Hello Asean, how are you today ?, i hope everything is Ok.
As we know, in a few days Muslims around the world will welcome the month of Ramadan which is the religious month of Muslims. Of course in this month there are many things and also activities related to worship, especially in Islamic teachings, the month of Ramadan is a month full of blessings and a good month for all forms of practice and worship. Moreover, this month is a month full of forgiveness for those who seek forgiveness for their past sins.
Indonesia as a Muslim-majority country also has various customs and traditions both when welcoming the month of Ramadan and when carrying out worship in that month. This tradition sometimes becomes a habit that makes the month of Ramadan the most awaited and most special month in Indonesia. And this time I will explain some habits or things that are identical to the month of Ramadan in Indonesia, so listen carefully.
Dates are the identical and most sought after fruit during the month of Ramadan in Indonesia.
This fruit is the most sought after fruit when the month of Ramadan arrives. This fruit is usually eaten the first time at the time of breaking the fast, it has been explained and recommended in Islamic teachings. The date palm itself is a fruit that originally came from Saudi Arabia, where the fruit is only a few centimeters in size, slightly larger than a grape. Dates are usually reddish brown in color, dates are usually made into sweets and eaten when breaking the fast. Dates can also be processed into other forms of food such as jam, syrup, and even cakes. Because of this, dates are in great demand in Indonesia.
The sound of the Bedug ( Special drums in places of worship such as mosques and others ) which indicates the time of breaking the fast and entering the time of Imsak (Time which marks the end of the time for sahur, at dawn).
Bedug is a form of communication through sound which is usually used to signify something, usually to signify the change of prayer times. This object is made of cow or goat skin that has been dried. This tool is sounded by hitting the skin which is flexible and produces an echoing booming sound. The drum itself has been used since ancient times by the ancestors of the Indonesian people as a medium to communicate or gather people. In the month of Ramadan, usually in some places there will be the sound of Bedug when it is time to break the fast, usually at 18:30 and the sound of Bedug will be sounded again when entering Imsak time, which is the time that ends Sahur time and is followed by Fajr prayer, usually at 05:00.
Lots of food when breaking the fast.
It is undeniable that when breaking the fast is a time when all food and drinks taste good and delicious. Therefore, usually people in Indonesia provide various types of food on the dining table to be eaten together. Not only that, usually the food provided is also not for one meal, they will usually save it and eat it again at dawn. The foods that are mostly provided during iftar and sahur are soupy foods, fried foods, meat, rice which must be present at all times, and fruit for dessert. For breaking the fast, it is usually accompanied by a refreshing drink which is also included in the menu that must be on the table.
Tarawih and Tadarus in the mosque.
I will first explain a little about Tarawih and Tadarus. Tarawih is a prayer that is performed only during the month of Ramadan, which is performed at night after the Isha prayer which is performed up to 21 times with a pause every two times. Usually this prayer is performed at 20:30 and finishes at 22:00 or even later. While Tadarus is the recitation of the holy Al-Quran which is carried out alternately starting after the tarawih prayer until the time for sahur comes at dawn around 04:00. Usually every place of worship such as a mosque will hear the sound of reading the holy Al-Qur'an at night until dawn, and this atmosphere is only found in the month of Ramadan.
The day is very quiet like at night
During the month of Ramadan, the atmosphere in the city during the day is very quiet, there are not many vehicles passing by, and most shops and restaurants are closed. Usually restaurants and food providers will start operating in the afternoon. This is indeed natural considering that on a hot day and in a state of fasting, they do not want or are reluctant to heat up, because the weather during the day in Indonesia is around 27⁰C which is quite a hot day. Many shops and stalls are also closed, this is also the reason why the streets are quiet during the day. Unlike at night, people will be more crowded at night and shops, kiosks, and others will be open longer at night.
Those are some things that are very identical to the month of Ramadan in Indonesia, these things are also widely seen when it is entering the month of Ramadan and I'm sure every country has its own uniqueness when welcoming the month of Ramadan. Hope you like it, and see you in another post.