Toward a Fiqh of Religious Competition: A Qualitative Study of Negotiating Piety and Performance in Kerinci’s Musabaqah Tilawatil Qur’an
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.28918/religia.v29i2.16204Abstract
The Musabaqah Tilawatil Qur’an (MTQ) brings together two orientations not always aligning: piety, emphasizing devotion to the Qur’an, and competition, entailing public evaluation and recognition. This tension is particularly evident in the organization of the MTQ in Kerinci Regency, where achievement is understood not only as an individual accomplishment but also as a source of regional prestige. This article examines how actors involved in the MTQ understand, justify, and negotiate the relationship between piety and competition. The study employs a qualitative approach with a case study design. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with LPTQ administrators, coaches, participants, religious leaders, and local government representatives, complemented by observation and document analysis. The findings show that the actors do not perceive piety and competition as mutually exclusive orientations. Rather, they develop a form of normative reasoning that positions competition as a wasilah (means) for attaining religious goals (ghayah), evaluates achievement in terms of maslahah and collective benefit, and treats intentions (niyyah) as both a moral orientation and a boundary for competitive achievement. Based on these findings, the article proposes the concept of Fiqh of Religious Competition to explain the pattern of normative reasoning through which competitive practices can continue to be understood as part of religious conduct. The concept contributes to contemporary Islamic studies by demonstrating how fiqh reasoning operates contextually to sustain the relationship between piety, performance, and competition in religious life in Indonesia.
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