Welcoming the holy month

Welcoming the holy month

As the most populous Muslim country in the world, many
Indonesians welcome the Ramadhan holy month happily.

The Muslims living near the ancient Luar Batang mosque located
in North Jakarta are no exception.

The mosque was built by Habib Husin bin Abubakar Alaydrus in
1739. When he passed away, his remain were buried inside the
mosque.

Even though the mosque is well over 200 years old, many people
still use it to pray.

Just like other Muslims worldwide, many of the people in Luar
Batang diligently rise for sahur (predawn meal), wait patiently
until buka puasa (breaking the fast meal) and participate in
Tarawih mass prayers every single day of the fasting month, which
started on Nov. 6.

From toddlers to senior citizens, they greet Ramadhan in their
own ways but with the same goal: To properly observe their
religious obligations.

Text and photos by R. Berto Wedhatama