The Perspectives of Indonesian Ulema Council Figures in North Maluku on Pregnancy Marriage Practices

Abstract

This study examines the perspectives of figures of the Indonesian Ulema Council (Majelis Ulama Indonesia/MUI) in North Maluku regarding the practice of pregnancy marriage in the community of North West Gane District. The research focuses on the practice of marriage involving women who become pregnant outside of wedlock, its impacts, and the views and fatwas of MUI North Maluku on this issue. Pregnancy marriage is generally influenced by two main factors: internal factors related to individual behavior and external factors shaped by the social environment. This practice has resulted in various negative consequences, affecting women, families, and the wider community. This research employs a descriptive qualitative method using a case study approach. Data were collected through interviews and analyzed inductively based on field findings. The results show that pregnancy marriage is often encouraged by parents to hasten marriage in order to conceal family disgrace. The impacts include psychological pressure, social stigma, and legal as well as religious consequences. MUI figures in North Maluku generally share similar views with classical Islamic scholars, stating that pregnancy marriage is legally valid, whether conducted with the man responsible for the pregnancy or another man, subject to certain conditions, particularly concerning the child’s lineage (nasab) and the timing of the marriage contract. Nevertheless, MUI emphasizes that pregnancy outside of marriage constitutes a major sin requiring sincere repentance and may result in the loss of the biological father’s lineage if the child is born before six months of marriage.