The Dynamics of the Relationship between Islamic Law and Customary Law in Inheritance Disputes in Indonesia
Keywords:
Customary law; Indonesia; Inheritance; Islamic law; Legal policy.Abstract
This study aims to analyse the dynamics of the political relationship between Islamic law and customary law in inheritance disputes in Indonesia. This study employs a critical qualitative approach using legal-political discourse analysis based on social theory as its main framework. It focuses on a critical reading of legal texts, legislation, religious fatwas, court decisions, customary documents, and public discourse in the mass media and academia related to inheritance disputes. The findings reveal that the struggle and negotiation between Islamic law and customary law in inheritance disputes in Indonesia are not merely conflicts between religious norms and local traditions, but rather a sharp reflection of how the state regulates, negotiates, and even instrumentalises law for the sake of political identity and formal stability. When the state chooses to affirm one legal system while reducing another, what is sacrificed is not only legal diversity itself but also substantive justice for the most vulnerable—women, customary communities, and those living under overlapping legal authorities that are not equal. This is where the urgency lies for the emergence of a new legal paradigm that not only recognises plurality but also nurtures it as a collective force towards inclusive social justice.
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