Wetu Telu Muslims celebrate Idul Fitri in Lombok

Panca Nugraha, The Jakarta Post, Mataram

The residents of Bayan village in West Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, have celebrated Lebaran Adat, or traditional Idul Fitri, at the historic Bayan Beleq mosque for centuries.

This year villagers busily prepared food for the Friday celebration at the house of Raden Gedarip, a cultural leader in Karang Salah hamlet.

Men made ancak, or bamboo sticks interwoven with banana leaves and filled with rice and dried foods, while women cooked at a separate location.

“We are celebrating the traditional Idul Fitri, which we call Selamet Lebaran Tinggi, today. This tradition has been passed down by the Bayan community through generations, especially among followers of the Wetutelu beliefs,” said Raden Gedarip on Friday.

The Bayan community also celebrates Idul Fitri like other Muslims. Gedarip said Idul Fitri is called Lebaran Agama, while Lebaran Adat is carried out to strengthen it.

What makes it unique is that religious and cultural leaders in Bayan also perform the Idul Fitri prayer during Lebaran Adat, three days after Idul Fitri. The ceremony is held at the historic mosque, believed to be the first mosque on the island, dating back to the arrival of Islam in the early 17th century.

“The Lebaran Tinggi celebration is held after the Idul Fitri and Friday prayers at the traditional leader’s house and the old mosque,” said Gedarip.

The atmosphere at the traditional leader’s house, called kampu, was as lively as that at the mosque. On the eve of Idul Fitri, as many as 44 traditional and religious elders stayed overnight at the mosque to recite the Koran and distribute fitrah, or tithes, to the poor.

After the ancak and food were prepared, about 10 people carried them to the Bayan Beleq mosque in the evening.

The Bayan community holds its historic customs in high esteem. They wear traditional clothing to enter the mosque. Religious elders wear white shirts, sarongs and a head band called udeng, and those following the ancak procession wear sarongs and udeng, leaving their chests bare.

The ancak were presented to the village elders, and then a traditional leader presided over the meal. The gathering then prayed together, asking for blessings and protection from God.

“We brought back the remaining food from the ancak to the kampu to be eaten together. We believe eating it will bring miracles to cure illnesses,” said a local villager, Budiyanto.

A cheerful atmosphere reigned during the feast at the kampu.

Budiyanto said many people from outside Bayan also came to fulfill their vows. Some had promised to visit the mosque if their businesses succeeded; others sought cures for their illnesses.

“You can believe it or not, but in reality many (cures) have turned out to be true,” he said.

The Bayan Beleq mosque is located some 80 kilometers north of Mataram.

Though the building is hundreds of years old, its shape and layout are preserved. The 10 meter by 10 meter mosque is made of wood, with woven bamboo walls, a thatched roof and a floor of bare earth. A 1.5-meter long drum sits inside the mosque.