The legal validation (isbat nikah) of marriage involving converts to Islam (muallaf) raises significant legal issues due to the absence of explicit statutory regulations concerning the recognition of non-Muslim marriages following conversion. Divergent interpretations regarding the jurisdiction of judicial institutions have led to legal uncertainty. The ruling of the Mahkamah Syar’iyah Banda Aceh in case No. 157/Pdt.P/2022/MS.Bna becomes relevant to assess the conformity of judicial practice with the principle of Islamic personal law and the need for legal protection for converts. This study aims to analyze the normative framework of isbat nikah within the positive law of Indonesia and evaluate the jurisdictional competence of the Mahkamah Syar’iyah to legalize a non-Muslim marriage post-conversion. This research employs a juridico-empirical method with a qualitative approach. Data collection techniques include interviews and document analysis of court rulings. The legal materials used consist of primary legal sources such as statutory laws and court decisions; secondary sources including scholarly books, journals, and legal articles; and tertiary sources such as legal dictionaries and encyclopedias. The findings indicate that the legal recognition of marriages involving converts to Islam requires serious attention due to the absence of comprehensive and uniform regulations, which has caused legal uncertainty in society. The Mahkamah Syar’iyah Banda Aceh, through its ruling No. 157/Pdt.P/2022/MS.Bna, adopted a legal approach grounded in the principle of Islamic personal law and the doctrine of public interest (maslahah), referring to Article 7 paragraph (3) of the Compilation of Islamic Law (KHI) and Article 49 of the Law on Religious Courts. The ruling is legally valid and constitutional since the couple, by virtue of conversion, became subjects of Islamic law. The State must develop more specific and operational regulations to eliminate jurisdictional confusion and ensure legal protection that is fair, equitable, and consistent with Islamic legal values.
Isbat nikah pasangan mualaf menimbulkan persoalan yuridis karena belum adanya pengaturan hukum yang eksplisit terkait pengesahan perkawinan non-Muslim setelah masuk Islam. Perbedaan penafsiran mengenai kewenangan lembaga peradilan menimbulkan ketidakpastian hukum. Penetapan Mahkamah Syar’iyah Banda Aceh dalam perkara 157/Pdt.P/2022/MS.Bna menjadi relevan untuk dikaji guna menilai kesesuaian praktik peradilan dengan asas personalitas keislaman dan kebutuhan perlindungan hukum bagi pasangan mualaf. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis bagaimana ketentuan isbat nikah dalam hukum positif di Indonesia dan apakah kapasitas hakim Mahkamah Syar’iyah mengisbatkan pernikahan non muslim yang telah menjadi mualaf. Metode yang digunakan adalah metode yuridis empiris dengan pendekatan kualitatif. Teknik pengumpulan data dilakukan melalui wawancara dan analisis dokumen putusan pengadilan. Bahan hukum yang digunakan meliputi bahan hukum primer berupa peraturan perundang-undangan dan penetapan pengadilan, bahan hukum sekunder berupa buku, jurnal, dan artikel hukum, serta bahan hukum tersier berupa kamus hukum dan ensiklopedia hukum. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa Isbat nikah pasangan mualaf perlu mendapatkan perhatian serius karena belum adanya aturan hukum yang rinci dan seragam menyebabkan ketidakpastian hukum di tengah masyarakat. Mahkamah Syar’iyah Banda Aceh melalui Penetapan Nomor 157/Pdt.P/2022/MS.Bna telah mengambil langkah hukum berdasarkan asas personalitas keislaman dan pertimbangan kemaslahatan, dengan merujuk pada Pasal 7 ayat (3) KHI serta Pasal 49 Undang-Undang Peradilan Agama. Putusan tersebut sah secara yuridis dan konstitusional karena pasangan mualaf secara hukum telah menjadi subjek hukum Islam. Negara perlu menyusun regulasi yang lebih spesifik dan operasional agar prosedur isbat nikah bagi mualaf tidak lagi menimbulkan kebingungan yurisdiksi dan mampu memberikan perlindungan hukum yang setara, adil, dan sesuai dengan nilai-nilai keislaman.