Tulak Breuh as paying fine within Muslim communities in Aceh: the practice, perspectives, and debate

• Published in: Contemporary Islam Vol. 18; no. 1; pp. 153 - 177
• Main Authors: Manan, Abdul, Fadhilah, Muhammad Arif, Kamarullah, Salasiyah, Cut Intan, Saprijal
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01-04-2024; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Anthropology; Modernism; Religious Studies; Social Sciences; Sociology of Religion; Ritual; Academician; Modernist; Commoners
• ISSN: 1872-0218; 1872-0226
• DOI: 10.1007/s11562-023-00547-4

Tulak breuh
, or a ritual of payment of
fidyah
, refers to a ritual in which the deceased’s family pays the fine for the dead by a specific procession of giving and receiving rice. It is a ritual carried out by some Acehnese with complete confidence that it is closely related to the teachings of Islam, as the primary purpose is to pay
fidyah
, a fine for the
ṣalāt
left by the deceased. This study aimed to discover the views of madhhab
‘ulamā’s
(school),
dayah ‘ulamā
, modernists, academicians, and commoners toward the
tulak breuh
ritual. The study implemented ethnographic research in which observation and interviews were used in collecting the data. Qualitative data analysis was done by data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The result showed that the
tulak breuh
ritual was carried out upon someone’s death. The ritual constitutes a payment method of
fidyah
(indemnity) by distributing rice, gold, or money to pay off the
ṣalāt
left by the deceased.
‘Ulamās
of the Shāfi’ī school do not allow the payment of
fidyah
for
ṣalāt
nor do they allow others to perform
ṣalāt
on behalf of the deceased. However, the
‘ulamā
of the Ḥanafī School make an exception for the
fidyah
paid off with the agreement of the dead, while the
‘ulamā
of other Schools do not agree with the ritual practice. Yet, in Aceh, there are several views in this regard. The
dayah ‘ulamā
endorse the practice relying upon a
fiqh
robust basis laid by former
‘ulamā
, while the modernists choose not to side with it. Academicians believe that
tulak breuh
is a ritual to show respect for the deceased’s family members and enhance community development. Similarly, commoners believe that the ritual represents devotion and is a sacred habit through which Allāh will grant forgiveness to the dead.