<![CDATA[This study aims to examine the tension between the religious recognition of extra-judicial divorce under Islamic jurisprudence and its legitimization under Indonesia’s positive law, concerning the protection of women’s and children’s rights. The study employs normative legal research using statutory, conceptual, and case approaches, supported by qualitative analysis based on maṣlaḥah and maqāṣid al-sharī‘ah. The findings demonstrate that the dualism between Islamic jurisprudence, which recognizes the religious consequences of divorce pronounced outside the court, and positive law, which requires divorce to be determined by a court, creates legal uncertainty concerning marital status, maintenance, child custody, ‘iddah, remarriage, and family law administration. This uncertainty affects women and children by weakening the enforceability of post-divorce rights and obligations. The analysis establishes that religious recognition of divorce occurring outside the court should not be equated with legitimization, because legitimization may undermine judicial oversight and protection of vulnerable members. Judicial confirmation of divorce can instead function as a restorative mechanism that provides legal certainty concerning an occurred divorce without legitimizing extra-judicial divorce as a lawful form. The study concludes that maintaining a clear distinction between recognition and legitimization is essential for reconciling Islamic legal consequences with Indonesia’s positive law while safeguarding women’s and children’s rights. Academically, the study contributes a maṣlaḥah- and maqāṣid al-sharī‘ah-based framework for family law that conceptualizes judicial confirmation of divorce as restorative recognition rather than legal legitimization, offering a rights-sensitive approach to resolving tensions surrounding extra-judicial divorce in Indonesia.]]>
