MEUNASAH

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Meunasah is a building located in every gampong (red: kampung). Meunasah is usually in the form of a stage house consisting of two parts. The first part is slightly lower than the second part, which is an open space called meunasah porch. This section serves as a meeting place both official and unofficial for the villagers. The second part of the meunasah is a closed or semi-open space and is the main building of the meunasah. Its function is as a religious place.

in the time of Sultan Iskandar Muda, meunasah and dayah have strategic functions, one of which is as a place of formation and cadre of scholars. Other meunasah functions are as a place to educate children, places of worship, place of care and negotiate matters relating to the welfare of the village; Recitation, the center of the celebration of the big days of Islam, the settlement of various disputes in the community, where the ceremony is held peugatib (akad nikah) and the splitting of various problems of society related to the interests of syiar Islam and the interests of society. Because, the importance of meunasah function in the life of the people of Aceh, Many villages called meunasah, such as Meunasah Papeun, Meunasah Tutong, Meunasah Baet, Meunasah Manyang, Gla Meunasah Baro and others.

Meunasah is led by teungku meunasah who takes care of all religious activities in gampong. He was chosen by the people because of the consideration of having adequate religious knowledge and being able to teach the Koran and other practical religious knowledge to the community. In the tradition of education in Aceh, children from the age of four are taught to study the Qur'an. Special boys, in the age of less than 10 years are required to sleep in meunasah to be educated and taught to recite the Quran by Teungku Meunasah (Peutua Meunasah mentions in Pidie). They are taught prayer and practice of salat, basic knowledge of religion and moral .neducation.