WASIAT WAJIBAH DALAM HUKUM KEWARISAN ISLAM: ANALISIS PUTUSAN PA SURABAYA NOMOR 2331/PDT.P/2024/PA.SBY

Abstract

This study analyzes the application of the mandatory will (wasiat wajibah) concept in the Surabaya Religious Court Decision No. 2331/Pdt.P/2024/PA.Sby regarding the estate division of the deceased Rusmijati Binti Moestopo from a multi-religious family. Through normative legal research employing statutory, conceptual, and case approaches, the research examines the decision’s alignment with Indonesia’s Compilation of Islamic Law (KHI) and classical/contemporary scholarly perspectives. Key findings indicate: Implementation Mechanism: The court allocated 2/3 of the estate to 12 Muslim heirs under faraidh rules and 1/3 to 6 non-Muslim relatives via wasiat wajibah – adhering to the 1/3 cap under KHI Articles 195(2) and 209. Conformity with KHI: The ruling prioritizes Muslim heirs per Islamic inheritance principles while utilizing wasiat wajibah as an equitable instrument for excluded non-Muslim kin, despite KHI’s lack of explicit provisions for interfaith cases. Scholarly Divergence: Supported by contemporary jurists (e.g., Sheikh Ali Jum’ah, A. Djazuli) emphasizing substantive justice, but contested by classical Shafi’i scholarship prohibiting cross-religious inheritance. The decision exemplifies progressive ijtihad within Indonesia’s Islamic legal system, balancing sharia compliance with socio-legal realities in pluralistic societies. It recommends explicit KHI revisions governing wasiat wajibah for non-Muslims to prevent juridical ambiguity.

Keywords: Mandatory Will (Wasiat Wajibah), Islamic Inheritance Law, Compilation of Islamic Law (KHI), Multi-religious Family, Religious Court (PA), Progressive Ijtihad.