BEKAYAT is an age-old living tradition of Lombok’s indigenous Sasak people in which ancient Hindu scriptures written on palm leaves are read with a distinctive rhythm and tone, in the Sanskrit language, and orally translated.Lombok’s majority Moslem community has been familiar with the Sasak Bekayat tradition since the island was ruled by Balinese kings in the 18th century.
The readings, conducted through the night, usually relate the spiritual journey of The Prophet Muhammad and the introduction of Islam to Lombok. The stories typically include messages about the joy of life and how humans should live together.
The ancient readings take place on special occasions such as the Birthday of The Prophet and during rituals for circumcision, shaving babies’ heads, marriage and death.
“This tradition has existed since the Balinese Hindu kingdom ruled Lombok,” said Bekayat reader Amaq Mastur, 54, of Proa in Kebun Ayu village, Gerung, West Lombok.
“The tradition was once performed as a means of getting people to convert to Islam. The reading technique is strongly influenced by Hinduism.”
At major rituals such as circumcision and marriage, readings usually tell the stories of Nur, Yatim Mustafa and Badaruzzaman. The book of Kifayatul Muhtaj is read at the ritual of Isra ‘Mi’raj which commemorates The Prophet’s ascension to receive orders for prayers.
At major rituals such as circumcision and marriage, readings usually tell the stories of Nur, Yatim Mustafa and Badaruzzaman. The book of Kifayatul Muhtaj is read at the ritual of Isra ‘Mi’raj which commemorates The Prophet’s ascension to receive orders for prayers.
The book of Qurtubi Kasyful Gaibiyyah tells of the nature of death and how humans should die. The most popular story of Jati Swara Jati tells the tale of Sheikh Abdussamad and the development of Islam in south-eastern Indonesia.
A Bekayat reader must master a special technique in which distinctive tones originating from Java, Bali and Lombok are applied to selected terms being read. To ensure stable intonation throughout the night, readers must practice chanting to a formula.
The Bekayat tradition involves a display of ritualistic items including a belt made from yarn, yellow rice, flower water and black and white threads placed on a container named rereke. An arrangement of black and white fabrics symbolises that even the purest of men must have faults that can be corrected as they draw closer to God.
While some core Hindu elements of the tradition, such as the presentation of water to the reader, have been lost, the Sasak Bekayat ritual remains strong because of the important role of the reader.
One village may include four or five active readers who are dedicated to preserving ancestral traditions without thought of material gain. Amaq Mastur was a young farmer when he became a Bekayat reader decades ago, learning from his now deceased teacher Amaq Dimah
In any month, Amaq Mastur may be invited to read at three to five sometimes distant places which he visits with his translator Sarafuddin. During the months in which people celebrate the Birthday and Ascension of The Prophet, he may be called on to read almost every night.
“I travel to remote village in the middle of our forests,” he said. “Reading Bekayat is my life and I sincerely believe if we readers do not preserve our ancestral history, then who will?”
The dedicated reader urged young Lombok people to continue to preserve their traditions including Bekayat to retain the stories of their past.
source:enchanting-lomboksumbawa.com
0 comments:
Post a Comment