Islam Futura
Vol 26 No 2 (2026): Jurnal Ilmiah Islam Futura

Negotiating Islam and Adat: A Social-Theological Analysis of the Kaili Salena Muslim Community’s Cultural System in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia

Sidik, Sidik (Unknown)
Andi Baso Malla, Hamlan (Unknown)
Nurdin, Nurdin (Unknown)
Marzuki, Marzuki (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
31 Aug 2026

Abstract

The Kaili Salena Muslim community in Buluri urban village, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, maintains a distinctive cultural system in which indigenous customary traditions (adat) and Islamic teachings are actively negotiated rather than simply coexisting. Through four key practices—Pompaura, Potamba, marriage ceremonies, and guest reception customs (Neaju)—the community expresses a form of hybrid religiosity involving cultural identity, socio-ecological concerns, and relations between customary and religious authorities. Drawing on Gutiérrez’s liberation theology, Paul Tillich’s concept of ultimate concern, and Talal Asad’s anthropological approach to religion, this qualitative study examines how these practices are interpreted, adapted, and sustained amid contemporary social and religious change. Fieldwork conducted from February to March 2025 involved in-depth interviews with eight key informants, comprising customary leaders, a religious leader, and community members, supplemented by participant observation and document review. The findings identify three interrelated mechanisms of adat-Islam negotiation: strategic appropriation in the reinterpretation of Pompaura through Islamic meanings; syncretic fusion in the combination of customary and Islamic supplications in Potamba; and institutionalization in customary marriage procedures and established guest-reception arrangements. In marriage ceremonies, customary practices coexist with the Islamic marriage contract, while Neaju reflects established customary hospitality aligned with Islamic ethical values. These practices illustrate how the community negotiates religious meanings, cultural identity, and local authority. The study recommends sustained intergenerational dialogue and comparative studies of adat-Islam relations across Indonesian Muslim communities.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

ISLAM FUTURA

Publisher

Subject

Religion Arts Humanities

Description

Jurnal Ilmiah Islam Futura which is published by Center for Research and Publication, Institute for Research and Community Service (LP2M/LPPM) in cooperation with Graduate Program of State Islamic University (UIN) Ar-Raniry Banda Aceh focuses to publish research articles in Islamic studies field ...