In this episode of the Islamic Humanities Webinar Series, hosted by the Misbah International Institute in collaboration with the Imam Khomeini Education and Research Institute, we explore the “complex mosaic” of Indonesia’s legal system. Our guest, Dr. Muhammad Tawfiq, Associate Professor at the University of Indonesia, provides an in-depth look at how the world’s most populous Muslim nation manages the integration of Islamic legal principles into a modern state framework.
Key topics discussed in this session include:
- The Hybrid Legal Foundation: An analysis of Indonesia’s “legal pluralism,” which combines colonial heritage, customary (adat) law, and Sharia.
- Special Autonomy in Aceh: A look at the unique implementation of Sharia in Aceh as a formal, comprehensive system and the national debates it sparks regarding human rights.
- The Economic Success of Sharia: How Islamic law has seen “seamless integration” in Indonesia’s global hub for Sharia-compliant finance and the halal lifestyle.
- Managing Tensions: A candid discussion on the challenges of reconciling 7th-century legal traditions with 21st-century international norms, focusing on gender equality, child marriage, and minority rights.
- The Role of Maslaha and Maqasid: How jurists use the concepts of “public interest” and the “objectives of Sharia” to adapt traditional rulings to modern social realities.
- Environmental Fatwas: An exploration of how the Ulama in Indonesia use religious authority to address contemporary crises like deforestation and pollution.
This lecture offers a blueprint for how Sharia can function as a “living ethical system” rather than just a rigid legal code in a globalized society.
