Dengan Sasaq ᬲᬸᬓᬸᬲᬲᬓ᭄ | |
|---|---|
 A Sasak woman making traditional cloth | |
| Total population | |
| 3,173,127 (2010 Indonesian census)[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Indonesia | 3,173,127 |
 West Nusa Tenggara | 3,033,631 |
 Bali | 22,672 |
 East Kalimantan | 22,194 |
 Central Sulawesi | 20,436 |
 South Kalimantan | 11,878 |
 South Sulawesi | 11,335 |
| Languages | |
| Native: Sasak Dialects: North Sasak (Kutó-Kuté, Bayan-Sasak) · Northeast (Sasak Nggetó-Nggeté) · Central Sasak (Menó-Mené) · Central East Sasak-Central West Sasak (Ngenó-Ngené) · Central South Sasak (Meriaq-Meriku)[2][3] Also: Indonesian,Arabic (religious only) | |
| Religion | |
| Majority Sunni Islam (Orthodox Waktu Lima)[4][5][6] Minoritiestraditional Islam practice ofWetu Telu | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Austronesian peoples Bayanese [id] ·Balinese ·Bali Aga ·Sumbawa ·Dompuan [id] ·Bimanese ·Javanese | |
TheSasak people[a] (Sasak:Dengan Sasaq,Sasak script:ᬲᬸᬓᬸᬲᬲᬓ᭄;Indonesian:Orang Sasak) orSasaknese, mainly live on the island ofLombok,West Nusa Tenggara Province,Indonesia, numbering around 3.6 million (85% of Lombok's population). They are related to theBalinese in language and in ancestry, as well as toother ethnic groups on the neighboring island ofSumbawa. TheBayan people [id] are a distinct part of the Sasak people, and are the oldest group on Lombok.[7]
Sasak people are predominantyMuslim; those who practicepre-Islamic beliefs are also known asSasak Boda in reference to the name of the Sasak people's original religion,Bodha (Boda).[8][9]
The name "Sasak" was first mentioned in the 11th centuryPujungan Inscription, an inscription found inTabanan Regency,Bali.[10]
The origin of the name "Sasak" may come from the wordsak-sak, which means "boat"; it may also mean "one by one". The wordsak is also used by someDayak people onKalimantan to mean "one".[11] In the 14th centuryNagarakṛtāgama, the wordSasak is mentioned along withLombok in theKawi phraseLombok Sasak Mirah Adhi, in whichLombok means "straight" or "honest",Mirah means "gem",Sasak means "statement", andAdhi means "something that is good" or "utmost". Therefore,Lombok Sasak Mirah Adhi means "honesty is the gem that states goodness".[12]
According to local tradition, it is believed that the word "Sasak" comes from the phrasesa'-saq which means "the one", followed by the wordLombok which originates from the wordLomboq, meaning "straight". Hence,Sa'-saq Lombok means "something that is straight". Other translations also include "a straight road".[13]
Weaving, an important part of Sasak culture, is known assèsèk in theSasak language; the wordsèsèk comes from the wordsseksi,sesek, orsaksak.Sèsèk is done by threading the threads one by one (sak-sak), then tightening the threads, and then forming a cloth by beating them on a loom. The sound heard when beating the loom is similar to the sound "sak-sak", and it is only done twice.[14][15] Yet another theory is that the wordSasak means "bamboo woven together".[16]
Little is known about early Sasak history except thatLombok was placed under direct rule of theMajaphait Empire by the 14th centuryMahapatih[Note 1]Gajah Mada.Islam arrived into the area around the 15th century,[17] and Sasaks converted to Islam between the late 16th century to early 17th century. This was done under the influence of Pangeran Prapen (Sunan Prapen [id]), the son of Raden Paku (Sunan Giri);[18][5] alternatively, this was done by Sunan Giri himself and the MuslimMakassarese, frequently mixing basic Islamic beliefs withHindu-Buddhist beliefs to create theWetu Telu religion.[19][20] Lombok was conquered by theGelgel Balinese kingdom in the early 16th century,[21] thus bringing a large population ofBalinese people to Lombok. The Balinese population of Lombok today is about 300,000, or 10–15% of Lombok's population. The Balinese have also strongly influenced the Wetu Telu religion.[6]
TheSasak language (Sasak:Base Sasaq) is anAustronesian language belonging to theMalayo-Sumbawan branch, mostly found in Western Indonesia andMalaysia. More specifically, Sasak belongs to the languages of Western Indonesia, meaning it is closely related to the languages ofJava (such asJavanese andSundanese) and languages ofBali (such asBalinese). There are also a number of Sasak dialects in various regions, such as Kutó-Kuté and Bayan-Sasak (North Sasak), Menó-Mené (Central Sasak), Meriaq-Meriku (Central South Sasak), Ngenó-Ngené (Central East Sasak and Central West Sasak), and Nggetó-Nggeté (Northeast Sasak).[22]
Most Sasaks today are adherents of theLima Waktu (lit. 'Five Times') version ofIslam, signifying thefive daily prayers which Muslims are required to perform;[23] this in contrast to Sasaks who are practitioners ofWetu Telu (lit. 'Three Times') Islam, who only pray three times a day. Orthodox Islamic teachers generally instruct adherents to pray five times a day.[23]
Large numbers of people adhering to theWetu Telu branch can still be found throughout the island, especially in the village ofBayan, where the religion originated. LargeWetu Telu communities can be also be found inMataram,Pujung,Sengkol,Rambitan,Sade,Tetebatu,Bumbung,Sembalun,Senaru,Loyok, andPasugulan.[citation needed]
Before the widespread adoption ofIslam, Lombok was primarilyHindu. The BalineseKingdom of Karangasem [id] conquered Lombok in the 17th century, further spreadingBalinese Hinduism, the influence of which still remains.[24] Many ancient Hindupura, such as Gunung Pengsong, Lingsar, Meru, and Suranadi, still remain standing.[25]
