Journal of Law, Social Science and Management
Vol. 3 No. 1 (2026): January - June

Between Tradition and Reform: Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah and the Transformation of Islamic Family Law in Indonesia

Wa Ode Zuliarti (Halu Oleo University)
Muhammad Ibnu Rasyid (Faculty of Law, Halu Oleo University, Kendari)
Novita Aliasari (Faculty of Law, Halu Oleo University, Kendari)
Akmal Surianto (Faculty of Law, Halu Oleo University, Kendari)
Muhammad Yusuf Mutahir (Faculty of Law, Halu Oleo University, Kendari)
Mustika Mustika (Faculty of Law, Halu Oleo University, Kendari)
Muhammad Luthfi (Faculty of Law, Halu Oleo University, Kendari)
Muhammad Rayhan Pratama (Faculty of Law, Halu Oleo University, Kendari)
Nailah Nailah (Faculty of Law, Halu Oleo University, Kendari)



Article Info

Publish Date
23 Jun 2026

Abstract

Background: Islamic family law in Indonesia is undergoing profound transformation, navigating tensions between classical fiqh, national legislation, and contemporary demands for gender justice and human rights. Central to this transformation is Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah, the objectives-based framework of Islamic jurisprudence, which has emerged as the primary normative instrument for legitimizing and directing legal reform in areas including marriage, divorce, child custody, and property rights. Objectives: This study examines how Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah functions as a jurisprudential foundation for reforming Indonesian Islamic family law, with particular focus on the elevation of the minimum marriage age, mandatory civil registration, and post-divorce property rights. Method: A qualitative doctrinal-legal design was employed, combining normative analysis of primary legal texts (Law No. 1/1974, Law No. 16/2019, and the KHI) with a purposive review of 24 peer-reviewed international sources. Data were analyzed thematically using a three-layered hermeneutical framework grounded in the five essential maqāṣid objectives. Results: Findings reveal that each legislative reform aligns coherently with the maqāṣid principles of preserving life, lineage, intellect, and property: the age amendment reduces maternal mortality and child poverty; mandatory registration safeguards women’s and children’s legal personhood; and codification of marital joint property prevents post-divorce economic dispossession. Conclusion: Indonesian Islamic family law reform exemplifies a “third pathway” progressive maqāṣid jurisprudence that remains anchored in classical Islamic legal tradition while generating outcomes that protect human dignity and converge with international human rights standards, offering a replicable model for Muslim-majority states navigating analogous reform pressures. Keywords: maqāṣid al-sharīʿah; Islamic family law; legal reform; gender justice

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Journal Info

Abbrev

jlsm

Publisher

Subject

Religion Humanities Decision Sciences, Operations Research & Management Education Law, Crime, Criminology & Criminal Justice

Description

Journal of Law, Social Science and Management adalah jurnal ilmiah terkemuka yang menerbitkan artikel penelitian, tinjauan pustaka, dan laporan ilmiah yang mengintegrasikan perspektif dari hukum, ilmu sosial, dan manajemen untuk menganalisis dinamika sosial dan organisasi baik di Indonesia maupun ...