Popularity of Indonesian in Medina City
- MCH 2022
VIVA – No wonder the Indonesian language is quite popular in the city of Medina, Saudi Arabia. It is because of the large number of Indonesian people who carry out the pilgrimage. On June 5, 2022, tens of thousands of Indonesian pilgrims for the first batch arrived in Medina, Saudi Arabia. Some of them have now left for Mecca after staying for around eight days in Medina.
While in Medina, they performed congregational prayers at the Nabawi’s Mosque 40 times in a row or known as Arbain. In addition, Indonesian pilgrims also make pilgrimages to a number of historical places in the city of Medina. After Arbain, the pilgrims departed for Mecca to prepare for the hajj.
Even though they are in the territory of Saudi Arabia and the language used is Arabic. For Indonesian pilgrims who do not know Arabic, they do not have to worry if they are in public places in Medina, both in mosques, souvenir shops, and other commercials.
Now, Indonesian is very popular in Medina, as a means of communication with sellers and for directions, including at the Nabawi's Mosque.
Entering the Nabawi Mosque area, Indonesian pilgrims will find a number of signage information boards in Arabic and English as well as Indonesian. For example, instructions for women's prayer and ablution. It makes easier for the Indonesian hajj pilgrims to understand and reduce misdirection, without the need for an interpreter.
According to Abdurrahman, a guard at the Nabawi Mosque Area, the use of Indonesian on road signs is because Indonesia is one of the countries with the most pilgrims in Medina, especially at the Nabawi Mosque.
"To make it easier for pilgrims from Indonesia, so many Indonesian people here." Abdurrahman said.
This is in accordance with reality, currently, there are thousands of Indonesian pilgrims every day filling the Nabawi Mosque. So, don't be surprised if you're in the mosque, you're bound to meet people from Indonesia.
The presence of Indonesian pilgrims are capable of influencing the traders around the Nabawi Mosque to learn Indonesian. So, do not be surprised when heading to or returning from the Nabawi Mosque, we will pass shops on the left and right with guards who greet in Indonesian.
Even though the use of vocabulary and expressions is short, it just invites us to stop at the shop. That simple dialogue, like cheap, let's see first, good stuff, new model, there is a discount, and see free take pay.
When Indonesian hajj pilgrims enter the shops, even though they can speak a little Arabic, the traders will choose to answer and use Indonesian.
Besides the market, other public places such as hotel guards also often speak Indonesian. Moreover, the average worker is not from Arab, but from Bangladesh, India, and other countries.
Now Indonesian pilgrims can easily communicate in public places. In addition to Indonesian, sign language is also the mainstay of Indonesian pilgrims.
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