Reconstructing Local Wisdom through Islamic Law: Public Policy and Health Implications of the Newborn River-Bathing Tradition
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Abstract
This study analyzes the Nuron Nemiak Kaik tradition, a customary ritual of bathing newborn babies in rivers practiced in West Kalimantan, Indonesia from the dual perspectives of Islamic jurisprudence (‘urf and ḥifẓ al-nafs) and public health policies. Previous studies have predominantly addressed this ritual through an anthropological lens, creating a critical research gap regarding how local customary practices can be harmonized with formal child health protection standards and legal norms. Employing an empirical socio-legal method with semi-structured interviews across 14 key informants (customary leaders, religious scholars, healthcare practitioners, and parents), this study evaluates the legal and operational boundaries of cultural preservation. The findings reveal that while the ritual fosters communal solidarity and cultural identity, performing unheated river immersion during the early neonatal stage violates World Health Organization (WHO) neonatal thermal protection guidelines, posing severe risks of acute hypothermia and water aspiration. From an Islamic legal standpoint, the tradition cannot be categorized as ‘urf ṣaḥīḥ (valid custom) in its unedited form due to the violation of ḥifẓ al-nafs (preservation of life). However, rather than abolishing the practice, this study proposes a constructive legal reconstruction framework. Practically, local governments and village authorities are advised to institutionalize village-level public health regulations (Peraturan Desa) that mandate delaying the water ritual past the critical 24-hour neonatal threshold and substituting cold river immersion with symbolic water sprinkling using boiled, hygienic water.
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