Arifah Millati Agustina

Protecting Women’s Rights in Exogamous Society: Mahram in Minangkabau Customs

Introduction

Protecting women’s rights in exogamous society: mahram in minangkabau customs. Explore Minangkabau exogamy and 'mahram' customs protecting women's rights. This socio-legal study analyzes how stricter tribal marriage prohibitions benefit women, contributing to feminist fiqh.

Abstract

The study discusses the interpretation of mahram and the implementation of this concept in a sociological context. In Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh), mahram refers to individuals who are prohibited from marrying due to blood relations. This concept differs from exogamy, which, in the context of Minangkabau customs, refers to the prohibition of marriage between members of the same Minangkabau tribe. This prohibition is grounded not only in biological considerations but also in customary practices. Using a socio-legal approach, the researcher explored how the Minangkabau community implements the tradition of exogamy as a social rule that is deeply valued. This anthropological study included interviews with Minangkabau individuals who uphold the tradition of exogamous marriage. The researcher argues that the exogamous marriage practices of the Minangkabau people contribute to feminist fiqh because the prohibition on marriage within the same Minangkabau tribe significantly benefits women. Although the concept of mahram in Islamic jurisprudence differs from the traditional rules of the Minangkabau community, both, in practice, aim to protect women's welfare. Moreover, the Minangkabau community's mahram system is more stringent. While the concept of mahram in fiqh aims to prevent marriages among close relatives, exogamous marriage imposes stricter requirements by prohibiting marriage within the same tribe, clan, surname, or kinship group. [Artikel ini membahas konstruksi mahram di ranah sosiologis. Dalam kajian hukum Islam, mahram disebut sebagai pihak-pihak yang dilarang untuk dinikahi sebab hubungan darah. Konsep ini berbeda dengan eksogami yang dalam konteks adat Minangkabau mengandung makna keharusan menikah dengan seseorang yang berada diluar lingkup sosial suku minang. Dalam konteks adat minang, larangan menikah tidak hanya didasarkan atas pertimbangan biologis namun juga adat. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan Socio-legal untuk menggali informasi tentang implementasi eksogami masyarakat Minang. Artikel ini berargumen bahwa praktik perkawinan eksogami masyarakat Minangkabau menciptakan prinsip fikih feminis, karena dengan larangan seseorang menikah dengan orang satu suku, perempuan mampu melepaskan dirinya dari sistem patriarkhi, sekaligus akan masuk dalam keluarga dengan status sosial yang lebih tinggi. Meskipun konsep mahram dalam hukum Islam berbeda dengan aturan adat masyarakat Minang, namun secara implementatif keduanya memiliki nilai yang sama yaitu kemaslahatan bagi perempuan. Bahkan, sistem mahram masyarakat adat Minang lebih ketat. Jika dalam konsep mahram pada fikih bertujuan untuk menjaga agar tidak terjadi perkawinan dengan saudara, maka perkawinan eksogami bersyarat lebih selektif, tidak membolehkan seseorang menikah dengan seseorang yang satu suku, klan, marga dan kerabat.]

Review

This study presents an intriguing socio-legal and anthropological exploration of how the Minangkabau community's exogamous marriage customs intersect with and diverge from the Islamic concept of *mahram*. The central argument posits that Minangkabau exogamy, which strictly prohibits marriage within the same tribe, clan, or kinship group, functions as a form of "feminist fiqh" by profoundly benefiting women's welfare. Through interviews with Minangkabau individuals, the researchers aim to demonstrate how this customary practice, despite differing from the blood-relation prohibitions of Islamic *mahram*, serves a similar protective purpose for women, arguing that the Minangkabau system is even more stringent in its application. The paper offers a compelling interdisciplinary approach, bridging Islamic jurisprudence with local customary law and anthropological insights. Its strength lies in highlighting a unique interpretation of traditional practices as a mechanism for women's empowerment and protection, contributing to the growing discourse on indigenous legal systems and gender justice. The assertion that Minangkabau exogamy contributes to "feminist fiqh" is a provocative and potentially significant finding, suggesting that customary norms can actively challenge or circumvent patriarchal structures, thereby offering a fresh perspective on legal pluralism and women's rights in diverse cultural contexts. While the study's core argument is innovative, the abstract leaves several areas that would benefit from further elaboration in the full paper. The exact mechanisms through which exogamous marriage enables women to "escape from patriarchy" and achieve "higher social status" require a more robust theoretical and empirical grounding. A deeper comparative analysis detailing the specific types of protections afforded to women by Minangkabau exogamy versus the Islamic concept of *mahram* would strengthen the claim of the former being "more stringent" and beneficial. Furthermore, expanding on the "biological considerations" mentioned for the Minangkabau prohibition would offer valuable context, and greater detail on the anthropological methodology, including interviewee selection and data analysis, would enhance the study's rigor.

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