Understanding Customary Traditions
Etymologically, in this case custom comes from Arabic which means "habit", so etymologically custom can be defined as an act that is done repeatedly and then becomes a habit that is fixed and respected by people, then the habit becomes custom. Adat is a habit that grows and is formed from a community or region that is considered to have nails and is upheld and obeyed by supporting communities.
Understanding Customary Traditions According to Experts
For in Indonesia, the aspects of human life become binding legal rules called traditional law. Adat has been institutionalized in community life in the form of traditions, customs, ceremonies and so on, which is able to control people's behavior in the form of feelings of pleasure or pride and the role of traditional leaders who become community leaders becomes quite important.
Customs or habits can be interpreted as a person's behavior which is continuously carried out in a certain way and followed by outside communities for a long time. Thus the elements of the creation of adat is the existence of a person's behavior, carried out continuously, the time dimension and followed by other people / communities.
Understanding Customary Traditions
In this case the understanding of customs relates to the attitudes and behavior of a person who is followed by another person in a fairly long process of time, this shows how broad the understanding of such customs. Each community or nation and state has its own customs, one and the other must not be the same.
Customs can reflect the soul of a society or nation and are a personality of a community or nation. The level of civilization, a modern way of life a person can not eliminate the behavior or customs that live and are rooted in society.
Understanding Customary Traditions According to Experts
There are several definitions of customs according to experts which include:
According to Jalaludi Tunsam
Which in his writings in 1660 states that "adat" comes from Arabic which is a plural form of "adah" which means a way or habit. As has been explained that adat is a cultural idea that contains cultural values, norms, habits and laws that are commonly practiced by a region. Well, usually if this custom is not obeyed then there will be sanctions both written and directly given to the behavior that violates them.
According to Koen Cakraningrat
Adat is a form of embodiment of culture, then adat is described as a code of conduct. Adat is an unwritten norm or rule, but its existence is very strong and binding so that anyone who violates it will be subject to a fairly harsh sanction. For example, if there is a partner who is committing a relationship that is not commendable such as adultery, the couple will get sanction both physically and mentally as applied by the province of Aceh that applies caning.
According to Harjito Notopura "Dewi Wulansari, 2010: 4"
Customary law is an unwritten law, customary law with special characteristics which is a guideline of people's lives in carrying out the system of justice and welfare of the community and is familial in nature.
According to Raden Soepomo "Dewi Wulansari, 2010: 4"
Customary law is a synonym of the law that is not written in legislative regulations, the law that lives as a convention in the state legal bodies "parliament, provincial council and so on", the law that lives as customary rules are maintained in the association of life, both in the city and in the villages.
According to the Great Language Dictionary
Adat is a rule "deeds, etc." which is commonly followed or carried out since time immemorial, a way of "behavior, etc." which has become a habit, a form of cultural ideas consisting of cultural values, norms, laws and rules related to one another to become a system . Because the term adat has been absorbed into Indonesian, the term customary law can be compared to customary law.