Contextualization of the Mu’amalah Principle in Marosok: A Study of Living Hadith in the Minangkabau Society

Abstract

Books list Hadith as a normative text; however, it also transforms into a social practice within Muslim culture. The manifestation is the Marosok tradition in Minangkabau, West Sumatera - Indonesia, which is cattle buying and selling transactions that are carried out non-verbally through hand gestures. This research asks three main questions: (1) How is the practice of the Marosok tradition carried out in the Minangkabau community as non-verbal buying and selling transactions? (2) What are the principles of mu’amalah that are substantively reflected in the practice of Marosok? and (3) How can the living hadith approach be used to understand Marosok as a contextualization of hadith teachings in local culture? This study uses a qualitative approach with a literature ethnographic method, based on data from previous research relevant to the hadith of mu’amalah, Marosok practices, and Minangkabau cultural dynamics. Researchers carried out a descriptive and interpretive analysis to trace the integration between Islamic teachings and local cultural expressions. The study revealed that participants conducted Marosok using a system of non-verbal bargaining with culturally agreed-upon hand gestures. This system internalized the basic values of mu’amalah, such as honesty (shidq), mutual pleasure (taraḍhin), and the prohibition of deception (gharar/ghisy). The living hadith approach explains that Marosok is the contextualization of mu’amalah hadith in local traditions that is in line with Maqāṣid syarī'ah, especially in maintaining property (ḥifẓ al-māl) and realizing justice in transactions. Thus, Marosok is proof that the teachings of hadith can live and develop in the cultural diversity of Muslims.