Mature Age Santri
Every year in Ramadan, hundreds of elderly Muslims from all over Indonesia come to stay at the Payaman pesantren (Islamic boarding school) in Magelang, Central Java, to deepen their study of Islam. The class has been offered every Ramadan since 1980.
Only Muslims above 60 years old, both men and women, are allowed to join the class. With no children or teens present, these santri sepuh (mature age students) are left in peace to worship and study.
Most of the santris are women. Only 40 out of the 300 students this year are men. They come from Kalimantan, Sumatra, Papua, Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta and Bogor.
The santris cook their own meals in a communal kitchen. Every student only has to pay Rp 50,000 ($3.5) for electricity and water.
Most of the santris' time is absorbed in the study of the Quran, which they have to read every day, and fiqih (Islamic law).
A variety of lectures are availabe in the afternoon, including a class on sufism and another featuring an ustad reciting heroic tales of Prophet Muhammad.
Each day ends with iftar (fast-breaking meal), followed by tarawih (Ramadan evening prayer), before the santris retire to their dorms.
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