The Function of Surau in Minangkabau Culture

Abstract

The purpose of the present study is to describe the complexity of the surau function in Minangkabau culture society. The subjects of the research were students, alumni, Sheikh who served as teachers and surau managers, and key informants consisting of intellectuals, alim ulama, ninik-mamak, government, and parents. Participatory observation, in-depth interviews, and document analysis were used to collect the data. The data were analyzed using the model proposed by Miles and Huberman that consisted of data collection, data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion. The findings reveal that the function of surau in Minangkabau is not only as a place to study religion but also learn custom, tradition, and silat. Thus, it can be concluded that surau played a major role in every aspect of Minangkabau. Keywords—function of surau; Minangkabau culture