Legal Non-Compliance and Kiai Hegemony: The Practice of Unregistered Marriages among the Madurese Muslim Community of Kubu Raya

Abstract

The practice of unregistered marriages (nikah siri) in traditional Muslim communities is often seen as non-compliance with state regulations. However, this behaviour cannot be understood without considering the influence of kiai (local religious leader) in the public sphere. This article explores the dynamics of unregistered marriage practices within the Madurese Muslim community of Kubu Raya, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. Employing a socio-legal research framework, the study collects data through in-depth interviews with 25 key informants, including widowed couples engaged in unregistered marriages, kiai, village officials, and community leaders. Drawing on Peter L. Berger’s theory of the social construction of reality, this article analyses the relationship between those involved in unregistered marriages and the hegemony of kiai. The study finds that unregistered marriages in the Madurese Muslim community are influenced by the kiai’s view that a marriage contract meeting the conditions of Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) is valid without registration at the local Religious Affairs Office. This practice represents a social reality legitimised by religious authority. For the Madurese Muslim community, the religious legitimacy conferred by the kiai serves as a basis of faith, prompting them to engage in unregistered marriages despite this practice conflicting with state law. The article highlights the dominant role of kiai in shaping social realities that may diverge from compliance with state law in traditional Muslim communities.