Adapting Fiqh al-Aqalliyāt in Japan: Islamic Legal Responses to Muslim Social Life in a Minority Context

Ade Dedi Rohayana (Universitas Islam Negeri K.H. Abdurrahman Wahid Pekalongan)
Maghfur Ahmad (UIN K.H. Abdurrahman Wahid Pekalongan)
Taufiqur Rohman
Achmad Gazali

Ahkam: Jurnal Ilmu Syariah
Vol. 25 No. 2 (2025)

The adaptation of fiqh al-aqalliyāt (Islamic jurisprudence for Muslim minorities) poses legal and social challenges for Muslims in non-Muslim majority countries. Japan, with its secular legal system and predominantly non-Muslim society, offers a distinct context to examine how Muslim communities maintain religious practices in a non-supportive environment. This study explores how Muslims in Japan adjust their religious obligations despite limited access to religious facilities, how they reconcile Islamic law with Japanese state law, and how these adjustments influence social integration. Data were gathered through qualitative methods, including in-depth interviews with Muslim community members and leaders in urban areas such as Tokyo, Mito, Koga and Ibaraki. Using the frameworks of legal pluralism and maṣlaḥah-based reasoning, the study reveals that Muslims apply flexible interpretations of fiqh al-aqalliyāt, including time adjustments for prayer, the use of shared spaces for worship, and legal innovations in marriage. These adaptive strategies help sustain religious identity while fostering coexistence. The study concludes that fiqh al-aqalliyāt can serve as a dynamic legal tool to harmonize religious commitments with minority realities, contributing to the broader discourse on Islamic law in global minority contexts.   Abstrak Adaptasi fiqh al-aqalliyāt menghadirkan tantangan signifikan bagi Muslim yang hidup sebagai minoritas di negara non-Muslim. Studi kualitatif ini mengkaji bagaimana komunitas Muslim di Jepang—sebuah negara sekuler dengan sistem hukum dan masyarakat yang khas—mengatasi keterbatasan akses terhadap fasilitas ibadah dan mendamaikan hukum agama dengan hukum negara. Melalui wawancara mendalam dengan anggota komunitas di wilayah perkotaan (termasuk Tokyo dan Ibaraki), penelitian ini menemukan bahwa dengan menggunakan kerangka pluralisme hukum dan pendekatan berbasis maṣlaḥah, Muslim Jepang menerapkan interpretasi fiqh al-aqalliyāt yang fleksibel, seperti penyesuaian waktu salat, penggunaan ruang bersama untuk ibadah, dan inovasi dalam masalah pernikahan. Strategi adaptif ini memungkinkan mereka mempertahankan identitas keagamaan, mendorong integrasi sosial, dan hidup berdampingan secara harmonis, sekaligus menegaskan bahwa fiqh al-aqalliyāt dapat menjadi instrumen hukum yang dinamis untuk menyelaraskan komitmen keagamaan dengan realitas minoritas global.