<![CDATA[This study examines the existence, transmission, and use of the Lontara Kutika manuscript inTandung Village by addressing three main research questions: (1) What is the historical backgroundand transmission network of the Kutika manuscript in Tandung Village? (2) What are the forms,structures, and textual variations of the manuscript? and (3) How is Kutika understood from theperspective of Islamic law? This research employs a qualitative method using philological andanthropological approaches through manuscript analysis, observation, and in-depth interviews. Thefindings reveal four principal manuscripts owned by H. Nandu, H. Tanjeng, H. Tabe, and Sukardi,all of which originate from a Bugis–Jambi transmission network dating back to the fifteenth century.Among these manuscripts, H. Tanjeng’s version functions as the primary source of textualreproduction, while Sukardi’s manuscript demonstrates elements of modern reinterpretation.Structurally, the Kutika presents a system of temporal calculation and prediction, including pakittaesso, hari nahas, separiyama, and ompona uleng, reflecting the acculturation of local traditions withHindu-Buddhist and Islamic influences. In contemporary practice, the use of Kutika in TandungVillage has gradually become confined to the family sphere, particularly in agrarian activities andsocial rituals. From the perspective of Islamic law, Kutika may be interpreted ambivalently: it canbe accepted as ‘urf when functioning as empirical and experience-based knowledge yet becomesproblematic when it contains determinative forms of divination approaching tathayyur and khurāfāt.This study highlights the importance of normative reinterpretation to ensure that local wisdomremains relevant without contradicting the principles of tawḥīd. ]]>
