Electronic Theses and Dissertation

Tradisi Tolak Bala merupakan salah satu warisan budaya masyarakat Aceh yang masih dipraktikkan hingga saat ini, termasuk di Gampong Darul Ikhsan, Kecamatan Bakongan, Kabupaten Aceh Selatan. Perkembangan sosial serta meningkatnya pemahaman keagamaan telah memengaruhi cara masyarakat memaknai dan melaksanakan tradisi tersebut. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis persepsi masyarakat terhadap Tradisi Tolak Bala serta mendeskripsikan tata cara pelaksanaannya di Gampong Darul Ikhsan. Penelitian menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif deskriptif dengan teknik pengumpulan data melalui wawancara semi terstruktur, observasi, dan dokumentasi. Informan penelitian dipilih menggunakan teknik purposive sampling yang melibatkan keuchik dan tokoh masyarakat. Analisis data dilakukan melalui tahapan reduksi data, penyajian data, dan penarikan kesimpulan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa masyarakat memiliki persepsi positif terhadap Tradisi Tolak Bala sebagai bentuk ikhtiar kepada Allah SWT untuk memohon perlindungan dari musibah sekaligus sebagai warisan budaya yang mengandung nilai religius, gotong royong, kebersamaan, dan silaturahmi. Pelaksanaan tradisi dilakukan melalui persiapan, pembacaan ayat suci Al-Qur'an, zikir, salawat, doa bersama, dan makan bersama. Tradisi ini telah mengalami penyesuaian dengan ajaran Islam melalui penghapusan unsur-unsur ritual yang dianggap tidak sesuai tanpa menghilangkan makna utamanya. Penelitian ini menyimpulkan bahwa Tradisi Tolak Bala tetap bertahan sebagai identitas budaya masyarakat Aceh melalui proses adaptasi terhadap perubahan sosial dan nilai-nilai keagamaan.
Kata Kunci: persepsi, Tolak Bala, budaya Aceh, persepsi, tradisi

The Tolak Bala Tradition is one of Aceh's cultural heritages that continues to be practiced, particularly in Darul Ikhsan Village, Bakongan District, South Aceh Regency. Social transformation and increasing religious understanding have influenced how the community perceives and performs this tradition. This study aims to analyze community perceptions of the Tolak Bala Tradition and describe its implementation in Darul Ikhsan Village. A descriptive qualitative approach was employed using semi-structured interviews, observation, and documentation as data collection techniques. Informants were selected through purposive sampling, involving the village head and community leaders. Data were analyzed through the stages of data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings reveal that the community holds a positive perception of the Tolak Bala Tradition, viewing it as a form of ikhtiar to seek protection from Allah SWT against disasters while preserving cultural values of religiosity, mutual cooperation, solidarity, and social cohesion. The implementation consists of preparation, recitation of the Holy Qur'an, dhikr, shalawat, collective prayers, and communal meals. The tradition has undergone adaptation by eliminating ritual elements considered inconsistent with Islamic teachings while preserving its essential meaning and cultural values. This study concludes that the Tolak Bala Tradition remains an important cultural identity of the Acehnese community through a process of cultural adaptation that aligns with contemporary social changes and religious values. Keywords: perception, Tolak Bala, Acehnese culture, perception, tradition