Jurnal Ilmiah Al-Syir'ah
Vol 23, No 2 (2025)

Reconciling Customary Debt and Islamic Economic Law: A Legal-Anthropological Study of Mappajalang Dowi' in Tolitoli, Indonesia

B., M. Taufan (Unknown)
Marzuki, Marzuki (Unknown)
Nasaruddin, Nasaruddin (Unknown)
Amrullah, Amiruddin (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
11 Dec 2025

Abstract

This article analyzes mappajalang dowi', a harvest-linked debt practice among Bugis farmers in Puse, Tolitoli, through a legal-anthropological lens that connects Islamic legal doctrine with community practice. Limited access to salaried employment and formal financial services sustains villagers' dependence on pre-harvest borrowing, with repayment due after the harvest season. Based on a qualitative case study employing observation, in-depth interviews, and document analysis, this research reconstructs the contractual structure of the practice, particularly ijab–kabul, mutual expectations, and the proportional ziyādah (increase) that may rise when repayment is delayed. A normative assessment grounded in classical Islamic jurisprudence covering benevolent lending (qardh al-hasan), gratuitous transactions (tabarru'), and unlawful gain (riba), as well as contemporary Indonesian Sharia economic regulations and fatwas, shows that the pre-agreed ziyādah converts the arrangement into a benefit-bearing loan and therefore constitutes indicators of riba. To maintain both Sharia compliance and rural social solidarity, the study proposes alternatives such as genuine benevolent lending with explicit anti-promise clauses, the use of sale-based contracts like salam and murābahah for agricultural inputs, and the establishment of community tabarru' funds. The study presents a context-sensitive framework for enhancing Islamic economic practices in agrarian smallholder contexts.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

JIS

Publisher

Subject

Education Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media Law, Crime, Criminology & Criminal Justice

Description

Jurnal Ilmiah Al-Syir'ah, with registered number ISSN 1693-4202 (Print), ISSN 2528-0368 (Online) is a peer-reviewed journal published twice a year in June and December by Faculty of Sharia, State Islamic Institute of Religious Affairs (IAIN) Manado. Jurnal Ilmiah Al-Syir'ah is a Communication Media ...