Grave Pilgrimage: The Interface of Islam and Local Tradition in Indonesia

Grave pilgrimage is one of the important traditions for Indonesian Muslim communities, which is not only influenced by religious teachings but also influenced by local traditions. The harmonisation between Islam and local Sasak traditions forms the Sasak Islamic tradition practiced by the natives of Lombok Island. This article explains the motivations, meanings, rituals, and processions which pilgrims perform and the relationship between Islamic teachings and local traditions in the pilgrimage to the graves of Ulemas (Islamic scholars). To achieve this goal, the data of this qualitative research were obtained through observations, interviews, and online media to obtain in-depth data. The findings of this article show that myths and beliefs in the supernatural powers of Ulemas influence the spiritual, historical, and social meanings of graves for pilgrims. Pilgrims have a variety of motivations for visiting the grave, such as spiritual therapy, well-being, healing, and health therapy based on an understanding of hadith (the words and deeds of the Prophet). This research confirms previous findings that Muslims visit the Ulemas graves to focus on praying and carrying out rituals according to the motivation and meaning of the graves for them, which can contribute to further studies related to harmonisation between Islam and local traditions in Muslim religious practices.