Santri and sarongs are like two sides of a coin; birds and their beaks, like Fridays and sandals, are inseparable. Where the santri walk, there the sarong is carried.
That’s more or less the chemistry between the santri and the sarong and the public’s mindset about the sarong. Besides representing identity, gloves are also considered to have a more complete efficiency of use. Friendly in all conditions and multifunctional. It can be used for prayer, it can be used to recite the Koran, and it can even be used to hang out at the mall for those who have rai gedheg (shameless).
However, the placement of the sarong as the fashion of the highest caste of the santri needs to be rethought carefully. This is because sarongs are basically cultural products that have local values. On a national scale, it may still be possible for a sarong to receive public information if it is seen in unusual places. However, if you have stepped into the international realm, come on… think again.
This story is an incident the author experienced when he had the opportunity to experience the taste of studying in the Middle East three years ago. The author then participated in the student mobility exchange program at the Tarbiyah Faculty of Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. Together with colleagues from several leading campuses in Indonesia. Indeed, basically santri, in the suitcase, three folded sarongs are ready to be wrapped and taken to the land of kinanah. But unfortunately, the mistake is that the author never thought of googling the culture, customs, and unwritten rules in Egypt.
Arrived in Egypt a few days after it was Friday. Of course, as a Muslim, it is obligatory to perform Friday prayers. So after bathing and changing clothes, the writer rushed to the mosque near the apartment. Suddenly, a friend answered rather loudly,