<![CDATA[The Mangkasara To Mate tradition in Patekkong Hamlet, Enrekang Regency, represents a cultural heritage that continues to be practiced by the local Muslim community across generations. This tradition serves as a customary ritual and contains a social dimension that strengthens solidarity and respect for ancestors. However, its practice creates a cultural dilemma because some consider it inconsistent with Islamic teachings, leading to differing views within the community. The research results show the community's three main strategies for addressing cultural dilemmas: fully implementing the tradition, rejecting it, or modifying it to align with Islamic law. This qualitative ethnographic study draws on unstructured interviews, participatory observation, and documentation with 15 purposively selected informants (traditional leaders, religious leaders, bereaved families, and community members), analyzed thematically and, to characterize the community's strategic choices, through a game-theoretic Nash-equilibrium lens. The modification strategy is identified as the community's preferred and most stable (Nash-equilibrium) choice among the three alternatives, rather than an unqualified "best strategy," as it allows for the preservation of tradition while also respecting Islamic principles. Within this context, Islamic education plays a crucial role as a balancing force, guiding the community to adjust the tradition without abandoning it entirely, thereby fostering harmony between local customs and religious teachings. The study contributes to the discipline of Islamic Religious Education by illustrating how religious figures function as agents of non-formal, community-based Islamic education in resolving culture-religion tensions.]]>
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