NAMATANG is a kind of affirmation for Moslem children who have learned to read the verses of Al Quran (the Koran) and an opportunity for parents t
o thank their children’s teachers.
o thank their children’s teachers.The tradition ofNamatang is one of many that takes place around the time of The Prophet’s birthday, this year in mid-February.
On Lombok the tradition begins with children considered to have finished studying The Koran gathering at the home of their teacher of religion before entering the courtyard of the village mosque. The children wear Arabic-style Moslem clothes including headdress and robes.
The children form a neat procession and walk around their village, followed by their parents and others, to the mosque. In some villages in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) the procession includes traditional local dance and music, played for example on the tambourine.
At the mosque, they are greeted possibly by hundreds who have gathered in honour of The Prophet’s birthday and to witness religious leaders testing their ability to read The Koran. While the children read verses, people in the mosque are served a platter of special birthday food named penamat.
Namatang is similar to the Arabic word khatam, which means complete, or from cover to cover, but it does not mean the end of studying The Koran.
“The Namatang procession is not the end of the children reading their holy books,” said Sahidun, a teacher of The Koran at Dasan Bakong community in Lembar, West Lombok. “The procession is just a way to confirm to the children that they have seriously studied The Koran until they are proficient. It is a form of gratitude.”
During the Namatang tradition, parents take their children to the home of their teacher of religion to offer gifts of thanks. In the Kebun Ayu community in Gerung, gifts often are a pandanus leaf mat, a pillow, a set of prayers, clothes, kitchen utensils, rice and money. In return for being treated well, the teacher delivers a mandate for religious knowledge.
Other traditions held in conjunction with The Prophet’s birthday includeNgurisan (ritual shaving of a baby’s hair) and circumcision.
source:enchanting-lomboksumbawa.com
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