Rowah Wulan and Sampek Friday (Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara)

Ramadan is a special month. Like a grand and holy guest, Ramadan always enthusiastically welcomed by Muslims. Communities in different regions have different ways to greet him. The differences are influenced by social, cultural, and historical background that accompanies the community and, in particular, perceptions and expectations about the month of Ramadan itself. Because the process is going on since long and are hereditary, the formalization of these methods make it as a tradition.
One tradition of welcoming the month of Ramadan which is considered typical of the ceremony can be seen that done by those groups Wetu Telu Sasak in Lombok, Indonesia. Since a month before the month of Ramadan, followers of Wetu Telu held quarterly and sampek rowah Friday as a form of welcome and the breeding month of Ramadan, although adherents of Wetu Telu not fasted for a full month. Wulan Rowah held on the first day of Ramadhan while Sampek Friday on the last Friday of the month Sha'ban or called Friday closing.
Although adherents of Wetu Telu not fasted for a full month because of different interpretations of the month of Ramadan and also because of the influence of customs such as the habit of betel chew in the morning, afternoon, or evening, but when the fasting month ahead, they refrain from doing acts that prohibited in order to maintain the sanctity of Ramadan. Adherents Wetu Telu asked to postpone all ceremonies (rituals) individual transition (begawe) as nguringsang (cutting hair), nyunatang (circumcision), and ngawinang (marriage) because it would undermine the sanctity of the celebration of Ramadan. Even if there is one family member who died, his family held a funeral ceremony should be simple and suspend the post-death ceremony after the month of Ramadan.
In determining when the time of the ceremony, adherents Wetu Telu using neptu (traditional calculation). Neptu usage as a determinant of the implementation of the ceremony shows that each group has the means and the logic of its own when to perform the ceremony.

Posted in: lombok, traditional ceremony