Between Tradition and Islamic Piety: Negotiating the Transformation of Premarital Ruwatan in a Javanese Muslim Family in Sumberlawang, Sragen, Indonesia

Abstract

This study examines the historical transformation of premarital ruwatan in a Javanese Muslim family in Sumberlawang, Sragen, focusing on the negotiation between inherited ritual practices and changing Islamic orientations. Using a qualitative historical approach and a case study design, the research draws on interviews, observation, documentation, and relevant literature. The sources were examined through heuristic collection, source criticism, interpretation, and historiographical reconstruction, supported by triangulation. The findings show that the ritual has undergone selective changes rather than complete abandonment. Its association with sukerta, intergenerational inheritance, premarital timing, and the pursuit of safety remains, while Murwakala performances, mantras, offerings, and other ritual elements have been simplified or replaced with Qur’anic recitation, Yasin, tahlil, khataman, and Islamic prayers. Religious authority has also become more layered through the involvement of kyai alongside the family elder, who remains active as a traditional ruwatan guide. This study contributes to the historiography of Javanese Islam by showing how continuity and change unfold within a family tradition across generations, with Islamization operating through negotiation, reinterpretation, and selective adaptation rather than the wholesale disappearance of Javanese ritual heritage.

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