Ruwatan, Acculturation, and Strengthening Prophetic Values: A Study of the Magetan Community

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This study explores the transformation of ruwatan, a traditional Javanese ritual intended to remove misfortune, into a form of prophetic education within the Muslim community of Magetan, East Java. Originally rooted in pre-Islamic animistic and Hindu-Buddhist traditions, ruwatan has experienced a gradual acculturation process by integrating Islamic values and discarding elements contrary to Islamic principles. In its current form, the ritual incorporates Qur’anic recitation, congregational prayer, and acts of charity, replacing symbolic offerings and mythological narratives. Using a qualitative religious-sociological approach, data were gathered through participant observation, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and document analysis to capture both theological and cultural dimensions. The findings revealed a significant shift from ruwatan as a purely ceremonial act toward its function as a socio-religious and educational practice that embodies prophetic values: humanization (amar ma’ruf), liberation (nahy munkar), and transcendence (tu’minuna billah). This reorientation was achieved not through abrupt religious reform, but through the culturally sensitive and persuasive strategies of local Islamic leaders, who sought to harmonize local wisdom with Islamic orthodoxy. The study demonstrates that, when grounded in cultural empathy, Islamic education can facilitate spiritual renewal, foster social cohesion, and reconstruct communal identity in the face of modern world challenges. The case of ruwatan in Magetan illustrates the dynamic interplay between tradition and religious reform, highlighting the potential for local customs to serve as vehicles for prophetic education in contemporary Muslim societies.