Fiqh Hybridity in a Pluralistic Society: The Case of the Saprahan Tradition in Pontianak, Indonesia

Abstract

In contemporary Islamic socio-legal scholarship, a central issue concerns the functioning of Islamic jurisprudence within culturally diverse societies, where indigenous traditions and religious norms are in continual interaction. This study examines the Saprahancommunal dining tradition as a socio-legal site wherein Islamic norms and local cultural practices are negotiated within the multiethnic and multireligious context of Pontianak, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. The research frames Saprahan through the theoretical lenses of hybridity and coexistence fiqh (fiqh al-ta’āyush), highlighting its dynamic role in facilitating interethnic dialogue and fostering interfaith social cohesion. Employing a qualitative socio-legal case study approach—including ethnographic observation, in-depth interviews, and documentary analysis—the findings reveal that Saprahan operates as a ritualized social practice structuring interaction among diverse ethnic communities through shared dining arrangements that emphasize equality, reciprocity, and collective participation. These practices enable the negotiation of Islamic norms alongside local cultural values, resulting in what this study terms fiqh hybridity: a dynamic socio-legal process through which Islamic normative principles and customary traditions are mutually adapted within quotidian social interactions. By situating Saprahan within contemporary debates in Islamic socio-legal studies, this research demonstrates how local traditions serve as practical arenas for the interpretation and hybridization of Islamic norms in pluralistic social environments.

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