Religious Legitimation of Early Marriage in Indonesia Through Nusantara Islamic Classical Texts

Abstract

This study explores how religious legitimate early marriage by referring to Nusantara Islamic classical texts (kitab kuning). The study treats kitab kuning not only as collections of legal rules but also as formative religious literature that actively shapes social values and cultural norms. Using textual analysis, critical discourse analysis, and interpretive anthropology, the research examines influential texts such as Uqud al-Lujjayn, Fath al-Qarib, and I’anat al-Talibin. The analysis identifies three central findings. First, the texts themselves display inter­nal ambiguity because they simultaneously promote ethical protection and allow permissive legal interpretations. Second, religious leaders interpret these texts in divergent ways, as some adopt literal readings while others apply contextual approaches. Third, these interpretive choic­es operate within broader socio-economic and patriarchal power relations that selectively activate textual authority to justify early marriage practices. The study argues that the persistence of early marria­ge does not stem directly from textual commands. Instead, it emerges from ongoing negotiations among textual ambiguity, interpretive autho­rity, and social structures. By emphasizing this process, the study highlights the decisive role of interpretive communities in managing contradictions within classical texts and stresses the importance of addressing both textual meaning and social context when designing intervention strategies.