The Dynamics of Fatwa as an Instrument of Social Conflict Resolution: A Comparative Analysis of al-Wansharisi's Fatwa Collection (Kitab al-Mi'yar)

Ahmad Ahmad; Abdillah Abdillah; Umar Sheikh  Tahir

doi:10.70742/suffah.v3i2.1265

Authors

Ahmad Ahmad Institut Agama Islam Negeri Parepare, Sulawesi Selatan
Abdillah Abdillah Institut Agama Islam Negeri Parepare, Sulawesi Selatan
Umar Sheikh Tahir Columbia University, New York

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.70742/suffah.v3i2.1265

Keywords:

al-Wansharisi, conflict resolution, fatwa, legal history, socio-legal studies

Abstract

Traditional historical scholarship has frequently characterized Islamic jurisprudence as a rigid, text-bound system disconnected from the socio-economic realities of the societies it governed. However, an examination of naw?zil (legal cases) and fatw? (advisory opinions) literature reveals a highly adaptable and dynamic legal framework deeply embedded in social conflict resolution. This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the socio-legal historical value of A?mad ibn Ya?y? al-Wanshar?s?’s monumental fifteenth-century compilation, Al-Mi'y?r al-Mu'rib. By moving beyond rigid normative analyses, this study investigates how pre-modern muftis utilized jurisprudential mechanisms—specifically considerations of public interest (ma?la?ah), judicial practice ('amal), and local custom ('urf)—to mediate and resolve complex social disputes. The analysis focuses on marital and family disputes involving tribal coercion, property rights including endowments and riparian allocations, and inter-religious tensions prompted by the Reconquista. The findings demonstrate that muftis operated as pragmatic social mediators who continuously calibrated the application of the law to mitigate harm and preserve community cohesion, establishing the fatwa as the primary engine of legal evolution in the pre-modern Maghreb.

[Kajian sejarah tradisional sering kali mencirikan yurisprudensi Islam sebagai sistem yang kaku dan terikat pada teks, serta terputus dari realitas sosial-ekonomi masyarakat yang diaturnya. Namun, pemeriksaan terhadap literatur naw?zil (kasus hukum) dan fatw? (pendapat penasihat) mengungkapkan kerangka hukum yang sangat adaptif dan dinamis yang tertanam kuat dalam resolusi konflik sosial. Artikel ini memberikan analisis komprehensif tentang nilai sejarah sosial-hukum dari kompilasi monumental abad kelima belas karya A?mad ibn Ya?y? al-Wanshar?s?, Al-Mi'y?r al-Mu'rib. Dengan melampaui analisis normatif yang kaku, kajian ini menyelidiki bagaimana para mufti pra-modern memanfaatkan mekanisme yurisprudensi—khususnya pertimbangan kemaslahatan publik (ma?la?ah), praktik peradilan ('amal), dan adat lokal ('urf)—untuk memediasi dan menyelesaikan perselisihan sosial yang kompleks. Analisis berfokus pada perselisihan perkawinan dan keluarga yang melibatkan paksaan kesukuan, hak milik termasuk wakaf dan alokasi riparian, serta ketegangan antar-agama yang dipicu oleh Reconquista. Temuan menunjukkan bahwa mufti beroperasi sebagai mediator sosial pragmatis yang terus-menerus mengkalibrasi penerapan hukum untuk mengurangi bahaya dan menjaga kohesi masyarakat, menetapkan fatwa sebagai mesin utama evolusi hukum di kawasan Maghreb pra-modern.]

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