HOW DO THE JAVANESE in VILLAGE NGLARANGAN LET THE DECEASE GO?

CULTURE

One week ago, my grandmother passed away so I decided to go back hometown to pay respect on her. The following note is the things that are normally done in my village after the funeral. For information, we are homogenous Muslims living in a mountainous village in Java Indonesia. As Islam has been part of our life, the culture from the past has also influenced the way we live. As a young generation that has learnt Islam in a more academic way, I don’t say that now I am more puritan since all the things I saw for three days at my hometown were –whether I like or not- part of me as an indigenous person here.


My grandmother passed away around 9.30 pm (12 April 2018 – my birthday also fell on the same day). Like all other Muslims, her children took care of her funeral by the ritual starting from bathing, putting on fabric (kaffan), praying and sending her to the graveyard right after her death. All her children were there in the same village, so the procession ran quickly. For the decease whose children live far from their where about, the family usually waits for a day ( No more than that). In Islam, the funeral procession is very simple. There is no party, only a simple prayer to usher the decease into their final resting place. That night, my grandmother was buried in the grave right beside her husband, who passed away 30 years before.

I came the next afternoon at around 3 o’clock and immediately joined the congregation of female guests who came to aunt’s house sending prayers named Tahlilan and Reading Yaseen ( A chapter of Quran) for about thirty minutes. There were around 50 people gathering under the assembled roof hired for the event after the death. My father, uncles and the other male relatives went to the graveyard to read the same chapter (surah) and uttered prayers. Later at night, the male guest also came to pay a visit to my aunt’s house doing the similar thing as the female counterparts did in the afternoon, yet they didn’t read Yaseen. After the procession ended, the relatives usually stayed longer or some, even, spent the night.

This procession was done simultaneously for a week after the death day. On the 3rd day, there was slight different event occurred. The females were busy cooking from morning til afternoon. The simple foods were prepared such as fried tofu and tempe, noodles and coconut chicken soup. It was not exactly like a feast, but still could be considered as dining preparation. In the afternoon, I attended the males go to the graveyard and saw how they prayed there. A religious chief (mudin) was called to lead the prayers and for around thirty minutes we read Yaseen and uttered Tahlil around my grandmother’s grave. Once we got back at home, a full serving of foods have been laid out in the middle of the living room and the people sat circling the food.

The mudin led the prayer.  I noticed that a small perfumed stone (menyan) was burnt and pushed aside the mudin’s seating. While the prayers were chanted, the menyan was  in flame. This ritual is an important part of Javanese tradition that goes along with Islamic teachings. It’s been spoken , of course, that the stone will not bring any lucks to the villagers’ life  and believing in it is forbidden in Islam ( we have to believe in sole Allah) , yet the villagers seem to be reluctant in doing that. Menyan is an ornament that creates a sense of holiness on sacred ritual. After the prayers were done, the people began eating the food served.

The 3rd Day event is called Nelong Ndino (literally means The 3rd day). As a respect for the decease, the family usually gathers for more frequent prayers and accompanying that, foods always become important part. Another bigger event happens on the 7th day. This is a closing for all gatherings done. An Islamic scholar is invited to preach the people about the meaning of death and as it is done, the procession ends.

This ritual is very common in Javanese Islamic society. As this tribe is dubbed as the majority Islamic people, they also still carry the heritage of the past. In other parts of the Islamic world, this ritual might not be discovered. This is something local that differentiate us with the rest of the world. This also is used as a chance to sit together with the family members and tight a more close connection among them. Sons, daughter, in laws, grand children, cousins, nephews, nieces and other relative come together to share stories.

After the 7th day event ends, there are other events held to commemorate the decease; 40th day, 1st year until 3rd year. After it, the prayers for the decease are left to the hearth and mouth of the people who still remember them.