attached to
wood or bamboo poles.

A. Amsiah, a resident who makes the torches, said the jarak
was hard to find these days.

"Ten years ago it was easy to get the raw material, because
nearly every front yard had a jarak tree. There are hardly any
now," the 50-year-old said.

"The raw materials of jarak, cotton and bamboo are gathered
before the month of Ramadhan because the torches are much sought
after on the odd-dated nights," he added.

Every year, he produces 900 to 1,000 pieces dilah jojor. He
sells them for just Rp 50 to Rp 100 each.

"It's enough for meals to break the fast and the predawn meal,
and to buy clothes for Lebaran," he said.

Lombok's respect for Ramadhan traditions is most evident when
the mosques are crowded during the evenings.

At the Raya At-Taqwa mosque in Mataram, no fewer than 5,000
people attend the tarawih prayer every night. Most are
adolescents.

At some mosques, the tarawih prayer can last for hours because
most Lombok inhabitants take the more arduous option of 23 rakaat
(parts of a prayer) instead of the 11.

"Only a few choose the 11 rakaat prayers," said H.M. Tubat,
head of the West Nusa Tenggara office of the Ministry of
Religious Affairs.

He said the West Nusa Tenggara community was known for being
pious, and never failed to welcome the fasting month with
enthusiasm.

"During this month, activities in the mosques go on for almost
24 hours. After the tarawih prayer, people seldom go home and
instead continue with the tadarus," he said.

Most villages here have one or two mosques which can
accommodate hundreds of people.

In Dasan Agung subdistrict in the heart of Mataram there are
20 mosques, a number which does not include the prayer houses.

The fact that magnificent mosques in the area have been built
with little help from the government is a point of pride for
locals.

Sacrifice

Mosques costing hundreds of millions of rupiah to build
received small contributions of Rp 2 million from the Ministry of
Religious Affairs.

"Local people are very conscious of the importance of
mosques," Tobat said. "They will wholeheartedly sacrifice their
land and wealth for the construction of mosques.

"They often say: 'It is all right if my house is ugly but the
mosque must be glorious'," said Tubat.

But this attitude has led West Nusa Tenggara Governor H.
Warsito to constantly issue reminders to the public, especially
during his Ramadhan "safari" visits, that sometimes their own
needs for a roof over their heads should be a priority.

He drew on Islamic teachings to get his point across.

"By building our own house, our life will be clean and
healthy. Moslems are advised to always be clean," Warsito said.