Local Wisdom of Tahlīl and Tunggu Kubur Practices in Death Custom among The Malays in Malaysia

Abstract

Custom plays a significant role in any organised community as well as in the building of mutual harmony and avoiding conflicts. The establishment of a custom is the result from the interaction between the wisdom of the local intellectuals and its environment to meet the needs of the local community. The Malay community is a group that is rich with traditions, ranging from the birth customs, marriage and death. Basically, in the practice of the Malay customs there exists two polemics in which forms two opposing schools of thought. First is the fundamentalist that rejects most local customary practices. Second, is the traditionalist as they only accept the valid customs practised in society and reject invalid customs. These opposing views can be seen in various customary practices, for example in the death custom or ceremonies such as tahlīl (recital ceremony for the deceased), talqīn (recital for the deceased during burial), and tunggu kubur (grave waiting). Therefore, this study focuses on exploring the practice of tahlīl (recital ceremony for the dead) and tunggu kubur (grave waiting) through the concept of the local wisdom from the perspective of the principles of Islamic jurisprudence. To achieve these objectives, this study deploys an eclectic approach and interview method. The collected qualitative data were analysed thematically. The results of the study showed that there are elements of local wisdom behind these practices. In the Malay community, tahlīl (recital ceremony for the deceased) is a form of psychological and emotional support as well as a communal approach to the family of the deceased while the practice of tunggu kubur (grave waiting) is an approach to protect the burried corpses from thefts and mystical activities. Therefore, the local wisdom implied behind the practices are valid and hence, included in the category of accepted customary practices.