Legal Consciousness and Marriage Guardianship in a Diasporic Muslim Community: Wali Hakim Practices in Manado
Keywords:
legal pluralism, legal consciousness, marriage and guardianship, wali hakim, wali adhal, access to justice, diasporic Muslim communityAbstract
This article examines how a diasporic Muslim community in Kampung Arab (Kelurahan Istiqlal), Manado, understands and negotiates marriage guardianship when a wali nasab refuses (wali adhal). Using a qualitative socio-legal design—combining field observation, interviews with religious/community leaders and residents, and document analysis—the study maps local legal consciousness and its interaction with state Islamic family law. Findings show a spectrum of community interpretations of wali hakim as a substitute guardian, often justified through moral reasoning to prevent illicit relationships. However, many residents are unaware that declaring a guardian adhal requires authorization by the Religious Court before a wali hakim can lawfully officiate the marriage. This gap between formal legal requirements and lived norms illustrates legal pluralism in practice and produces barriers to procedural justice. The article argues for targeted legal literacy initiatives and stronger institutional collaboration between KUA, local government, and community leaders to ensure rights protection in pluralistic settings.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Wira Purwadi, Ahmad Fakhurrazi Bin Mohammed Zabidi, Rafika Nur, Usdar Suandi (Author)
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