After spending the early days of Ramadan marveling at the grand architecture of Jakarta’s iconic mosques (Masjid Istiqlal and Masjid Sunda Kelapa) that i share and join to support in CIRCLE Challenge #3 hosted by @doc_dells and Inspiring Ramadan 2026 by @MahabubMunna, the season of “Mudik” or “Pulkam” finally called me back to my hometown. Like so many others who migrate to the big city, I returned to my hometown, leaving the urban hustle for the familiar quiet of my parents’ house. So, now i will support Circle Challenge #3 and Inspiring Ramadan 2026 from my hometown..
The Landscape of the “Mushola”
In Indonesia, we have a unique landscape of worship. While the large mosques (Masjid) host the Friday prayers, our daily lives revolve around the “Mushola” or “Langgar” or “Surau”, smaller prayer mosques. In my village, you can find a Mushola in almost every gang (alley), and as a child, these places were the center of our world. I remember the days when we would laugh and playfully compete for the best spots to pray and scramble for the prayer checklist marked by the Imam 
Stepping Back in Time at Al-Hidayah
Tonight, I walked to Mushola Al-Hidayah, the oldest mushola in my neighborhood. I’m currently waiting approval on adding its location to Google Maps. Can you see this mushola (from the picture) is an old building? The building still features its original iron railings and those signature old-fashioned marble floors, so cool and comfortable even on a humid night. Perhaps the most nostalgic part is the Wudhu (ablution) area. It still uses a traditional “Sumur” (well). If you want to take wudhu, you must first draw the water from the well. It is a slow, meditative process that modern taps have made us forget
However, the atmosphere has shifted. The vibrant chaos of my childhood has been replaced by a deep, heavy silence. As I looked around, I realized the Jamaah consisted mostly of our elders. The children who once filled these mushola have grown up and migrated to cities, just like I did. The new generation is not as numerous, or perhaps they are elsewhere.
It was a poignant moment of “muhasabah”, a self-reflection on the relentless passage of time. Sitting on that cold marble floor, a verse from the Quran came to mind:
“It is Allah who created you from weakness, then made after weakness strength, then made after strength weakness and white hair. He creates what He wills, and He is the Knowing, the Competent” (QS. Ar-Rum: 54).
Looking at the elderly faces around me, I saw the beauty of steadfastness, even as the world around them changes so rapidly.
And now, As we approach the final days of Ramadan, my heart is full. May we find peace not only in the grand and the famous but also in the small, silent sanctuaries that shaped who we are today.
Wishing you all a peaceful end of Ramadan, wherever your journey takes you 
