An Example of a Story Telling Text - YaQowiyyu

NOTE : Ask to your teacher first if you want to use this text, because perhaps there are many mistakes in the text. Thank you :)

*I will tell you a story from Central Java

The story is about Jatinom village

The tradition is spreading the apem

And now we can call it as YaQowiyyu

     Kyai Ageng Gribig, he had a real name Wasibagno Timur. He was the generation of Prabu Brawijaya Five from Majapahit. He was a teacher of Islam in Java, especially in Jatinom village, Klaten, Central Java. His mission was to execute the messages from walisongo. He left his kingdom because he wanted to raise his Nation. Kyai Ageng Gribig meditated and prayed to God firmly. So, God answered his pray.

     God       : “You must walk from Giri to West. Don’t stop before you can find two Jati trees at the slope of mount Merapi”

     After getting that answer, Kyai Ageng Gribig did that and he found two Jati trees that were still young. And then he meditated under that trees for years. Than he built a mosque and a village called Jatinom. That has a meaning Jati Enom or the Jati trees that were still young.

     Kyai Ageng Gribig        : “Oh Thankyou God for Your answer. Now I will build a mosque in this village. And I will give a name of this village, Jatinom.”

     Jatinom is the name of subdistrict in Klaten regency. It is located in the center of road that is connect Klaten and Boyolali.

     Ladies and gentlemen, in the other side, there was a story. Kyai Ageng Gribig together with Sultan Agung often Tarawih and Friday Prayer at Mekkah. After they left the holy land, they brought three pieces of apem for a gift. But, because there were many people in Jatinom village, so Kyai Ageng Gribig said to his wife, Nyai Ageng Gribig to make more apem.

     Kyai Ageng Gribig : “Nyai, I brought apem from Makkah, but only three pieces. Would you make more apem for a gift to the people in this village?

     Nyai Ageng Gribig : “I’m sorry, Kyai, what is apem?”

     Kyai Ageng Gribig : “Apem is like a baked cake made from rice flour and it is sweet. Apem word comes from Arabic word Afu’un means forgiveness”

     Nyai Ageng Gribig : “Oh, that is awesome. Okay, I’ll try to make it, Kyai”

     Kyai Ageng Gribig : “Make sure each people get one. Thank you very much, Nyai”

     Nyai Ageng Gribig : “All right, your welcome, Kyai.”

3 hours later

     Nyai Ageng Gribig : “Excuse me please, Kyai, I have finished making the apem. Who must distribute them?”

     Kyai Ageng Gribig : “ I’ll do, Nyai. I’ll invite people to come in front of the big mosque after Friday Prayer. And I’ll spread it. Who get the apem, will get a prosperity.”

     Kyai Ageng Gribig said to the people that when he spread the apem, the people must say “YaQowiyyu”. It means “Allah is The Strongest”. So, people named that traditional celebration as “YaQowiyyu”

     YaQowiyyu held by Kyai Ageng Gribig once a year. On Friday, between the 12th  and the 20th of Sapar in Java Calendar. The celebration held after Friday Prayer to thank to God for His bless and His giving to us. And Kyai Ageng Gribig gave a message to the people that they must set apart a half of their prosperity to give alms for other.

     Until now, this tradition is held and attended by thousand people. Some from Central Java and the others are from Yogyakarta, and also foreign tourist.

The committee prepared two towers. 4 metres high and 2 metres wide. 10 people wearing a white shirt in each tower. And they spread apem from there. People under the tower grabbed the apem. Creative people using umbrella to get the apem.

     1 : “YaQowiyyu.....Yeah I get it!, thank you God, Alhamdulillah.”

     2 (using umbrella) : “YaQowiyyu.....Oho I get it more than one, Alhamdulillah.”

     YaQowiyyu has a religius character to remind us about Kyai Ageng Gribig’s merit, built in Jatinom village and he spreaded Islam lessons there. And this tradition is held until now. It need 3 or 4 tons apem or approximately 38 thousands apem for the “YaQowiyyu” tradition in this era. And it is arranged like a mountain. So Javanese called it as gunungan. It arranged go down like an Indonesian food, sate by 4-2-4-4-3. It has a meaning of rakaat sholat Isya, Subuh, Dzuhur, Ashar, and Maghrib.

     In this year, “YaQowiyyu” hold at Friday, 12th of December 2014. So, Ladies and Gentlemen, if you want to know about this unique tradition, please come to Jatinom, a place that near from my hometown, Central Klaten.

We can learn :

1. We as human should thank to God for everything and we should sincere to give alms to other

2. If we feel weak, so we should pray to God because Only God is The Strongest

3. Pray seriously and always do an hard effort, so God will give us something special.