Salawat Dulang: Minang Oral Tradition as Oral History of Islam

Salawat dulang is an oral tradition of the Minang peoples of West Sumatra (Indonesia) that simultaneously entertains an audience and reinforces knowledge about Islam (dakwah). Developed within the context of the Sufi Syattariyah brotherhood, salawat dulang reveals the influence of Islamic mysticism on the production and embodiment of Islamic knowledge in Sumatra through the performing arts. In this article, I apply perspectives and methods from oral history and performance ethnography to show how salawat dulang serves as an embodied practice that strengthens a practitioner’s position as both spiritual guide and oral historian for their community.