Adat

Adat (Arabic: عادات; Chechen: Адат; Avar: Адат; Malay: عادت; Chagatay: ئادەت; Pashto: عادت; Serbian: адет adet) is a generic term derived from Arabic to describe a variety of local customary practices and traditions deemed compatible with Islam as observed by Muslim communities in the Balkans, North Caucasus, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia. Despite its Arabic origin, the term adat resonates deeply throughout Maritime Southeast Asia, where due to colonial influence, its usage has been systematically institutionalised into various non-Muslim communities.^[1] Within the region, the term refers, in a broader sense, to the customary norms, rules, interdictions, and injunctions that guide individuals' conduct as members of the community and the sanctions and forms of address by which these norms and rules are upheld.^[2] Adat also includes the set of local and traditional laws and dispute resolution systems by which these societies are regulated.