<![CDATA[This study aims to examine the legal considerations of religious court judges in denying marriage dispensation requests prompted by premarital pregnancy, specifically analyzing Decision Number 27/Pdt.G/2024/PA.CN through the analytical lens of Maqashid al-Shari’ah. Methodologically, this research employs a qualitative-doctrinal approach utilizing a case-study method to critically evaluate judicial reasoning alongside contemporary child protection frameworks. The findings indicate that the judge’s decision to deny the dispensation request was strictly rooted in a broader systemic paradigm that prioritizes the best interests of the child over immediate socio-cultural pressures or administrative relief. From a Maqashid al-Shari’ah perspective, while premarital pregnancy creates a social emergency, granting an early marriage to unprepared minors poses a more significant risk to their long-term well-being. Therefore, the denial serves as an operational implementation of protecting the soul (hifdh al-nafs), intellect (hifdh al-’aql), and future lineage (hifdh al-nasl) by preventing the perpetuation of unstable family structures and socio-economic vulnerability. Financially and socially, this study contributes valuable insights for legal practitioners and religious authorities by shifting the judicial framework from a purely formalistic administrative response to a substantive, protection-oriented mechanism. Ultimately, these insights offer a balanced and non-technical legal model that effectively reconciles traditional Islamic jurisprudence boundaries with modern civilizational child protection standards.]]>
