Living Qur’an in the Practice of Ideu Sapo: An Ethnographic Study in Dusun Sawah, Rejang Lebong

Abstract

The Ideu Sapo healing practice is a result of the negotiation between Islam and the traditions of the Rejang community. This negotiation is reflected in the use of Qur'anic verses as incantations in the Ideu Sapo healing process. This article employs qualitative methods with a phenomenological and ethnographic approach using the Living Qur’an model. The research findings indicate that, first, the exact origins of Ideu Sapo healing are unknown. However, this practice has been passed down through generations by the Rejang community in Dusun Sawah. Ideu Sapo represents a negotiation between Islam and the Rejang traditions, where Qur'anic verses are used as incantations to heal ailments believed to be caused by supernatural beings. Secondly, the Ideu Sapo healing process is carried out in three stages: pre-Ideu Sapo, where patients prepare turmeric; the mideu process, where the healer recites incantations in the Rejang language along with Qur'anic verses; and post-mideu, where the turmeric that has been enchanted is applied to the body in the shape of a (+) sign. Thirdly, the healers interpret the Qur'anic verses recited during the Ideu Sapo process as both medicine and wasilah. Wasilah is understood as a means to seek Allah’s favor and to express hope (raja’).