Usaha Pengekalan Jati Diri Melayu Kelantan Berpaksikan Warisan Adat Melayu dan Adab Islami

(Efforts to Preserve Kelantanese Malay Identity through Malay Customary Heritage and Islamic Adab)

Abstract

The continuity of a nation depends upon the resilience of its society in preserving its identity, value system, and cultural heritage. This paper aims to demonstrate that Malay customs (adat Melayu) and Islamic etiquette (adab Islami) constitute fundamental elements in shaping communal identity by examining the identity of Kelantan Malay, the meanings of Malay customs and Islamic etiquette from the perspectives of Malay literary traditions, state legislation, and the Majlis Agama Islam dan Adat Istiadat Melayu Kelantan (MAIK), as well as analysing the principal characteristics of Kelantan Malay customs that underpin the civilization of its society. This study employs a qualitative approach through documentary analysis involving classical Malay manuscripts, state enactments, official government reports, academic works, indigenous Kelantan literary sources, and official references. The findings reveal that Kelantan Malay customs are not confined merely to traditional practices; rather, they encompass a broader civilizational system comprising culture, law, economic transactions (muamalat), and social values rooted in Islamic principles. Islamic etiquette, meanwhile, functions as the foundation for the formation of morality, civility, education, social relations, and civic consciousness within Kelantan Malay society. Hence, the strengthening of Malay customs and Islamic etiquette constitutes a crucial mechanism for preserving the identity of the Kelantan Malays in confronting the contemporary challenges of modernization and globalization.