Adat and Tajdīd: The Cultural Dialectic of Haji Rasul's Islamic Reform in Minangkabau

Abstract

This article examines the dialectical relationship between Minangkabau adat (customary traditions) and Islamic renewal (tajdīd) in the thought and reformist activities of Haji Abdul Karim Amrullah (Haji Rasul) in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. While historical studies have examined his role in Islamic reform, the philosophical and ethical dimensions of his engagement with Minangkabau culture warrant further analysis. This study asks how Haji Rasul negotiated existing customary traditions while articulating an Islamic reform agenda that sought religious purification without necessarily rejecting Minangkabau cultural identity. Using a qualitative, historical-philosophical approach, it interprets biographical accounts, historical studies, and relevant texts through the Sufi concepts of takhliyah (purification) and tahliyah (adornment). The analysis argues that these concepts offer an interpretive framework for understanding reform as a process of critically reassessing customary practices and cultivating ethical conduct in accordance with Islamic principles. Haji Rasul’s reformism is thus understood as a selective engagement with adat, distinguishing practices considered compatible with Islamic teachings from those he regarded as religiously problematic. This study highlights the philosophical significance of the adat–tajdīd relationship and contributes to a more nuanced understanding of Islamic reform as a process of religious critique, ethical transformation, and cultural negotiation in Minangkabau.