Riddah and Its Legal Effects According to the Perspective of Islamic Law and Law No. 1 Year 1974 to Law No. 16 of 2019 Concerning Marriage

Haeratun Haeratun (University of Mataram)

Formosa Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (FJMR)
Vol. 4 No. 5 (2025): May 2025

This study examines the legal implications of apostasy (riddah) in the context of Islamic law and Indonesian positive law, particularly focusing on Law No. 1 of 1974 in conjunction with Law No. 16 of 2019 concerning Marriage. Apostasy is a sensitive issue that impacts not only personal faith but also the legal validity of marital relationships and the legitimacy of offspring within the Islamic legal framework. Through a normative legal research method employing a statutory, conceptual, and comparative approach, this paper reveals that apostasy leads to the automatic dissolution (fasakh) of marriage under Islamic law. In contrast, Indonesian national law considers marriage valid until a court issues a divorce ruling, regardless of apostasy. This discrepancy creates legal ambiguities, especially concerning children's status, inheritance rights, and guardianship. The research concludes with recommendations for legal reforms to harmonize Islamic legal doctrine and Indonesian marriage law, ensuring clarity and legal certainty in apostasy-related divorce cases.