As Islam began to spread throughout the Middle East, Muslim missionaries took the role as merchants to bring Islam to Asia. Many Indonesian rulers and royalty converted and subsequently their subjects mirrored their conversion. Muslim conquest throughout the islands was another factor for many Indonesians converting to Islam from Hinduism and Buddhism. Now more than 220 million Indonesians are Muslim, about 87% of the population.

Why it spread and has stayed dominant

Islam has remained the largest majority in the country for many decades. This is due to many reasons, the most primary being the culture of Islam. Islam’s culture naturally encourages multigenerational devotion and helps with the spread of its beliefs. This cultivated strong devotion along with the endorsement of Islam by high-ranking officials in various kingdoms around Indonesia. These factors caused Islam to rise to the top. In doing so it also cemented its status as the majority religion of the country.

How this affects the culture

Islam’s impact on culture can be seen in many of the cultures of this country. Formerly matriarchal cultures now are patriarchal. The mysticism roots of these cultures have Islam grafted in. This creates a hybrid culture where the local witch doctor gives you spells and magical pendants that are prayed over using Islamic prayers and incantations.

Threats

The Gospel continues to spread in Indonesia despite the state of the country and many Muslims are coming to faith. Unfortunately, the spread of Christianity is a threat to Muslims. Radical Muslims often respond by attacking Christian churches and individuals. Others may respond by aggressively teaching and warning their Muslim family and friends against having spiritual conversations with Christians. In Islam, it is considered a major sin to question the faith. Even questioning thoughts are considered sinful. This can cause significant resistance to hearing the Gospel. Although these challenges and roadblocks exist, we shall continue to praise our Mighty God that the Gospel still goes forth in dark places!

The post How did Islam Become the Dominant Religion in Indonesia? first appeared on Pray For Indonesia.

Indonesian Christians celebrate Christmas by going to church services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. At church on Christmas Eve, the Indonesian version of the song “Silent Night”(Malam Kudus) is sung altogether. This may include a candle-light service too. Some families may celebrate by having lunch or dinner at a restaurant or at home after church service. They may also invite friends and celebrate as a large group.

Decorations

In early December, shopping malls put up large Christmas trees and decorations. Many people like taking pictures with these large Christmas trees, including non-Christians too! Most Indonesian Christians don’t put up a Christmas tree or a lot of decorations in their homes. Most of the decorations are just in malls and other public places. Even though Christians are a minority in Indonesia, most will still have the day off as Indonesia recognizes the major holidays for all the 6 main religions in the country.

Selamat Natal! (Merry Christmas!)

It is very common to give your best wishes to friends & family who are celebrating a holiday of their religion. Often the greeting starts or ends with “bagi yang merayakan” which means, “for those celebrating.” People send text messages and/or send cards with gifts (usually a gift basket of cookies) to friends and relatives. These gift baskets of cookies and snacks are more common to see than gifts under the tree.

Christmas cookies

In Indonesia, many Christmas dishes have Dutch origins (Indonesia was colonized by the Dutch for 347 years!) These include cookies! The popular types of Christmas cookies are:

• Kastengel – cheese cookies
• Nastar- a butter cookie with pineapple jam filling
• Putri Salju, or “snow white” – a butter cookie covered with powdered sugar and cheese
• Pofferties- Dutch Pancakes

Pray for Indonesian Christians as they celebrate Christmas this year. Ask God to draw them into a deeper relationship with Him as they celebrate the birth of our Savior. Pray that they would be lights to their Muslim families and friends during this season.

The post How Indonesian Christians Celebrate Christmas first appeared on Pray For Indonesia.

1. Indonesia is made up of over 17,000 islands but only 6,000 are inhabited

Many people only know about Indonesia’s famous tourist destination, Bali, but not many other facts about Indonesia. Did you know that it is the largest archipelago in the world? The five biggest islands are New Guinea, Kalimantan, Sumatra, Sulawesi, and Java. But 55% of the population (148 million) live on the island of Java.

2. Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the world

Islam started spreading in Indonesia in the 13th century by Arab traders and Islamic scholars. Now 86.7% (225 million) Indonesians are Muslim. The other major religions are Christianity, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism.

3. Indonesian is the national language but there are also 800 other local languages

Indonesia adopted Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian) as the official language after they gained independence in 1945. Only 43 million people consider Bahasa Indonesia as their native language while the other 156 million use it as their second language. Other major languages are Javanese and Sundanese. 

4. Indonesians eat rice for every meal

Indonesians have a saying “If you haven’t eaten rice, you haven’t eaten.” They can have a full meal but if there isn’t rice, it’s not complete. Most Indonesian farmers (77%) grow rice and 60% of rice production is grown on the island of Java.

5. Their motto is Unity in Diversity

Indonesia is one of the most diverse countries in the world with many cultural and religious backgrounds. In order to promote unity and tolerance among the different groups, Indonesia’s founding fathers made Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity) as the national motto.

6. Bali is majority Hindu

Bali is the #1 tourist destination in Indonesia known for its unique surfing beaches. Most Balinese are practicing Hindus unlike the rest of Indonesia. The major holiday they celebrate is Hari Nyepi (Day of Silence.) On this day they don’t speak, use electricity or work. It is also the Hindu New Year so they use this day to practice stillness and reflection.

7. Indonesia gained their independence in 1945

The Dutch had influence over Indonesia for 347 years. Then in 1942 Japan declared war against the Dutch and gained control over Indonesia for 3 years. After the Dutch regained control in 1945, Indonesia declared independence from them. There are still many traces of Dutch influence today through the Indonesian architecture, language, and culture.

8. The Komodo Dragon originated from Indonesia

The Komodo dragon is the world’s largest lizard and reptile. They originated from the Komodo Island, and surrounding islands in Indonesia and thrive in tropical forests. There are 2,500 Komodo Dragons in the Komodo National Park. This island is a top tourist destination for the beautiful beaches and views, but mainly people come here to get a close up (and risky) look at the Komodo Dragons.

9. Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire

Indonesia has 147 volcanoes which make up part of the Ring of Fire. Some of the largest volcanic eruptions on earth took place in Indonesia. The largest eruption recorded by humans was Mount Tambora on Sumbawa island in 1815.

10. Indonesian traditional fabric is called Batik

Batik is made by drawing a unique design with wax on a cloth then dyeing the fabric with different colors. The process to finish one cloth usually takes 2-6 months. Each area of Indonesia has their own unique Batik design and colors so you can tell where it came from depending on the look!

The post 10 Facts You Didn’t Know About Indonesia first appeared on Pray For Indonesia.