Betawi Tempo Culture Dulu: Celangan Duit From Bambu To Naik Hajj

Home to the Betawi people's bamboo past. (Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - The role of Islam is so great for the lives of the Betawi people. In fact, since the Dutch colonial period. Every day the Betawi people prefer religious schools over formal schools. Therefore, many Betawi children understand the letters Hijaiyah better than Roman letters.

All religious orders take precedence. Naik haji terutama. Ketiduhan itu terlihat dari cara mereka menabung. Bamboo yang umumnya pagar dinding jadi medium menampung uang. Mereka tak takut termites. Ada ajiannya. Apa itu?

The admiration of the Betawi people in embracing Islam does not exist in the world. The practice of life ordered by religion was carried out. Even though they did not necessarily abandon the beliefs of their ancestors. After all, the negligence of the Betawi people of religion often disturbed the existence of the Dutch colonialists.

Emilah kuasa tak mampu menyebarkan agama demonstratan di tanah Betawi. Sepapus apapun upayanya. Orang Betawi tidak meninggalkan untuknya. Sebab, Islam seperti jalan hidup. Bahkan, semua macam ilmu dan tradisi Islam telah diwari orang Betawi turun-menur.

Islam became a place for them to learn. They organize religious education for children at home, violate it, and mosques. The situation did not change much when the Dutch colonial government perpetuated ethical politics in 1901. At that time formal schools for the natives began to grow.

However, religious education is still the main thing. In the morning formal schooling. In the afternoon studying religion. This routine makes most Betawi people understand more the letters Hijaiyah compared to Roman letters. Buya Hamka's famous cleric guarantees this.

"It's amazing for us to see how firmly the Betawi people embrace Islam. During the 350 years between the invaders (Netherlands) and the native nation (Betawi) it remains as 'nyak and water.' Even if they meet in a bottle, they are never united. The blow suffered by the Betawi people from the Netherlands as the colonized people is very severe.

Their houses consist of woven bamboo walls or rumbial roofs. Stay in check places. However, when time has come, dawn has begun to rise, sound the puppets down the halls of the village of the sound of the call to prayer. Hayya 'allal prayer hayya 'allal fault. So, from the halls of Betawi village that checked, people from the village came to prayer for the congregation. After that they read the raid: Laillahilallah," said Buya Hamka as quoted by Alwi Shahab in the book Robincor Betawi: Betawi Story Tempo Doeloe (2001).

The closeness of the Betawi people to Islam is not always considered enough with religious schools. Every Betawi Muslim must have a desire to fulfill the fifth Islamic harmony: the pilgrimage.

Worship on Hajj is considered a prestige for Betawi people. The cost is not cheap and the long journey is a musbab. Moreover, the ancient Hajj journey took a long time. When Suez Canal does not exist, the hajj journey can take half a year.

The dynamics made those who performed the pilgrimage feel that their social status and religious level were increasing. The excitement gives rise to a desire for some people in their environment to do the same thing.

The money issue issued is not a small number of problems. However, that does not mean it cannot be responded to. Betawi culturalist, Masykur Isnan said that it is not a Betawi person if you can't find a way out. Saving activities are considered a solution.

Instead of connecting to banks, the Betawi people, who generally lived in the Dutch era in the village, instead relied on unique ways to save. Generally, they save little by little their sustenance in the bamboo that is the wall of their house.

This effort is considered safer, rather than entrusting money to banks that incidentally regulated by the invaders. The tenacity and hard work of the Betawi people continued to make the implementation of the fifth Islamic harmony one step more real. If necessary, sell the land.

Betawi people understand that connecting bamboo invites the risk of money being eaten by termites. Betawi people have also prepared their protextal training. Maskur Isnan revealed that they have a study against termites - one of which - by smearing the outside of bamboo with cooking oil. The study proved successful. The proof is that many prospective pilgrims ah Hajj departing from Betawi land every year.

The tradition of saving or organizing was used to be done with bamboo media. Which, bamboo actually functions as part of the construction of the Betawi house building. The goal is to keep the money stored safe. Generally done by ensuring that the bamboo is in good condition and not moist. Furthermore, the bamboo chosen is a slightly high position.

In addition, there is some information to prevent termites developing in the Betawi people, there is bamboo which is lubricated on the outside with cooking oil or coconut so that termites refuse to enter. There are also those who put money in plastic first and then put it into bamboo," concluded Masykur Isnan when contacted by VOI, September 16, 2022.