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460 MADURESE
she conducts the selamatan cycle, held on the third, seventh, fortieth, and
hundredth days and the first and second year after their deaths, and finally on
the thousandth day. She then inherits the parents' house and takes over the
compound.
During the lifetime of the parents, parts of the inheritance, such as land and
cattle, are divided among the children. Not until the death of both parents is the
entire inheritance divided. The ahli waris, usually the eldest son, plays a major
part in the division. All children receive an equal share, despite Islamic inheritance
rules to the contrary.
The members of the village council are the formal leaders in the village. Their
influence and authority depend on personal qualities and the degree to which
they have been successful in gaining the support of the informal leaders. One
of these is the local Idyai, who takes care of the religious education of the
children. He is also invited to say the prayers at the selamatan, held on Islamic
holidays, marriages and funerals. In all family matters people look to the kiyai
for advice.
On the whole the informal leaders gain more respect and influence among the
rural population than the local officials. Their strong social and political position
is reflected in the support given to the orthodox Islamic political party, Nahdatul
Ulama, in the 1971 elections. Of the total number of votes in Madura, 67 percent
went to this party.
Madurese are Sunni Muslims and adhere to the tenets of the Shafi school. In
the course of the sixteenth century, Islam was spread over Madura from the
Islamic centers of Giri, Gresik and Ampel in Surabaya on the north coast of
Java. In contrast to the Javanese, the distinction between the abangan (nominal
Muslims) and santri (those who endeavor to keep the Five Pillars of Islam)
cannot be drawn among the Madurese (see Javanese). Madurese perform the
five daily prayers, pay their yearly zakat and fast during Ramadan. To be a hajji
means not only the performance of the pilgrimage but also an increase of status
in the community and even the improvement of their economic position. The
Islamic holidays of Maulud and Id al Fitr are celebrated within the family circle.
It is the custom on Id al Fitr to visit the graves of dead relatives and pray at the
tomb of local saints. Lailat al Miraj (Isra Miraj), the ascension of Muhammad,
is celebrated in the mosque or in the open square. A good speaker is invited to
recite the experiences of the Prophet during his journey through the heavens.
Despite the fact that the Madurese are strict Muslims, their religious conceptions
are intertwined with non-Islamic elements. Any change in the life of an
individual has to be attended by selamat to make things go well. To avert bad
influences, a selamatan is organized for all sorts of occasions. The prayers said
during these selamatan are addressed not only to Allah but also to the ancestors.
The Madurese are noted not only for their bullracing (their ancestors are
considered to have invented bullfighting) but for their practice of carok, which
involves eliminating an adversary with a sickle-shaped knife. To commit carok,
the attacker strikes his victim from behind with his knife so as to cut his carotid
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