Rituals as Sites of Normative Production: Rethinking Living Islamic Law through the Sennu-Sennureng Tradition in Bugis Weddings

Rahmatun Nair; Ismail  Keri; Kamaruddin  M; Fahmi  Gunawan; Muljan

doi:10.31958/juris.v25i1.16669

Authors

Rahmatun Nair Institut Agama Islam Negeri Bone
Ismail Keri Institut Agama Islam Negeri Bone
Kamaruddin M Universitas Islam Negeri Alauddin Makassar
Fahmi Gunawan Institut Agama Islam Negeri Kendari
Muljan Institut Agama Islam Negeri Bone

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31958/juris.v25i1.16669

Keywords:

Living Normative System, Mappacci tradition, Philosophy of Islamic Law, Sennu-Sennureng tradition

Abstract

Research on the mappacci tradition in Bugis society remains limited, particularly in addressing its philosophical dimensions within Islamic legal thought, leaving an important theoretical gap in explaining how local ritual practices participate in the production of Islamic normativity in lived contexts. Existing studies tend to interpret mappacci as a cultural, symbolic, or social phenomenon, while paying insufficient attention to its role within broader debates on living Islamic law and legal pluralism. This study therefore aims to analyze the sennu-sennureng element of the mappacci ritual through the perspective of Islamic legal philosophy, specifically within the framework of maqāṣid al-sharīʿah. Employing a qualitative interpretive design, the study combines textual analysis, participant observation, interviews, and contextual interpretation of symbolic practices to explore the relationship between ritual meaning and Islamic legal objectives. The findings demonstrate that mappacci, especially through the symbolic interaction of sennu-sennureng functions not merely as a customary rite but as a culturally mediated ethical system through which welfare (maṣlaḥah), moral responsibility, family integrity, and social harmony are articulated and sustained. The study argues that local rituals do not simply reflect Islamic norms but actively participate in their negotiation, reproduction, and ethical grounding within plural normative environments. Conceptually, it advances an understanding of Islamic law as a living and socially embedded normative system by integrating insights from symbolic meaning, legal pluralism, and maqāṣid-oriented legal philosophy. This contribution extends international discussions on living Islamic law by demonstrating how ritual practices serve as sites of normative production where religious authority, cultural tradition, and ethical reasoning intersect in everyday Muslim life.

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