Liniage and Symbolic Power

In traditional Muslim societis, liniage is not only seen as biological descent, but as a symbol with capital value in social and religious contexts. Titles such as Sayyid or Habib in the Ba’alwi community become symbols of spiritual and moral authority, providing legitimacy within the social structure. Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of symbolic power helps to understand liniage as a social construct that organizes hierarchy based on religious status recognition. Through a literature study and discourse analysis approach, this research aims to analyze how symbols play an important role in shaping power relations and the productions of knowledge in society. The controversy surrounding the legitimacy of liniage, as reflected in the genealogy og Husainuddin Utsman Al-Bantani, illustrates the existence of conflicts between tradition preservation and the drive for social equality. Therefore, liniage functions as an element that links spritual, political identity, and the dynamics of power in a society rich in meaning.