SPs Theater Room UIN Jakarta, SPs NEWS - The Graduate School (SPs) of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta held the 2795th Thesis Exam at the SPs Theater Room of UIN Jakarta on Thursday, January 15, 2026 with candidate Siti Rohwati.

Siti is a student of the Master of Islamic Studies program with a concentration in Anthropology and Sociology of Religion. His thesis is entitled "Islam and Local Culture (Study of the Tradition of Traditional Fasting of the Muslim Community of Samin-Blora".

Siti began her presentation by highlighting academic anxiety related to cultural synthesis. For him, the interaction between the universal idea of Islam and particular traditions is often underestimated by puritans as a form of deviation, even though this phenomenon is a rich manifestation of authentic local Islamic manifestations.

This study dissects how the Samin Muslim community in Blora does not just accept or reject outside influences, but conducts active negotiations. Through interactive cultural strategies, they knit harmony between the old traditions inherited by their ancestors and the Islamic teachings that they adopt today.

Using qualitative methods based on field studies, Siti delved into the lives of the Samin people in depth. He collected primary data from 15 key informants, supported by secondary literature to strengthen the dialectical analysis between religion and local culture in Central Java.

Using an anthropological approach, this study presents a sharp argument that the flow of Islamization in the archipelago often corners old traditions. The dominance of the "big religion" often leaves a cultural space that is increasingly dim, but the Samin people in Blora turn out to have extraordinary cultural resilience to continue to exist.

Siti found that the encounter of Islam with the Samin tradition produced a unique variant. Instead of being completely eroded, there is a complex symbolic negotiation and adjustment of meaning, in which the symbols of Islam and Saminism intertwine without having to eliminate each other.

One of the interesting findings is the practice of worship that goes hand in hand. Although the Samin Muslim community obediently observes the Ramadan fast, they still consistently carry out  the traditional Javanese-style Ngrowot and Deder fasts. This phenomenon shows a cultural attitude that is collaborative, not confrontational.

For the Samin Muslim community, Islamic fasting and traditional fasting are seen as reciprocal or complementary. Local culture is not considered a rival to the sharia, but rather enriches their Islamic expression, making it more colorful and grounded.

This finding is also a criticism of Ernest Gellner's theory. If Gellner considers modernization and Islamization as a purification process that erodes local expression, Siti's research proves the opposite: local expression remains resilient and able to adapt in the midst of the changing times.

By dissecting the data through Clifford Geertz's symbolic interpretive theory and the self-identity theory of Peter J. Burke and Jan E. Stets, Siti reveals the difference in perspectives between generations in viewing traditional fasting.

For the young generation of Samin, carrying out traditional fasting is a form of appreciation and an effort to maintain cultural identity in the midst of the onslaught of modernity. Meanwhile, for the older generation, fasting is a means of unifying customs and sharia, as well as an instrument of deepening spirituality.

Siti explained the specific meaning of this type of fast: Ngrowot  fasting is interpreted as  redemption for women's attitudes, while Deder  fasting represents a symbol of Samin man's steadfastness and responsibility. This exam ended with appreciation from the examiners for Siti's contribution in enriching the treasures of Islamic studies in the archipelago.

Siti Rohwati successfully defended her thesis under the guidance of Hamdani, M.Ag, Ph.D, and was tested in front of a board of examiners consisting of Prof. Dr. Yusuf Rahman, MA, Hamdani, M.Ag, Ph.D, Prof. Dr. M. Ikhsan Tanggok, M.Si and Prof. Dr. Hamid Nasuki, M.Ag.

After paying attention to the thesis writing, the comments of the examiner team and the candidate's answers, the examiner team determined that Siti Rohwati graduated with the title of Very Satisfactory. Siti Rohwati is the 2795th Master in the field of Islamic Studies, in the Master's program of the Graduate School of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. (YES)