A Comparative Analysis of Islamic Inheritance Practices in Malaysia and Indonesia: Legal Frameworks, Judicial Interpretation, and Community Impact
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Abstract
Islamic inheritance practices in Malaysia and Indonesia continue to attract scholarly attention due to ongoing controversies surrounding judicial consistency, procedural delays, and the influence of local customs on the distribution of estates. Recent shifts in legal interpretation, together with growing public concerns about fairness and access to justice, have intensified the need to understand how Islamic inheritance norms operate within plural legal environments. Although previous studies have examined doctrinal foundations or individual statutory frameworks, there remains a gap in understanding how legal texts, judicial reasoning, and community-level outcomes interact across the two jurisdictions. This research aims to address that gap by comparing the legal frameworks, interpretive patterns, and social implications of inheritance practices in Malaysia and Indonesia. A socio-legal comparative method is used to analyse statutory documents, selected judicial decisions, and qualitative insights from practitioners and community members. The findings show that Malaysia’s centralised Syariah court system produces more consistent procedural outcomes, while Indonesia’s pluralistic legal setting results in greater interpretive variation shaped by custom and local norms. The study concludes that aligning doctrinal principles with institutional reforms and community engagement is essential for improving equity and legal certainty. It recommends strengthening judicial capacity, enhancing legal literacy, and integrating culturally responsive mechanisms into inheritance administration.
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