Sasak's unique traditions live on in Lombok

Sasak's unique traditions live on in Lombok

By Susi Andrini

LOMBOK (JP): Piyang in Lombok is home to a community of the
Sasak people, who practice their own traditions distinct from
their Balinese neighbors living a short distance across the sea.

The hamlet is part of Sengkol village, which has 115 families
totalling 580 members.

The tranquil village is situated in the valley of Mount Tawas
and cradled by the green hills of Tansang Angsang.

Lombok's Sasak, many of whom practice their own unorthodox
form of Islam, comprise a population of about two million.

Upon arriving at Sengkol, one is welcomed by a tourist guide
who speaks fluent English, Dutch, German or Italian.

Local children, with their sweet hellos and smiles, are a
pleasant sight. They usually ask for change -- "minta kepeng,
minta kepeng" (give me some coins) -- but visitors are advised to
ignore them.

A visit earlier this year to the village, reached with a bit
of hiking, came at the end of the harvest season. Women sat
around their house or slept, while others ate with their
families.

Sengkol resident Sarpan said the houses were called balai.

To enter the house, one has to climb a flight of stairs made
from clay and buffalo dung. While entering, heads are usually
bowed to show respect for the male head of the household. Roofs
are thatched from tall, coarse grass.

Houseowner Nurgama said the floor of clay and buffalo dung was
watered three or four times a week to maintain a smooth surface.

"The buffalo is a symbol of hard work," Nurgama said.

This animal represents the earnestness of a people who are
averse to laziness.

Each home consists of a small set of rooms -- the living room
and the bedroom for men, and a kitchen and bedroom for women,
linked by a staircase.

Tradition rules that married couples do not sleep in the same
bedroom. Exceptions are made for newlyweds or those who have yet
to be blessed with a child, or if couples desire more children.

Chores

Infants of both sexes must sleep with their mothers. When a
son reaches two years old, he moves to his father's bed.

At 12, he is not allowed to sleep in the balai any longer, but
must stay at the mosque or a prayer-house. If his father has
died, he returns home to be at his mother's side.

Sasak women must be adept at weaving. When wives are busy with
this task, husbands take care of household chores and the
children until the weaving has yielded a return. The weaving
usually takes as long as three to four months to complete.

Shawls are sold at between Rp 15,000 and Rp 30,000, and
sarongs for Rp 40,000 to Rp 80,000.

All families own a rice barn reaching three to four meters
high, enough to store 1,000 kilograms of unhulled rice.

A little less than 25 years ago, the Sengkol grew rice in the
woods, harvesting every five to six months.

Under the current Gogo Rancah rice-field program, harvesting
is once every three months. The field is later used for planting
maize or other crops.

Although the Sasak have different dialects, the people use the
uniform Sasak language for daily conversation.

For written script, the village elderly only know traditional
characters, Jejawan aksara, which is on its way to extinction.
Only a handful of people understand and use it today.

The average Sasak owns a short machete known as the kelewang.
Some also have the kris (curved double-bladed dagger) as well.

"We use the kelewang for our own protection. It is also used
to kill thieves and livestock," said Sarpan.

But the word for thief, maling, holds a double meaning for the
Sasak people.

Lonto, 70, describes the mamariq, or elopement tradition: "To
marry, Sasak men need to maling their wives-to-be."

Menfolk are required to memaling, literally steal, the women
they want to marry in a traditional ritual.

Lonto added that for Sasak men, "the tradition is both a test
of manhood and bravery. Those who are not able to uphold the
tradition are considered effeminate".

Memaling is usually done at night. The girl pretends to visit
the outdoor toilet, where her intended husband waits furtively to
take her away. The following day, the family of the groom will
visit the bride's parents to offer the proposal of marriage.

However, mamariq is only one of the several traditional steps
taken by the people of Sasak leading to marriage.

Others include the perondong (matchmaking), tapedait (arranged
marriage), atong diriq (the woman surrendering herself) and serah
diriq (the man surrendering himself).

Prayers

The Sasak claim to be adherents of Islam, but many believe in
Islam Waktu Telu, which advocates prayers only three times
instead of five daily. The tradition is particularly prevalent in
Senaru and Sengkol at the foot of Mount Rinjani.

The people of Senaru are farmers and believe they must pray
before they go to work in the fields to be blessed with good
harvests.

Senalu resident Sukrati, 30, said: "Praying three times means
to pray on Wednesdays, Friday nights and Sundays".

But a resident of the nearby village of Sigeroan, Helmi,
believed "it could also mean praying three times a day: at dawn,
sunset and an hour after that".

Helmi said the unique prayer practice was due to a
misunderstanding between locals and the propagator of Islam on
the island.

"A holy man named Sunan Prapen had spread Islamic teachings.
He taught locals to pray five times, but somehow it was
misinterpreted to mean three times."

The people also celebrate Islamic events like the birthday of
the Prophet Muhammad, annual celebrations of Idul Fitri, the
post-fasting holiday, and Idul Adha, the day of sacrifice

During the fasting month of Ramadhan, only a single village
representative or a traditional holy man actually fasts.

But not all Sasaks believe in Islam Waktu Telu. In the hamlet
of Karang Bayan, the mainstream teachings of Islam are followed.

Helmi, who has been on the haj pilgrimage to Mecca, is one of
the faithful. He said he embraced mainstream Islam in 1963.

An old and disused village mosque bears testimony to the
spread of Islam in Lombok. The building is made of wood, with
walls carved from bamboo and shielded by a thatched roof. Inside
there is a pulpit and a big drum. The mosque is still well
maintained.

The upholding of traditions gives its own unique color to
Lombok, even as the younger generation no longer follows the
practice of three-time prayers.

The Sasak show that more than just a waterway separates
Lombok's inhabitants with the celebrated Balinese. As the author
of East of Bali from Lombok to Timor, Kal Muller, once said: "You
can see Bali in Lombok but you can't see Lombok in Bali".