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The Kaago-Ago Tradition of the Muna Tribe in Southeast Sulawesi from the Perspective of Islamic Legal Anthropology

El-Usrah: Jurnal Hukum Keluarga · Vol. 8 No. 2 (2025) · pp. 1040–1058

DOI
10.22373/ujhk.v8i2.30125
ISSN
2620-8083, 2620-8075
Published
2025-12-31
Publisher
Universitas Islam Negeri Ar-Raniry Banda Aceh
Language
eng
License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

Abstract

The dialectic between Islamic law and customary law continues in Indonesian communities. Islam brought with it the value of harmonizing theoretical and practical concepts, so that religion does not exist in a cultural vacuum. This study aims to explain the practice of the kaago-ago ritual for the Muna community in Southeast Sulawesi. This research is an empirical study analyzed using the theory of Islamic legal anthropology. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, observation, and document studies. The results show that the kaago-ago ritual is carried out as a medium for conducting cross-dimensional negotiations with supernatural beings to request permission to open plantation land for the Muna community in Southeast Sulawesi. The 'urf study argues that the kaago-ago ritual does not qualify as customary law according to sharia, because the ritual contains no benefits, is contrary to common sense, and contradicts the qath'i text. This ritual phenomenon certainly requires Muslim scholars worldwide to continue striving to carry out ijtihad regarding the integration of tradition and Islamic legal provisions. This article's study of the anthropological conception of Islamic law finds novelty that in the kaago-ago tradition there is a dialectic between Islamic teachings and tradition as well as between humans and nature which aims to find harmony and order as the function of law in society.

Keywords

Collaboration network of the authors

40 authors · 83 co-authorship links · 7 across different organisations · showing the 40 most connected

Hover or tap a name to highlight its co-authors. Double-click to open the author's page.

  • Institut Agama Islam Negeri Kendari
  • Universitas Halu Oleo
  • Universitas Sulawesi Barat
  • Federal College of Education, Iwo
  • Hasanuddin University
  • Universitas Muhammadiyah Parepare
  • Universitas Syiah Kuala
  • Other organisations
  • Affiliation unknown
  • Different organisations
  • Same organisation
  • Affiliation unknown
  • Thicker line = more joint articles · bigger circle = more articles
Show as table
Co-authorOrganisationJoint articles
Ika NovitasariUniversitas Sulawesi Barat1
Irfan IhsanAffiliation unknown1
Sulyman Muhammad-BusayriFederal College of Education, Iwo1
Anti LanduAffiliation unknown1
Mauluddin MansyurUniversitas Halu Oleo1
Awaluddin HamzahUniversitas Halu Oleo1
M. Natsir NatsirAffiliation unknown1
Mansyur MansyurAffiliation unknown1
Marniati MarniatiAffiliation unknown1
Dian PermanaAffiliation unknown1
Erfna ErfnaAffiliation unknown1
Arman PariakanAffiliation unknown1
Rahim RahimAffiliation unknown1
Ilham IlhamAffiliation unknown1
Hafied CangaraHasanuddin University1
Ngainun NaimAffiliation unknown1
Lusia Oktri WiniAffiliation unknown1
Ana UkhtiAffiliation unknown1
Wahyuni Hidaya TullahAffiliation unknown1
Ipandang IpandangInstitut Agama Islam Negeri Kendari1
Andi YaqubInstitut Agama Islam Negeri Kendari1
Iswandi IswandiInstitut Agama Islam Negeri Kendari1
Muh. AkbarUniversitas Muhammadiyah Parepare1
Layyin MahfianaAffiliation unknown1
Tarmizi TarmiziUniversitas Syiah Kuala1
Kurniati KurniatiPakuan University1
Arisyanti ArisyantiAffiliation unknown1
Sitti NurfaidahInstitut Agama Islam Negeri Kendari1
Ashadi L. DiabInstitut Agama Islam Negeri Kendari1
Mansur MansurAffiliation unknown1
Muh. IhsanAffiliation unknown1
Muji MuliaAffiliation unknown1
Zulfatmi ZulfatmiAffiliation unknown1
Zakki Fuad KhalilAffiliation unknown1
Darlin RizkiAffiliation unknown1

Affiliations come from OpenAlex; journal OAI-PMH metadata carries none. Authors without an OpenAlex ID are matched by name, which can merge or split people.

Metadata source: OAI-PMH (metadata jurnal) https://jurnal.ar-raniry.ac.id/index.php/usrah/oai, first harvested 7 Nov 2026, last seen 7 Nov 2026.
Original metadata (oai_dc) 
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	<dc:title xml:lang="en">The Kaago-Ago Tradition of the Muna Tribe in Southeast Sulawesi from the Perspective of Islamic Legal Anthropology</dc:title>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Kamaruddin, Kamaruddin</dc:creator>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Kurniawan, Cecep Soleh</dc:creator>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Asni, Asni</dc:creator>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Darlis, Syamsul</dc:creator>
	<dc:creator xml:lang="en">Ato, Ermianti</dc:creator>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Kaago-ago</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Muna tribe</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">tradition</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">anthropology of Islamic law</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">agriculture</dc:subject>
	<dc:subject xml:lang="en">Islamic Family Law</dc:subject>
	<dc:description xml:lang="en">The dialectic between Islamic law and customary law continues in Indonesian communities. Islam brought with it the value of harmonizing theoretical and practical concepts, so that religion does not exist in a cultural vacuum. This study aims to explain the practice of the kaago-ago ritual for the Muna community in Southeast Sulawesi. This research is an empirical study analyzed using the theory of Islamic legal anthropology. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, observation, and document studies. The results show that the kaago-ago ritual is carried out as a medium for conducting cross-dimensional negotiations with supernatural beings to request permission to open plantation land for the Muna community in Southeast Sulawesi. The 'urf study argues that the kaago-ago ritual does not qualify as customary law according to sharia, because the ritual contains no benefits, is contrary to common sense, and contradicts the qath'i text. This ritual phenomenon certainly requires Muslim scholars worldwide to continue striving to carry out ijtihad regarding the integration of tradition and Islamic legal provisions. This article's study of the anthropological conception of Islamic law finds novelty that in the kaago-ago tradition there is a dialectic between Islamic teachings and tradition as well as between humans and nature which aims to find harmony and order as the function of law in society.</dc:description>
	<dc:publisher xml:lang="en">Universitas Islam Negeri Ar-Raniry Banda Aceh</dc:publisher>
	<dc:date>2025-12-31</dc:date>
	<dc:type>info:eu-repo/semantics/article</dc:type>
	<dc:type>info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion</dc:type>
	<dc:type xml:lang="en">Peer-reviewed Article</dc:type>
	<dc:format>application/pdf</dc:format>
	<dc:identifier>https://jurnal.ar-raniry.ac.id/index.php/usrah/article/view/30125</dc:identifier>
	<dc:identifier>10.22373/ujhk.v8i2.30125</dc:identifier>
	<dc:source xml:lang="en">El-Usrah: Jurnal Hukum Keluarga; Vol. 8 No. 2 (2025): EL-Usrah: Jurnal Hukum Keluarga; 1040-1058</dc:source>
	<dc:source>2620-8083</dc:source>
	<dc:source>2620-8075</dc:source>
	<dc:language>eng</dc:language>
	<dc:relation>https://jurnal.ar-raniry.ac.id/index.php/usrah/article/view/30125/pdf</dc:relation>
	<dc:rights xml:lang="en">Copyright (c) 2025 Kamaruddin Kamaruddin, Cecep Soleh Kurniawan, Asni Asni, Syamsul Darlis and Ermianti Ato</dc:rights>
	<dc:rights xml:lang="en">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0</dc:rights>
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