Guest Lecture on Islamic Family Law: “Dynamics of Contemporary Islamic Legal Thought”
SHARIA – The Islamic Family Law program once again held a guest lecture during this even semester. The event, themed “Dynamics of Contemporary Islamic Legal Thought,” was held on Tuesday, May 31, 2022, in a hybrid format. It was broadcast via Zoom and live-streamed on the Faculty of Sharia YouTube channel at UIN Malang. Some participants also attended in person at the Meeting Room on the first floor of the Faculty of Sharia.
The event was met with great enthusiasm by 270 participants, consisting not only of students from the Faculty of Sharia at UIN Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang but also students from UIN Bengkulu, UIN Jember, and law lecturers from these two campuses. In addition to gaining valuable knowledge, participants also received the benefit of an e-certificate.
Dr. Sudirman, M.A., Dean of the Faculty of Sharia at UIN Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang, delivered the opening speech for the guest lecture’s ceremonial opening. In his speech, he expressed appreciation to the Head of the Islamic Family Law Program and his team for successfully organizing two guest lectures during the even semester of the 2021/2022 academic year. The theme of this guest lecture was particularly needed to broaden the horizons of students in the Faculty of Sharia, especially those in the Islamic Family Law program, emphasizing that Islamic Law is not stagnant but continues to evolve with the times, adapting to the needs and conditions of society.
The material was delivered by two speakers: Prof. Dr. Moh. Dahlan, M. Ag. (Director of the Postgraduate Program at UIN KH. Ahmad Siddiq Jember) and R. Cecep Lukman Yasin, MA., Ph.D. (lecturer at the Faculty of Sharia at UIN Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang). Both speakers are highly competent and possess the expertise to discuss the chosen theme. The session was moderated by the Head of the Islamic Family Law Program, Mrs. Erik Sabti Rahmawati, MA.
Prof. Dr. Moh. Dahlan stated that Islamic Law has a mission of “Al-Maslahah Al-‘Ammah” for every individual in all aspects of life. Indonesia, as a diverse nation, faces various challenges, necessitating knowledge to resolve the dynamics that arise. The nation’s complex conditions cannot accept a monolithic truth, both theoretically and practically. Therefore, in addressing issues within a society with diverse backgrounds, the integrity of knowledge is essential. The reform of Islamic law also requires input from experts in other fields to consider when formulating reforms that align with the times and factual conditions. This involvement of various experts can be seen as collective ijtihad in the realm of Islamic legal thought reform, where considerations from other fields are necessary to balance religious leaders’ fatwas regarding existing texts.
He also emphasized that the urgency of these considerations is to avoid the autonomization of texts. To understand religion, one cannot view it solely from a normative perspective but must also see its empirical application. This is evident in the many radicals who understand religious sciences but overlook the social aspect. Extremist Islam can emerge from a partial understanding of religion. This highlights the importance of comprehending Islam comprehensively by considering Maqashid Shariah to prevent wild interpretations of texts. He illustrated the renewal of thought by explaining how traditional scholars believe Islamic law is definitive (qath’i), while contemporary scholars view it as speculative (zanni) and thus open to reinterpretation according to the times’ development and needs.
These topics were then continued by Mr. R. Cecep Lukman Yasin, MA., Ph.D., making the guest lecture more informative and complete. “The Threat of Puritanism” became the specific topic addressed by this graduate of a renowned university in Australia. He pointed out that the Qur’an is egalitarian because Allah allows anyone to access His words in the Qur’an. However, only Allah knows who His soldiers are, so a sense of absolute truth within a community should be avoided.
He also encouraged all participants to use social media for preaching in millennial ways, making it easily and efficiently accepted. Muslims can adopt Western culture, where the West spreads its habits through three channels: film, music, and fashion. Muslims can also spread goodness through these means to combat legal authoritarianism. The material was presented comprehensively by both speakers, stimulating the students’ critical instincts. During the question-and-answer session, students were invited to ask questions to both speakers. At the end of the session, the moderator summarized the material presented by the speakers, noting that contemporary thought values multicultural conditions because harmony comes from diversity, not uniformity. This summary concluded the event.
