Mandi Langir dan Kepentingannya dalam Masyarakat Kedayan serta Perspektif Islam Mengenainya

The Importance of Langir Bath in Kedayan Community and the Islamic Views about it

Abstract

Etnik Kedayan dipercayai berasal dari Jawa dan dibawa ke Brunei oleh Sultan Bolkiah (Sultan Brunei Kelima). Daripada Brunei, sebahagian mereka berhijrah dan menetap di Sabah dan Sarawak. Masyarakat tersebut juga merupakan penganut agama Islam yang dipercayai telah menerima Islam melalui Kesultanan Brunei pada akhir abad ke-15. Mereka terkenal dengan budaya dan amalan mereka yang unik. Antaranya ialah amalan ‘balangi’ atau mandi langir. Sehubungan dengan itu, makalah ini bertujuan mengupas secara deskriptif interpretif amalan mandi langir dan kepentingannya dalam kalangan masyarakat Kedayan. Kajin ini merupakan kajian kualitatif yang menggunakan kaedah temu bual bagi mendapatkan data. Seterusnya, teks verbatim dianalisis bagi melihat sama ada wujud asas atau elemen daripada pra Islam dan Islam dalam amalan mandi langir masyarakat Kedayan. Kajian mendapati, amalan mandi langir dalam masyarakat Kedayan ada asasnya daripada kepercayaan pra Islam iaitu dinamisme-animisme dan juga Islam. Interaksi antara keduanya pada peringkat awal menyebabkan sinkretisme. Sungguhpun begitu, elemen sinkretisme dalam amalan mandi langir masyarakat Kedayan hampir pupus.

Abstract: Kedayan ethnicity is believed to have come from Java and brought to Brunei by Sultan Bolkiah (Sultan of Brunei Fifth). From Brunei, some of them migrated and settled in Sabah and Sarawak. The community is also a Muslim who is believed to have accepted Islam through the Sultanate of Brunei at the end of the 15th century. They are famous for their unique culture and practices. Among them is the practice of 'balangi' or Langir bath. The question is how this practice is implemented and it is acceptable from the view of Islamic perspective? This paper is aimed to explore the practice of Langir bath and its importance to the Kedayan society. In addition, this study also explores the views of Muslim scholars on it. This study is a qualitative study using interview method for data collection. Subsequently, verbatim texts were analyzed to see whether there exists a basis of pre-Islamic and Islamic elements in the practice of Langir bath among Kedayan community. The study found that the practice of Langir bath in the Kedayan community have a basis from the pre-Islamic belief of dynamism-animism as well as Islam. The interaction between the two beliefs in the early stages causes syncretism. However, the element of syncretism in the Langir bath practice of the Kedayan community is almost extinct.