MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, JAKARTA – An interesting fact that many people may not realize that the tradition of communal iftar (buka puasa bersama/bukber) has been recognized as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in several international publications. The practice is widely celebrated Muslims in Indonesia and in a number of other Muslim-majority countries during Ramadan. It is a reflection of a cultural expression rooted in Islamic teachings.
This was conveyed by Abdul Mu’ti, Secretary General of the Central Board of Muhammadiyah. He explained that communal iftar represents a cultural phenomenon that emerges from the religious life of Muslims around the world. According to him, the practice demonstrates how religious teachings can inspire values that evolve into widely accepted social traditions.
“This is a very significant contribution from our country. The culture of communal iftar is not only a new addition to Indonesia’s Islamic traditions. It has also become part of the world’s cultural heritage,” he said in a broadcast statement on Friday (3/6).
Communal Iftar in Muslim-majority countries
As noted, communal iftar is not limited to Indonesia. Several Muslim-majority countries such as Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan also observe similar traditions during Ramadan.
However, Mu’ti explained that the way communal iftar is practiced differs from country to country. Cultural traditions, he noted, reflect a society’s worldview, shaped not only by religious values but also by local social and cultural contexts.
“Communal iftar in each country certainly has its own unique characteristics. This is because culture represents an expression of the community’s worldview. It is influenced by religious values as well as social and cultural conditions in each place,” he said.
Referring to hadith sources, Mu’ti emphasized that the origins of this practice can be traced back to Islamic teachings. Religion, he said, not only provides spiritual guidance but also inspires communities to develop living cultural traditions.
“The fasting person has two moments of joy: when they break their fast, they rejoice at breaking it, and when they meet their Lord, they rejoice because of their fasting,” Mu’ti said, quoting a hadith narrated by the Prophet Muhammad and recorded in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.
He also cited another hadith concerning the virtue of feeding those who are fasting.
“Whoever provides food for a fasting person to break their fast will receive a reward like that of the fasting person, without reducing the reward of the fasting person in the slightest,” he added, quoting a hadith narrated by Tirmidhi.
Over time, these teachings have developed into a widespread social practice in which communities gather to break the fast together.
Communal Iftar in the Indonesian Context
Within the Indonesian context, Mu’ti believes that the tradition of communal iftar has grown beyond religious boundaries. In many cases, communal iftar events are attended not only by Muslims but also by people from different religious backgrounds, turning the gathering into a space for social interaction and friendship within a diverse society.
“In Indonesia, communal iftar is not limited to Muslims alone. People from other religions also take part in organizing and celebrating it as a social gathering, a space to share happiness and togetherness,” he explained.
For this reason, Mu’ti described the tradition as a clear example of the “vernacularization of Islam”—a process in which religious teachings are practiced in everyday life through distinctive cultural expressions shaped by local contexts.
“This is an example of how religion can be understood through a cultural approach. In that way, it becomes a tradition embraced by many communities, one that enriches Indonesia’s cultural heritage,” Mu’ti concluded. (bhisma)
