Methodology of Egyptian Inheritance Law Reform

Husnul Khitam; Siti Muna Hayati; Anif Rahmawati; Royan Utsany

doi:10.31332/kalosara.v5i2.11024

Authors

Husnul Khitam UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Siti Muna Hayati UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Anif Rahmawati UIN Sunan Kalijaga, Indonesia
Royan Utsany Universiti Muhammadiyah Malaysia (UMAM), Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31332/kalosara.v5i2.11024

Abstract

Studies on Islamic inheritance law in Egypt have thus far tended to be descriptive-historical, particularly concerning the codification through Law No. 77 of 1943 and Law No. 71 of 1946, without offering much critical assessment of the methodological foundations of takhayyur (cross-madhhab selection), taṭbīq (contextual application), and tajdīd (reinterpretation). This gap highlights the lack of theoretical reconstruction regarding the state’s institutional ijtihād and the limited analysis of the reform’s impact on society, gender justice, and cross-national inheritance dynamics. This study aims to analyze the methodological construction of Egypt’s inheritance law reforms, evaluate their implications for the principle of substantive justice, and examine their relevance to contemporary challenges. Theoretically, it employs the concept of institutional ijtihād—namely the role of the state in selecting and adapting the opinions of fuqahāʾ—to explain the flexibility of Islamic law within the modern legal order. The findings indicate a significant redefinition, including: restricting homicide as an impediment to inheritance solely to cases of intentional killing; granting equal rights in al-masʾalah al-mushtarakah; expanding radd rights for widowers/widows; introducing special regulations on lineage acknowledgment (al-muqarr lahu bi al-nasab); and the establishment of the obligatory will (waṣiyyah wājibah) for orphaned grandchildren. These results affirm that Egypt’s inheritance law reform represents an effort to balance classical fiqh with modern social demands. The implication is that the Egyptian model may serve as a reference for other Muslim-majority countries, including Indonesia, in formulating inheritance law that is more just, adaptive, and oriented toward gender justice and legal pluralism.

Keywords: Inheritance Law Reform, Institutional Ijtihād, Obligatory Will (Waṣiyyah Wājibah)

Author Biography

Royan Utsany, Universiti Muhammadiyah Malaysia (UMAM)

Inheritance law in Egypt has experienced various dynamics due to the reform of Islamic law implemented by the government to adapt to social, cultural, and economic developments. This article analyzes the form of Islamic law reform in the inheritance system in Egypt, including modifications in the distribution of inheritance, using the theory of Islamic law reform. The theory of Islamic law reform, which aims to revise or update Islamic law to suit the needs of modern society, has several forms, namely siyāsah doctrine (codification), takhayyur (selection), taṭbīq (application), and tajdīd (reinterpretation). This study found that the reform of inheritance law in Egypt took the form of codification, takhayyur, taṭbīq, and tajdīd. The Egyptian government seeks to maintain the relevance of Islamic law while maintaining its sharia roots. This reform highlights how Islamic law is flexible in responding to the challenges of the times, while also illustrating the importance of ijtihad and the role of the state in interpreting sharia for greater justice.

References

Abubakar, Al-Yasa’. Rekonstruksi Fikih Kewarisan: Reposisi Hak-Hak Perempuan. Banda Aceh: LKAS, 2012.
Abubakar, Fatum. “Pembaharuan Hukum Keluarga: Wasiat Wajibah (Studi Komparatif Perundang-Undangan Di Indonesia Dan Pakistan).” Tesis, UIN Sunan Kalijaga, 2003.
Anderson, Norman. Law Reform in The Muslim World. London: The Athlone Press, 1976.
Azwarfajri. “Formulasi Waris Pengganti Dalam Hukum Kewarisan Di Indonesia (Telaah Terhadap Pasal 185 KHI).” Tesis, UIN Sunan Kalijaga, 2008.
Coulson, N. J. A History of Islamic Law. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1994.
“Egypt.” In Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1965.
Gautama, Sudargo. Hukum Perdata Internasional Indonesia. Bandung: Alumni, 1992.
Glasse, Cyril. “Mesir.” In Ensiklopedi Islam Ringkas, translated by Ghufron A. Mas’adi. Jakarta: PT. Raja Grafindo Persada, 1999.
Junaidi, Ahmad. “Konsep Wasiat Wajibah Dalam Kompilasi Hukum Islam (Studi Tentang Pasal 209 Mengenai Wasiat Wajibah Dalam KHI).” Tesis, UIN Sunan Kalijaga, 2000.
Mahmood, Tahir. Family Law Reform in The Muslim World. Bombay: Tripathi, n.d.
———. Personal Law In Islamic Countries: History, Text And Komparatif Analysis. New Delhi: Academi of Law and Religion, 1987.
Nasir, Jamal J. The Islamic Law of Personal Status. 2nd ed. London: Graham & Trotman Ltd, 1990.
Penyusun, Tim. Fiqh Al-Mawārīṡ. Cairo: Al-Azhar, 2010.
Sarmadi, Sukris. Dekonstruksi Hukum Progresif Ahli Waris Pengganti Dalam Kompilasi Hukum Islam. Yogyakarta: Aswaja Pressindo, 2012.
Shiddieqy, Teungku Muhammad Hasbi Ash. Fiqh Mawaris. Semarang: Pustaka Rizki Putra, 1999.
Syalabi, Muhammad Musthafa. Aḥkām Al-Mawārīṡ Bayna al-Fiqh Wa al-Qānun. Beirūt: Dār al-Nahḍah al-‘Arabiyah, 1978.
Syarifuddin, Amir. Hukum Kewarisan Islam. Jakarta: Kencana, 2004.
Wahāb, ‘Abd as-Samī’ Abd al-. Al-Wajīz Fi Syarḥ Niẓām al-Usrah ‘inda al-Miṣriyyīn Gair al-Muslimīn. Cairo: Al-Azhar, 2011.
Willya, Evra. “Pembaharuan Hukum Kewarisan di Dunia Islam (Studi terhadap Radd dalam Fikih dan UU Hukum Keluarga di Mesir, Syiria, Sudan, dan Tunisia).” I’tisham : Journal of Islamic Law and Economics 3, no. 2 (May 10, 2024). https://journal.iain-manado.ac.id/index.php/itisham/article/view/2838.
Zahrah, Muhammad Abu. Aḥkām Al-Tarikāt Wa al-Mawārīṡ. Cairo: Dār al-Fikr al-‘Araby, 1963.