People in Kudus live in religious harmony
By Wahyuni Kamah
KUDUS, Central Java (JP): After a bit of bargaining, a pedicab driver finally agreed to take me to Kudus Tower from the town square for Rp 4,000. Becak (pedicab) is the main mode of transport in this small town, 55 kilometers east of the Central Java capital Semarang.
Despite the heat, the town was lively. Though Kudus was once at the forefront of the spread of Islam, now the town is home to people of all religions.
During the fasting month of Ramadhan, not all of the residents fast. Some small restaurants remain open during the day and people can be seen eating and drinking. However, approaching Kudus Tower -- the town's mascot -- the nuances of Islamic life are apparent. Some sarong-clad students of an Islamic boarding school walk past carrying the Koran, while kiosks selling cloth, perfumes, books and dates stand along the road leading to the gate of a mosque.
Kudus Tower and Al Aqsa Mosque, or Kudus Mosque, attract many visitors because of their historical values; they are symbols of the past Islamic glory and harmony in Java.
Of all the city names in Indonesia, perhaps only Kudus is Arabic in origin. It stems from al quds, which means holy. According to legend, Kudus was named after Al Quds (the ancient name for what is now Jerusalem).
While Jafar Shodiq, later called Sunan Kudus, one of the Wali Songo -- the nine Islamic saints that disseminated Islam -- was studying in Mecca, an epidemic broke out there. He successfully freed the people and the area from the disease. Jafar was offered a reward by the emir (head of the government) for his deed, but he modestly refused it. Instead, he asked for a piece of rock from Baital Maqdis (Jerusalem). When he returned to Java, he took the rock with him. In 1549, Jafar founded Kudus Mosque and fastened the rock in its mihrab, a niche in the mosque wall facing Mecca.
The mosque was named Al Aqsa after Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. In 1919 the mosque was repaired and expanded. The present veranda was added during the expansion. Its domed roof resembles the Dome of Rock, one of the Muslims' holy shrines in Jerusalem. Moreover, whether it is a coincidence or not, 18 kilometers to the north of Al Aqsa Mosque in Kudus stands Mt. Muria, while to the north of Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem stands a mountain with a similar name, Mt. Moriah.
Tolerant
Sunan Kudus was a well-known thinker and tolerant scholar. In spreading Islam in the once Hindu dominated area of North Java, Sunan Kudus did not want to alienate the locals and this was expressed in his tower's architecture.
At first glance, the extraordinary Kudus Tower does not appear to be the tower of a mosque because of its Hindu architecture. The bedug (big drum) was placed on the top level of this earthen concrete brick tower, where it was beaten to call the people to prayer.
This elegant old tower, according to Dutch historian Krom, was built in the beginning of 16th century at the latest. The peak of the tower is not the original, which was destroyed in 1947. The distinction is in the decorations on the walls of the tower, where ceramic plates are inserted. These decorations are characteristic of the early mosque in Java.
In his lifetime, Sunan Kudus, who also founded Kudus, banned his Muslim followers from slaughtering cows and eating their flesh out of respect for the Hindus, who believe the cow is a holy animal. This tradition continues today. It is extremely difficult to find beef in the city, and restaurants and food vendors mainly serve buffalo or chicken.
The indigenous and Chinese-Indonesian residents seem to live harmoniously in this town, as witnessed by the several small churches found about town.
During Ramadhan Al Aqsa Mosque is crowded. People young and old come to pray and recite the Koran. The mosque compound also includes the graves of Sunan Kudus and many of his followers.
"Except during the fasting month, hundreds of Muslim pilgrims from all over Java crowd around the tomb every day. You cannot even approach his tomb in the peak season," the tomb's caretaker, said. The pilgrims come to pray to this saint and scholar or to seek his blessings.
Cigarette
When people mention Kudus now, it usually brings to mind cigarettes. The town has also produced many leading businesspeople, including Noto Semito, a Javanese businessman who invented rokok kretek (clove flavored cigarettes) and pioneered the cigarette industry in Kudus in the early 1900s. He is known as the Father of Kretek.
The history of the cigarette industry in Kudus is documented at the Museum Kretek in dioramas and various objects, such as old packs of Kudus-made cigarettes and the instruments used to produce the cigarettes.
Four large cigarette companies are currently located in the town, putting money into the Kudus economy.
"Kudus is the biggest tobacco tax payer in Indonesia," the museum's guide, Abu, said. "As a result of its ever-growing industry, most of its residents are employed."