A Comparative Study of Legal Awareness and Inheritance Practices Among the Muslim Chinese Community in Surakarta
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64268/jilhs.v1i1.16Keywords:
Customary Law, Inheritance Disputes, Legal Pluralism, Muslim Chinese CommunityAbstract
Background: Indonesia’s legal landscape is shaped by a blend of diverse cultural traditions and legal systems. The Muslim Chinese community in Surakarta, in particular, follows a unique inheritance process influenced by both Islamic law and Chinese customary practices. Despite this, there is limited research examining their legal awareness and the specific challenges they face in inheritance matters.
Aims: This research aims to investigate the level of legal awareness among the Muslim Chinese community in Surakarta regarding inheritance distribution. Additionally, the study explores how inheritance disputes are resolved within this community, considering the interplay between Islamic law, Chinese customary law, and the formal legal system in Indonesia.
Methods: A qualitative, descriptive research methodology was employed to gather data through interviews with community members, including male and female heirs, religious figures, and legal professionals. Case studies of inheritance disputes and their resolutions were also analyzed to provide practical insights into the community’s approach to legal matters.
Results: The study revealed that the Muslim Chinese community in Surakarta is relatively knowledgeable about Islamic inheritance laws. However, traditional Chinese inheritance practices continue to have a strong influence. Inheritance conflicts, especially over the distribution between male and female heirs, are often resolved informally through family discussions or religious mediation, with little recourse to formal legal processes.
Conclusion: The findings emphasize the complexity of inheritance systems within a multicultural context. The Muslim Chinese community in Surakarta navigates a balance between traditional practices and the formal legal framework. Further studies are needed to understand how customary inheritance laws can be integrated with formal legal structures.
References
Alamgir, A. (2024). “We are struggling to seek justice”: A study of the criminal justice system and transgender experiences in Pakistan. International Journal of Transgender Health. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/26895269.2024.2303478 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/26895269.2024.2303478
Al-Hakim, A. (2023). Navigating Legal Pluralism: A Socio-Anthropological Analysis of Governance and Law in Multicultural Societies. Journal of Judikaltura, 1(2), Article 2. https://doi.org/10.61963/jkt.v1i2.35 DOI: https://doi.org/10.61963/jkt.v1i2.35
Arriola, L. R., Devaro, J., & Meng, A. (2021). Democratic Subversion: Elite Cooptation and Opposition Fragmentation. American Political Science Review, 115(4), 1358–1372. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003055421000629 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003055421000629
Assaad, A. S., Qudsy, S. Z., Hasyim, B., Badollahi, M. T., & Haddade, A. W. (2022). Gender Equity in Inheritance System: The Collaboration of Islamic and Bugis Luwu Customary Law. AL-IHKAM: Jurnal Hukum & Pranata Sosial, 17(2), Article 2. https://doi.org/10.19105/al-lhkam.v17i2.6761 DOI: https://doi.org/10.19105/al-lhkam.v17i2.6761
Boonpunth, K. C., & and Saheem, N. (2022). Roles of civil society in peacebuilding in Southeast Asia: The case studies of Mindanao, Aceh, and Southernmost Thailand. Asian Affairs: An American Review, 49(2), 88–112. https://doi.org/10.1080/00927678.2022.2089522 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00927678.2022.2089522
Covell, C. L., Sidani, S., & Ritchie, J. A. (2012). Does the sequence of data collection influence participants’ responses to closed and open-ended questions? A methodological study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 49(6), 664–671. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2011.12.002 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2011.12.002
DeJonckheere, M., & Vaughn, L. M. (2019). Semistructured interviewing in primary care research: A balance of relationship and rigour. Family Medicine and Community Health, 7(2), e000057. https://doi.org/10.1136/fmch-2018-000057 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/fmch-2018-000057
Du, Y. (2021). Unlimited Debt toward Father and Mother: State-Sponsored Generational Hierarchies in Late-Imperial China. Asia Major, 34(2), 93–125.
Fahimah, I., Suwarjin, S., Gusmansyah, W., Zubaedi, Z., & Jayusman, J. (2024). Interfaith Inheritance in Muslim Families in Indonesia: Practices, Philosophy, and the Direction of National Inheritance Law Development. AHKAM : Jurnal Ilmu Syariah, 24(2), Article 2. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15408/ajis.v24i2.40907
Hossain, Z., & Madon, Z. (2022). Sociocultural and Religious Context of Malay Parenting in Malaysia. In H. Selin (Ed.), Parenting Across Cultures: Childrearing, Motherhood and Fatherhood in Non-Western Cultures (pp. 175–192). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-15359-4_12 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-15359-4_12
Husain, S., Ayoub, N. P., & Hassmann, M. (2024). Legal pluralism in contemporary societies: Dynamics of interaction between islamic law and secular civil law. SYARIAT: Akhwal Syaksiyah, Jinayah, Siyasah and Muamalah, 1(1), 1–17. DOI: https://doi.org/10.35335/cfb3wk76
Ismail, F. H., Muzana, Z., Hamat, Z., & Sulong, J. (2024). Customary and Islamic Practices in Inheritance Distribution: Insights from The Gampong Customary Court in Pidie. Al-Risalah: Forum Kajian Hukum Dan Sosial Kemasyarakatan, 24(2), Article 2. https://doi.org/10.30631/alrisalah.v24i2.1544 DOI: https://doi.org/10.30631/alrisalah.v24i2.1544
Kallio, H., Pietilä, A.-M., Johnson, M., & Kangasniemi, M. (2016). Systematic methodological review: Developing a framework for a qualitative semi-structured interview guide. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 72(12), 2954–2965. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.13031 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.13031
Kirunda, J., Nabirye, H., & Muwanguzi, R. (2025). Legal Pluralism in Postcolonial Nations: Reconciling Customary, Religious, and State Norms in Judicial Practices. Rechtsnormen: Journal of Law, 3(2), Article 2. https://doi.org/10.70177/rjl.v3i2.2217 DOI: https://doi.org/10.70177/rjl.v3i2.2217
LaDonna, K. A., Taylor, T., & Lingard, L. (2018). Why Open-Ended Survey Questions Are Unlikely to Support Rigorous Qualitative Insights. Academic Medicine, 93(3), 347. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000002088 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000002088
Mahfuz, M., Anim, S., Jiwanto, F. I., Geun, A. A. S., Maarif, S., & Kohari, K. (2025). THE ROLE OF ISLAMIC INHERITANCE LAW IN WEALTH DISTRIBUTION AND SOCIAL WELFARE. Al-Risalah : Jurnal Studi Agama Dan Pemikiran Islam, 16(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.34005/alrisalah.v16i1.4520
Mahmudulhassan, M. (2024). Exploring the Essence, Importance, and Distinctive Attributes of Islamic Culture: An In-depth Cultural Analysis. Bulletin of Islamic Research, 2(2), Article 2. https://doi.org/10.69526/bir.v2i2.25 DOI: https://doi.org/10.69526/bir.v2i2.25
Maraire, W. (2024). Enhancing access to justice in Zimbabwe: An empirical exploration of integrating socially appropriate dispute resolution to overcome barriers within the formal justice system. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/40726
Nasrul, M. A. D., Manaf, Z. I. A., Syafril, S., & Fathurrohman, M. (2021). AN OVERVIEW OF THE INHERITANCE LEGAL SYSTEM IN MALAYSIA AND INDONESIA: ISSUES FACED BY BOTH COUNTRIES. Journal of Shariah Law Research, 6(2), Article 2.
Nugraha, I. S. (2024). Justice in Inheritance Distribution: Comparative Study of Islamic and Customary Law on Equal Distribution. Indonesian Journal of Islamic Jurisprudence, Economic and Legal Theory, 2(4), Article 4. https://doi.org/10.62976/ijijel.v2i4.719 DOI: https://doi.org/10.62976/ijijel.v2i4.719
Sahin, A. (2018). Critical Issues in Islamic Education Studies: Rethinking Islamic and Western Liberal Secular Values of Education. Religions, 9(11), Article 11. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel9110335 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/rel9110335
Scott, J., Nolan, J., & Plagnol, A. C. (2009). Panel data and open-ended questions: Understanding perceptions of quality of life. Twenty-First Century Society. https://doi.org/10.1080/17450140902988891 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17450140902988891
Simonetti, M. (2023). Adat In Indonesian Law And Society: A Tool To Build Resilience And Overcome Diversity Through Cultural And Legal Pluralism. The SOAS Journal of Postgraduate Research, 15(2022–2023), Article 2022–2023. https://www.soas.ac.uk/research/soas-journals-and-books/soas-journal-postgraduate-research
Suryani, K., Raya, Moch. K. F., Mahmutarom, & Hernawati, S. (2025). Adaptation of the Chinese Ethnic to the Manado Local Community. Studies in Ethnicity and Nationalism, sena.12454. https://doi.org/10.1111/sena.12454 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/sena.12454
Susilo, J., & Safitri, W. (2022). Convergence of Customary, Islamic and State Law in Sasak Community Marriages. Indonesian Journal of Islamic Law, 5(2), Article 2. https://doi.org/10.35719/ijil.v5i2.2009 DOI: https://doi.org/10.35719/ijil.v5i2.2009
Ubaedillah, A. (2023). The Minority and the State: Chinese Muslims in the Modern History of Indonesia. Al-Jami’ah: Journal of Islamic Studies, 61(1), 107–136. https://doi.org/10.14421/ajis.2023.611.107-136 DOI: https://doi.org/10.14421/ajis.2023.611.107-136
Ullah, A., Ashra, H., & Shah, M. (2016). Understanding Perceptions about the Role of Traditional Practices of Inheritance With Relation To Feud Settlement. Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Studies, 3(2), 1–11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.29333/ejecs/55
Wardhani, L. T. A. L., Noho, M. D. H., & Natalis, A. (2022). The adoption of various legal systems in Indonesia: An effort to initiate the prismatic Mixed Legal Systems. Cogent Social Sciences. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/23311886.2022.2104710 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2022.2104710
Wardi, U., Yaswirman, Y., Ismail, I., & Gafnel, G. (2024). Comparative Analysis of Islamic Family Law and Customary Law in the Settlement of Inheritance Disputes in Indonesia. Hakamain: Journal of Sharia and Law Studies, 3(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.57255/hakamain.v3i1.330 DOI: https://doi.org/10.57255/hakamain.v3i1.330
Xie, C., & Fu, C. (2024). Succession revolution: Feminist movements and the birth of female heir in China, 1928–1930. Women’s History Review. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09612025.2024.2390712 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09612025.2024.2390712
Yesufu, S. (2018). Gender discrimination in land and property rights and its implication for social work practice in Benin city, Nigeria. https://hdl.handle.net/10539/27095
Yngvesson, B. (1988). Inventing Law in Local Settings: Rethinking Popular Legal Culture. Yale Law Journal, 98, 1689. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/796612
Zhou, L., & Nunes, M. B. (2013). Doing qualitative research in Chinese contexts: Lessons learned from conducting interviews in a Chinese healthcare environment. Library Hi Tech, 31(3), 419–434. https://doi.org/10.1108/LHT-11-2012-0104 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/LHT-11-2012-0104
Zulfikar, Z., & Windani, S. (2024). Gender equality in inheritance distribution reviewed from the perspective of islamic inheritance law. Journal of Gender and Social Inclusion in Muslim Societies, 5(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.30829/jgsims.v5i1.20499 DOI: https://doi.org/10.30829/jgsims.v5i1.20499
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Futmasepta Fanya Ulinnuha
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
