The holy month of Ramadan is a special month for Muslims. Apart from abundant rewards and blessings, there will always be unique traditions that only exist in the month of Ramadan, such as the tradition of waking up for sahur. Even though there are alarms to wake up for sahur and technology is increasingly advanced, the traditions of the month of Ramadan are still being preserved.
Every country has a unique tradition of how to wake up for sahur which has been passed down from generation to generation for hundreds of years, including Indonesia. A group of people on duty will go around carrying musical instruments and sinden to wake up for sahur. In fact, every region in Indonesia has its own traditions. If you are abroad, what is the tradition of waking up for sahur?
1. Palestine-Palestine
Mesaharati in Bahrain/ Photo: REUTERS/HAMAD I MOHAMMED
Mesaharati is a tradition of waking up for sahur that originated from the Machines centuries ago. Cities that were once controlled by Egypt still maintain this tradition, such as Bahrain and Gaza.
Summarizing from Detik News, in Bahrain a group of residents called Maseharati will wake up at dawn wearing traditional clothing, beat drums while singing religious songs and knock on every door of residents' houses. Not much different, in the Palestinian Gaza Strip Mesaharati also remains a tradition of waking up for sahur and residents will eat sahur together next to the house as reported by CNN Indonesia.
2. Cannon Shooting-Morocco
Shooting Cannons in Morocco/Photo: blondieinmorocco.com
Another unique tradition also occurs in Morocco every month of Ramadan. Reporting from Blondie In Morocco, cannon fire will often be heard at dawn and breaking the fast. The first cannon was fired as a sign of breaking the fast, then the next cannon was fired in the early morning, around 4 am and the time for the morning prayer call to prayer and also to wake up the people for sahur. Then there is another cannon firing which indicates that the time for sahur is over.
Apart from that, there is a Nafar or city guard wearing traditional robes and shoes who will go around waking up for sahur by sounding the horn and shouting. This unique tradition in Morocco will add to the atmosphere in the month of Ramadan.
3. Beating Davul-Türkiye
Beating Davul in Türkiye/Photo: Pinterest/Pravda
Traditions in Türkiye have been around for hundreds of years and are still being preserved. Reporting from Culture Trip, more than 2000 drummers will roam the streets of Turkey wearing traditional clothes beating the Davul (a double-sided drum) to wake up people who will be fasting.
The Davul musicians rely on the generosity of residents who give them tips and even share a meal at dawn together. People believe that when they give a lot, they will receive good fortune for their kindness.
Turkish officials also provided membership cards for Davul musicians with the aim of giving appreciation and encouraging the younger generation to continue preserving traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation.
4. Seheriwalas-India
Seheriwalas in India/Photo: thequint.com
Summarizing from Culture Trip, Seheriwalas is a Muslim tradition during the holy month of Ramadan in several parts of Old Delhi, India which has a high Muslim population. The seheriwala will walk through the city chanting the names of Allah and the Prophet as a warning for sahur, they will go around from 02.30 in the morning and knock on doors and walls of houses using sticks. This tradition has begun to decline in India, but there are still those who are still trying to preserve it today.
Wow, it turns out there are so many different traditions for waking up for sahur from each country. Maybe in Indonesia there are also some differences from the tradition of waking up for sahur, what about where you live?
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(dmh/dmh)