Skaten - Acculturation of Islamic values with Local Culture ~ Indonesian Tourism

Sekaten-which is usually celebrated by most of the people of Yogyakarta and Surakarta - is a series of celebration activities Birthday of Prophet Muhammad which was held by Ngayogyakarta Sultanate Sultanate Palace, or Kraton Surakarta Kasunanan with government and local communities. Various forms of events and activities held in celebration Sekaten-diverse varieties and colors change over time-from the nature of religious ritual to the local tradition of art appreciation to exhibitions and fairs. Local culture and modern culture as if melted in the same time the momentum sekaten.

To determine the origin of each year sekaten held by two palace, we must menulusurinya from Demak era. This kingdom is the first Islamic kingdom in Java that stood after the Majapahit collapsed in the Saka year 1400 or 1478 AD. Commemorated by the collapse of Majapahit candrasengkala "Sirna Kertaning Missing Earth". The end of the Majapahit Empire also means ending the Hindu kingdom in Java, under the reign of King Brawijaya V. The first king of Demak was the title of Raden Patah Sultan Petty Officer.

As the King of Islam, Raden Patah always working to advance the Islamic religion tersiarnya throughout the kingdom. Sultan NCO is always thinking about how to the Islamic religion can shine all over the country, and how the people who have embraced the Hindu religion it would insyaf and believe the truth of Islamic teachings.

For the sake of these ideals, Raden Patah finally held a meeting with the trustees of nine, among them the Sunan Ampel, Sunan Gresik, Sunan Giri, Sunan Bonang, Sunan Kudus, Sunan Muria, Sunan Kalijaga, Sunan Drajat, and Sunan Gunung Jati. The meeting discussed ways to broadcast Islam in Java. Sunan Kalijaga broadcasters have suggestions about Islam to be accepted by the society since ancient Hinduism. Sunan Kalijaga proposal is to allow permanent implementation of custom or procedure in the Hindu religion, but it entered the Islamic subjects, such as:

1) Semedi
Meditation in the Hindu religion has a purpose to worship the gods. Because Islam does not
recognize the gods, then replaced with the worship of Allah SWT with prayer.

2) Offerings
Offerings according to the Hindu religion has a purpose to give food to the gods and demons,
to conform with Islamic teachings replaced by nature due to the poor.

3) Crowds
In the Hindu religion has a purpose of saluting the crowd to the gods, saluting the crowd
substituted-day Islamic holiday.

Because people like the Javanese gamelan, and the Islamic feast day of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, the mosque should also be held in gamelan percussion, so that people interested. If you've assembled and then given a lesson about Islam. And for this purpose, the trustees created a set of gamelan Kyai called Sekati.

The proposal from Sunan Kalijaga, agreed by the other guardians and Raden Patah, the day of birth of the Prophet Mohammed, 12 Mulud gamelan in the mosque was hit. On 12 Mulud than a day of Prophet Muhammad's birth is also the day he died. Apparently a lot of people who flocked to the mosque to listen to the sound of the gamelan. People are coming to mosques despite his distant, so they spent the night in the square or around the mosque.

On the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad, in addition to the people, the regents also came to the coastal city of the kingdom to give worship to the king. They came a few days before the date Mulud and made 12 houses in the square for the night. Regent to the king and then led the king to the mosque. Since the number of people who led the king, comes the word "Garebeg" which comes from the word "anggrubyung" which means lead.

The people who came in the courtyard of the mosque were told to listen to speeches about the teachings of Islam that is easy-easy first. First they were told that is the creed and how it goes. That arise from sekaten word that comes from the Arabic "syahadatain". Credal sentence is a sentence that should be read by anyone to convert to Islam, which has a meaning: there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of God. Creed sentence was also written on the gate of the mosque. Because many people came flocking to the mosque and many are overnight, so many people are selling at around the mosque and the square.

Sekaten than syahadatain derived from the word, also derived from the word:

1) Sahutain
To stop or prevent the case two, the nature of the prostitute and perverted.

2) Sakhatain
Eliminate the case of two, namely the character of animals and nature of the character of
satan as the source of damage.

3) Sakhotain
Menamankan case two, always to maintain the holy mind or mind sublime and always thrall
to God.

4) Sekati
Equilibrium, the living must be weighed or judge things good and bad.

5) Screen
Borders, the living must limit themselves to not do evil, and know the limits of good and evil.

Sekaten tradition that is celebrated to commemorate the birthday of Prophet Muhammad is still preserved by the kings who ordered subsequent to the time of Mataram. At the time of the Mataram kingdom until it moved to Surakarta and Yogyakarta, sekaten held for political purposes, namely to know the loyalty of the regents of the region of the kingdom. In celebration of the regents sekaten must come to offer tribute and to offer worship, devotion to the king. If the magistrate is unable to attend, it must be represented by the kingdom. This was done because if the magistrate was not present at the celebration sekaten interpreted as a form of defiance against the king.

Sekaten celebration held by the kingdom of Mataram, but aims to commemorate the birth of Prophet Muhammad also to show that the king who ruled there was a relationship with the Prophet Muhammad, the messenger of God. Sekaten also has political and economic roles. Because the sekaten, the regents must give tribute sowan and sekaten presence in the ceremony as a sign of loyalty to the king who ruled.

With the times, sekaten also used in the trade sector. Sekaten celebration as a community farm to trade and create a vivid celebration of the sekaten. In addition to listening to the gamelan, the visitors can buy a variety of traditional foods sekaten, as well as children's toys.

From here, can we conclude that looked Sekaten not only in the frame as such a religious perspective or the lens of local culture-the culture of Java - alone. Such perspective would lead to distortions that tend to raise the debate that never ends. The debate will lead to the problem of interpretation of religion - the normative and historical dimensions as well as Islamic and das sein das sollen - and lead to division and disagreement if the difference is not framed in an effort to obtain and strengthen the fabric of "ukhuwah" Islamiyah, Wathoniyah , and Basyariah.