Reassessing Kafā’ah and ‘Urf in Sayyid Marriage Practices: The Al-Aidid Clan of South Sulawesi
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24252/al-daulah.v15i1.66758Keywords:
Wedding Traditions, Al-Aidid Clan, Kafa’ah, Nasab, Islamic Family Law, ‘Urf, South SulawesiAbstract
Research Objective: Drawing on the Islamic jurisprudential theories of kafā’ah (spousal compatibility) and ‘urf (custom), this study reassesses the endogamous marriage practices of the Al-Aidid Sayyid clan (marga Al-Aidid) in Panyangkalang Village, Takalar Regency, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, a community that restricts the marriage of syarifah (women of Sayyid descent) to Sayyid men. Research Method: This qualitative study combines normative-syar’i and sociological approaches, drawing on semi-structured interviews with seven key informants, participant observation of four weddings, documentary analysis of Islamic legal texts, and a supplementary community survey (n=47). Results: The Al-Aidid wedding stages are largely consistent with the pillars and conditions of Islamic marriage. The endogamy rule constitutes a customary social norm (‘urf ijtimā’i) rather than a jurisprudential condition for marriage validity; across the four Sunni maẓāhib, it aligns with kafā’ah in nasab but is not an absolute prohibition. Findings and Implications: Community perceptions of the tradition are internally differentiated, a nuance largely absent from prior scholarship on comparable Sayyid communities. The tradition qualifies as urf fāsid provided it does not coerce individuals, though enforcement through social exclusion risks crossing into ‘urf fāsid. Conclusion: The Islamic legal classification of the endogamy tradition depends less on the content of the custom than on its mode of enforcement: the preference for Sayyid partners is permissible, while the sanction of social exclusion is not. Contribution: This study offers the first systematic ethnographic and jurisprudential analysis of the Al-Aidid community and contributes to ‘urf theory by showing that a custom’s permissibility may depend on its enforcement rather than its content alone. Limitations and Suggestions: Findings are limited to a single village and a purposive sample; comparative research across Sayyid communities and structured community-scholar consultation forums are recommended.
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