Local Wisdom in Sebambangan Traditional Marriage Practices: A Maqāṣid Sharī’ah Perspective

Abstract

This research examines the traditional marriage custom of Sebambangan in Lampung. It involves a man abducting the girl he intends to marry without the consent of her family and taking her to his family's residence. This socio-legal research gathered data through interviews with traditional leaders, indigenous community members, and religious figures. Maqāṣid Sharī’ah is used as an analytical tool to address the social problems arising from the practice of Sebambangan marriage. The finding reveals that Lampung culture and Islam have been acculturated into the social system. The traditional marriage system in Lampung can be divided into two types: marriage through a formal proposal process, which is conducted as a grand traditional ceremony (gawei besar) or a simpler traditional ceremony (gawei kecil), and marriage without a formal proposal process, known as kawin larian (elopement), or in Lampung terms, kawin Sebambangan. It is part of the local cultural wealth; however, the series of traditional marriage processes must respect the applicable legal provisions and consider the main purpose of marriage. The Sebambangan marriage tradition, with its various processes, currently lacks the value aspects found in maqāṣid sharī’ah, especially the preferences of hifẓ an-nafs, hifẓ al-‘aql, and hifẓ al-‘irdh. It is hoped that the Sebambangan tradition, as a local cultural and wisdom asset in Lampung, can pay more attention to and consider important aspects of marriage, such as the maslahah (well-being) value, the main purpose of marriage in religion, and the protection of a sense of justice, so that local wisdom can be preserved and does not become a social problem for the community. This research is expected to serve as a reference for stakeholders to evaluate and oversee the practice of cultural preservation in harmony with universal values, such as well-being and justice