80% of people in Lombok belong to the ethnic group of Sasak. The Sasak language belongs to a group called “Bali-Sasak” of the Malayo-Polynesian branch of the Austronesian languages. The rest of the population is made up of Balinese, Javanese, Chinese and Arabs.
In Indonesia, the 2 million people who consider themselves Sasak have the image of Muslims dévôts. However, a minority of Sasak still practice a form of Islam called wetu telu. This phrase means “three times” understood prayer, ie the observance of only three of the five daily prayers of Islam. The wetu telu is a syncretism in which mingle with Islamic beliefs and rituals predate Islam, as well qu’hindouistes pantheistic. Finally, there are several thousands of Sasak Boda pagans.

Until the late nineteenth century, the dominant religious syncretism in Lombok. At that time, a more stringent version of Islam spreads, primarily in the nobility, and then to other classes. Islam is rapidly becoming the Sasak a marker of identity, first vis-à-vis the Balinese who dominate and then compared to the Dutchman who conquered Lombok. Nevertheless, in mid-1960, syncretism is still alive. The change comes in the wake of the massacres of 1965-66, which is the seizure of power by General Soeharto.

In fact, many aspects of culture Sasak have nothing but Muslim belong to a common fund to the various ethnic groups in Indonesia. For example, Sasak hold a ceremony, the Lebaran Topat during the week following the feast of end of Ramadan, the Idul Fitri (Eid al-Fitr), whose name is traditional Indonesian Lebaran. This ritual is to visit the graves of loved ones, pouring water, lay flowers and drop betel leaves and lime powder. It is supposed to bring health and luck.

The autonomy of the regions is reflected in a willingness of local authorities to promote the culture Sasak. The authorities are trying to promote as well as the musical traditions of beliq gendang (drum major), fighting cane or traditional poetry.

Centuries of dominance in Lombok Balinese have obviously left their mark, if only by the presence of a strong minority but also Balinese temples and other places of worship Balinese.