SEAToday.com, Jakarta-Before Ramadan month, many Indonesian people pay a visit to their late family members and pray at their cemeteries. This tradition refers to pilgrimage or ziarah, a gesture of remembrance and honor. That is why, most of the cemeteries are full of people visiting their loved ones at their final resting place.

Through this tradition, we send our prayers to the loved ones, honor their deeds, and ask for forgiveness. It also served as a reminder of the afterlife.

In Indonesia,  ziarah became a tradition centuries ago and strengthened during Islam's expansion. It's common in Javanese regions with different names, such as nyekar and ruwahan. In addition, there is nyadran which not only refers to the act of visiting our late family members but also our ancestors.

When doing ziarah, we usually start by citing Al-Quran verses and praying in front of our late family members' tombs. Then, we spread flowers and pour the rose water. This is our way to take care of their last resting place ensuring its cleanliness and properness.

In practicing ziarah, it's important to remember that we can only pray for our family members or ancestors and not ask for anything in return such as wealth and success. (ANDIRA/DKD)