Abstract
This present study aims to explore the phenomenon of the Qur’an recitation by employing a ‘Kempekan’ model, which is transmitted at Pesantren (Islamic boarding school) Babakan. Kempekan is a style of tartil (a proper manner) recitation of the Qur’an promoted at Pesantren Kempek. A qualitative approach was designed in this ethnographic study. The data were collected through observation and interviews. The findings demonstrate two important points obtained from the living Qur’an of Kempekan. Firstly, the phenomenon of Kempekan which has emerged amid the pesantren not only to maintain the originality of the Qur’an recitation, but also to shape a new tradition of both its transmission and transformation patterns. It can be noticed from the development of the practice of today’s Qur’an recitation in Indonesia. Secondly, the surge of Kempekan has pervaded a plethora of cultural aspects occurring in Babakan. This can be evidenced from communities in the so-called Region III Cirebon, namely: Majalengka, Kuningan, Indramayu, and Cirebon, who attended the khatm al-Qur’an. The transmission and transformation of Kempekan raise the dialectical model of the Qur’an and its distinctive culture. The recitation of the Qur’an is not only limited to the rituals of ubuddiyah (religious merits), but also impacts on aspects of culture, economy, the structure of society, and a new model of piety.
Highlights
The living Qur’an, the ways in which the Quranic tenets and fundamental principles are internalized in Muslim daily lives and their peaceful interactions with others, has been highlighted in Indonesia as a new phenomenon and continues to transform in exploring the possibility of Quranic studies
Recitation of the Qur’an in public spaces, according to Nelson (2001: xiv), is a common phenomenon that occurs in Muslim communities, as it constitutes a usual symptom in Egypt and all contexts of Islamic societies. This current study highlights that the Qur’an recitation by applying the Kempekan model in Babakan, Ciwaringin, Cirebon, West Java-Indonesia has been introduced by Kiai Tamam Kamali since 1955
Since this study emphasizes the phenomenon of Kempekan tradition, it does not elaborate much on the songs used in reading the Koran itself, such as how the character of the song or composition in it
Summary
The living Qur’an, the ways in which the Quranic tenets and fundamental principles are internalized in Muslim daily lives and their peaceful interactions with others, has been highlighted in Indonesia as a new phenomenon and continues to transform in exploring the possibility of Quranic studies. Recitation of the Qur’an in public spaces, according to Nelson (2001: xiv), is a common phenomenon that occurs in Muslim communities, as it constitutes a usual symptom in Egypt and all contexts of Islamic societies. This current study highlights that the Qur’an recitation by applying the Kempekan model in Babakan, Ciwaringin, Cirebon, West Java-Indonesia has been introduced by Kiai Tamam Kamali since 1955. Since this study emphasizes the phenomenon of Kempekan tradition, it does not elaborate much on the songs used in reading the Koran itself, such as how the character of the song or composition in it
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