JTUS, Vol. 02, No. 7 July
2024
E-ISSN: 2984-7435,
P-ISSN: 2984-7427
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58631/jtus.v2i7.101 |
Juridical Analysis of
Marriage for People Who Change Sex Based on Law No. 1 of 1974 Concerning
Marriage and Islamic Law
(Study
of Determination No.60/Pdt.P/2021/Pn.Sbr )
Saidina Hamzah1*, Indana Zulfa Nabila2,
Tiara Magfiroh3, Alip Rahman4, Agus Dimyati5
1,2,3,4,5Universitas Swadaya
Gunung Jati, Cirebon, West Java, Indonesia
Email:
[email protected]1*, [email protected]2, [email protected]3, [email protected]4, [email protected]5
Abstract The case of gender change in
Indonesia is quite common in society. This has legal implications in various
aspects, especially regarding marriage. As in the Decision of the Sumber District Court No. 60/Pdt.P/2021/PN.Sbr, the judge granted the gender change. Following
this decision, legal consequences related to the validity of the marriage
arise. Based on this description, the formulated issues are how Islamic law
views gender change and what the legal consequences are for marriage for
those who have changed their gender. In discussing this topic, the author
uses a normative juridical method by examining the Marriage Law and Islamic
Law, particularly related to the marriage of people who have changed their
gender. According to the perspective of Islamic law, gender change in
Indonesia is considered haram (forbidden) because it contradicts the Quran,
Hadith, and the views of scholars, including the MUI Fatwa No. 03/UMNas-VII/MUI/2010. However, surgery aimed at perfecting
sexual organs is permissible and considered halal in Islam. For instance, the
case of the applicant Hamidah is an effort to cure her genital organ defect
and has no legal implications, so it is allowed by law. When Hamidah, also
known as Muhammad Hamdan, wants to marry a woman, it should no longer be an
issue because religiously Hamidah's actions are justified by religion, and
the elements contained in Article 4 of the Compilation of Islamic Law (KHI)
and Article 2 Paragraph 1 of the Marriage Law have been fulfilled. Overall,
the legality of gender change through the District Court's decision becomes
important to determine the legal consequences of marriage, particularly
regarding gender status in inheritance distribution and the ability to have
offspring. Keywords: Sex change, marriage, Law No.1 of 1974, Islamic Law. |
INTRODUCTION
As living beings, humans want to form a family
so that they can continue to have offspring and the
smallest component of society is the family. A family can be formed if there has been a
marriage, which is one of the biological needs of humans
For instance, the case of the applicant Hamidah,
who requested to be officially recognized as having changed her gender from
female to male, followed by a name change
The judge approved this decision based on the MUI Fatwa No.
03/Munas-VIII/MUI/2010 concerning Gender Change and Correction, which states
that it is permissible to perform surgery on sexual organs for those with
defects or imperfections in their sexual organs, or even for those with
ambiguous genitalia. It is allowed for a person with ambiguous genitalia to
remove one of their sexual organs through surgery. However, if a person
undergoes gender reassignment surgery without a necessary reason, it is considered
haram (forbidden)
Additionally, the judge took into account Law No. 24 of 2013 on
Population Administration, which amends Law No. 23 of 2006, and Law No. 39 of
1999 on Human Rights. Article 56 of the Population Administration Law states
that any change in population data must be recorded, including gender changes
After the determination, there are legal
consequences in various aspects, one of which is related to marriage for people
who change their gender. This is due to the lack of specific and comprehensive
regulations in civil law related to the recognition and protection of the
rights of individuals who have undergone gender changes
This is what causes questions and problems that occur among the
community. Some argue that gender change is part of the human right for those
who want it. However, if we return to religion, a change in gender based on
only wanting to indulge lust, then this will be considered a sinful act because
it has violated what God has incarnated to him
Based on the above explanation, the author is interested in
raising this title because there is debate and legal uncertainty regarding the
marital status of couples whose one or both partners have changed genders. The
author wants to explore and elaborate on the juridical perspective in looking
at this issue. Considering the explanation above, the problem that can be seen
is the view of Islamic law on gender change in Indonesia and the consequences
of the Marriage Law No. 1 of 1974 on marriage after gender change.
RESEARCH METHODS
In this research, the
method is the most important element and is based on logical facts and
reasoning so that what is conveyed is the truth. This study uses a normative
legal method, where the approach to the problem is carried out by examining the
provisions of the applicable laws and regulations related to marriage law in
general, as well as the legal procedures for individuals who have undergone sex
reassignment surgery, including marriage for those who have undergone such
surgery
This research is
descriptive-analytical, which means it aims to provide a detailed and
systematic description of the problems being studied. The analysis is conducted
based on the descriptions and facts obtained, with a careful approach to answer
the problems and conclude solutions as answers to those problems.
This study will
collect data from primary, secondary, and tertiary legal materials through
document and literature studies, which include:
1. In this research, primary legal materials consist of norms and basic
regulations related to marriage law. Among them are Law No. 1 of 1974 on
marriage, Government Regulation No. 9 of 1975 on the implementation of Law No.
1 of 1974 on marriage, the Compilation of Islamic Law (KHI), the Qur'an, and
Hadith as legislation
2. Secondary legal materials refer to documents that offer interpretations
of primary legal materials. These include books, research findings, and legal
literature related to the marriage law for individuals undergoing sex changes
In this research, data
collection methods involve techniques such as library research and interviews.
Document study is used as a data collection tool to obtain secondary data by
reading, studying, and identifying primary sources of legislation governing
marriage law in Indonesia, including Law No. 1 of 1974, Government Regulation
No. 9 of 1975, and the Compilation of Islamic Law (KHI)
RESULTS AND
DISCUSSION
Islamic Law's View on Gender Reassignment
The
desire to undergo sex change surgery is part of the human rights of transsexual
offenders
In verse 4 of surah At-Tin, Allah SWT says:
"Indeed, We have created human beings in the best
possible form", this shows that human beings were created as living beings
on earth.
The postulate explains that every creature created by Allah SWT
has been made in a perfect state according to His will, and as humans, we must
be grateful for everything He has created. Allah SWT created human beings with
two genders, male and female, as mentioned in verse 11 of Surah Fadir, which
means: "And Allah has created you from the soil and semen, then He made
you a couple (male and female)."
Then this is reaffirmed in the Word of God: "And all things
We have created in pairs for you to remember (the greatness of Allah). Verse 49
Q.s adz Dzariat. In Q.S. An-Nisa verse 1 Allah also
says: "O man! fear your Lord who created you from one
self (Adam), and from him (Eve); He created his partner".
These
evidences are some of the words of Allah SWT in the
holy verse of the Qur'an saying that humans are created as a couple, not only
between men and men or vice versa men and women. So that humans can still continue their offspring and continue to have
generations in future lives.
In
addition, in the hadith it is also explained that it is contained in the hadith
according to Al-Bukhari Number 5885; Abu Dawud Number 4097; and Tirmizi number
2991, the Prophet PBUH cursed men who resemble women and women who resemble
men."
Islam
teaches that a person who resembles the opposite sex is cursed by Allah and his
messenger, especially when the person changes his gender without any
permissible reason. A person who wants to change God's creation must still obey
the provisions that have been set by Allah SWT without crossing the limit, for
a person who makes physical changes in his genitals, either from male to female
or vice versa, without any abnormalities in his genitals or having physical
defects in his genitals, it shows that he is not grateful for what has become
his destiny by changing Allah's forbidden creation. Although there are many
pros and cons in society against the act of sex reassignment surgery, but the
scholars agree that if sex reassignment surgery is carried out on a personal
desire of a worldly nature and without any abnormalities or defects in the sex
that allow the surgery to be performed, then even if the sex reassignment
surgery, or sex change, is successful and has accepted the decision of the
district court on sex change, The sex
change surgery is haram. However, if the surgery is carried out because of a
defect or there is a reason allowed by religion, then the law is mubah.
In
the decision of the leadership board of the Indonesian Ulema Council at the
Second National Conference in 1980, it was decided that:
1.
Changing the gender of a man to a woman or vice versa is
haram, because it is contrary to the Qur'an surah an-Nisa' verse 19 and
contrary to the spirit of Sharia'. The verse of the Qur'an in question is:
".... Maybe you don't like something but Allah
has done him a lot of good." (QS. An-Nisa'[4]: 10).
2.
When a person's gender is changed, the legal status of
their gender remains the same as the previous status.
3.
A khuntsa (sissy) whose male
character is clearer may be perfected. On the contrary, and the law becomes
positive (male).
In MUI fatwa No. 03/Munas-VIII/MUI/2010 on genital changes
and enhancements, the fatwa states that the law of intentionally changing the
genitals is haram, either by changing the genitals from male to female or vice
versa. The fatwa contains:
1.
Genital enhancement for a khuntsa
whose male genital function is more dominant or vice versa, through genital
enhancement surgery is permissible.
2.
Assisting in genital enhancement as referred to in point 1
is permissible.
3.
The implementation of genital enhancement surgery as
referred to in point 1 must be based on medical considerations, not just
psychological considerations.
4.
Determining the validity of sex status as
a result of genital surgery as referred to is permissible, so it has shar'i legal implications related to the enhancement.
5.
The legal position of the sex of the person who has
undergone genital enhancement surgery as intended is in accordance with the sex
after the enhancement, even though a court decision has not been issued
regarding the change in status.
In the MUI fatwa on changes and improvements to the
genitals, it is stated that the law of genital modification that is carried out
deliberately is haram, either by changing the genitals from male to female or
vice versa. This fatwa is based on the Qur'an, Hadith, Istishab,
and fiqhiyah rules.
Based on this description, the gender change made by Hamidah in case No.60/Pdt.P/2021/PN.Sbr is considered not to
violate Islamic religious law because the gender change is not based on sexual
desire but based on abnormalities. This is in line with the opinion of Ustadz Anwar Faiz as the caretaker of the Ash-Shiddiqi Islamic boarding school in Depok Cirebon that
gender change is permissible if it aims to eliminate things that obscure his
masculinity or femininity, not to change God's creation, the emphasis is on
healing and not to change God's creation. As MUI Fatwa Number 05 Munas
II/MUI/1980 was then perfected in MUI Fatwa Number 03/MUNAS-VIII/MUI/2010
concerning Gender Change and Improvement, that sex change surgery can be
carried out if it aims to improve and clarify the gender. Because indeed in the
Islamic view, if it is categorized as a disease, it is obligatory for them to
find a way out of their problems and treat the pain they suffer.
When Hamidah alias Muhammad Hamdan as a man marries a
woman, the marriage is still declared valid because of the fulfillment of
Article 2 paragraph 1 of Law No. 1 of 1974 concerning Marriage and Article 4 of
the KHI.
In this case, the author can explain that what Hamidah
experienced was an abnormality or defect in her genital organs so that
treatment was needed for the disease she suffered, and when Hamidah decided to
have genital surgery, the first thing that needs to be considered in the act of
genital surgery is to consider the good and bad. The purpose of these
considerations is none other than to avoid the bad possibilities that could
occur after the surgery which then leads to a deep regret. So
the consideration that needs to be considered is that the benefits (benefits)
must be greater than the mudharot so that there are
no problems and the law is mubah (permissible).
Because the surgery performed by Hamidah is one of the efforts to treat and
cure her genital defects and has no legal implications, this is allowed by
Islamic law.
Legal Effects of Marriage for
Persons Who Change Sex
According
to Law No. 1 of 1974 concerning Marriage, marriage is a physical and mental
bond between a man and a woman as husband and wife, with the aim of forming a
happy and eternal family, which is based on the principle of the One Godhead.
Marriage is only considered valid if it is carried out in accordance with the
religious law adhered to by the married couple. The meaning of the couple here
is that man and woman are natural natures, that is, God's creation from birth,
not the result of human manipulation through sex change surgery. Although
advances in medical technology allow surgery to change a male sex to a woman,
there is no known surgery that can turn a vagina into a penis. Women who become
men through sex surgery are not recognized as women in marriage law. In
accordance with law Number 1 of 1974 concerning Marriage, the marriage law
stipulates the requirements that must be met, both subjectively and objectively.
Subjective conditions are related to the characteristics of the bride-to-be,
while objective conditions are related to marriage procedures that are in
accordance with religious teachings and laws.
In
accordance with the definition of marriage, it can be seen
that a marriage must have at least 3 main elements, namely:
1.
Marriage is an innate and inner bond between a man and a
woman.
2.
The purpose of marriage is to form a happy family. This
has been affirmed in Article 28 B of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of
Indonesia that everyone has the right to form a family and offspring through
legal marriage.
3.
Marriage must be carried out based on divinity. This has
also been affirmed according to the Compilation of Islamic Law (KHI), every
marriage is valid if it is carried out based on the religious law and beliefs
of each person.
The
author argues that basically marriage is an agreement to legalize a
relationship between a man and a woman that must meet the requirements and
harmonize the marriage based on the religion and beliefs embraced by each individual. The main goal is to have a happy family and
hope that every offspring obtained from the marriage can continue the life
cycle. The author's opinion is in line with the concept of marriage regulated
in article 1 of Law Number 1 of 1974 concerning Marriage and religious
provisions found in articles 2 and 3 of the KHI. Any marriage that does not
meet the provisions that have been set by each religion, clearly does not meet
the elements contained in Article 2 paragraph (1) of the Marriage Law.
Related
to the marriage of couples who change their gender, there are pros and cons.
There are those who change their gender, both male to female transsexual and
vice versa, women change to male (female to male transsexual)
According
to article 2 paragraph 1 of Law No. 1 of 1974 concerning Marriage, every
marriage must meet several conditions, namely the inner innate bond between a
man and a woman, to form a family, and based on the One Godhead. In addition,
the article stipulates that marriage must not be carried out outside the law of
a person's religion or belief, in accordance with the applicable law.
In
this case, Prof. Hazairin, an expert on Indonesian
customary law and Islamic law, interpreted that the law of Law No. 1 of 1974 is
the law of every religion and belief for its adherents. Therefore, it is
impossible for Muslims to marry in violation of their religion. Then it was
linked to the case of Dedi Ashadi and Solena Chaniago. Dedi Ashadi or Dorce and Solena
Chaniago are also one of the many transsexual perpetrators who since childhood
he felt that his physical genitalia were not in accordance with his soul
The
granting of the application of Hamidah alias Muhammad Hamdan in the
determination of the Sumber District Court No.60/Pdt.P/2021/PN.Sbr has legal
consequences where if Hamidah holds a marriage, the marriage follows the gender
after she gets a court determination so that her marriage becomes valid based
on Law No.1 of 1974. If Hamidah wants to carry out a marriage based on the
provisions of Islam and Law No. 1 of 1974, then she must register based on the
new sex after the change is made so that the marriage becomes valid. This is in
line with the opinion of Bob Muntaram as the Acting
Head of KUA Kedawung and as the head of KUA Babakan that the determination of the court of the person
who changes the gender is binding on the parties and can be the basis for
registering or holding a marriage. Because in the determination there are
considerations of the judge in the form of expert testimony such as specialist
doctors and sworn according to their religion. After this determination, the
identity of both birth certificates, family cards, ID cards, and diplomas of
what gender exists now. Therefore, in this case, Brother Hamidah will change
his identity to a man. The conditions for holding the marriage are also based
on gender identity after the determination. Likewise, as a result of the law in
his inheritance, Hamidah alias Muhammad Hamdan will get his share of the
inheritance as a son in his family and when he gets married, the status of an
applicant named Muhamad Hamdan inherits as a husband and father. As the opinion
of Ustad Anwar Faiz as the caretaker of the Ash-Shidiqi
Islamic boarding school in Depok Cirebon that a person who changes his gender
in the context of Islamic heritage still has their inheritance rights. However,
this process requires several steps to confirm gender identity, such as court
determination.
CONCLUSION
In the view of Islamic law, the gender change
in case No.60/Pdt.P/2021/PN.Sbr
is considered not to violate Islamic religious law because it is carried out
based on abnormalities, not sexual desires. MUI Fatwa Number 05 Munas
II/MUI/1980 which was later changed to MUI Fatwa Number 03/MUNAS-VIII/MUI/2010
states that genital surgery can be carried out to improve and clarify gender.
In this case, the marriage between Hamidah alias Muhammad Hamdan and a woman
was declared valid because it met Article 2 paragraph 1 of Law No. 1 of 1974
concerning Marriage and Article 4 of the KHI. This change of gender has legal
consequences for marriage and inheritance. Marriage follows sex after a court
determination, so it is legal according to Law No. 1 of 1974. Hamidah must
register a marriage based on the new sex for the marriage to be valid. In terms
of inheritance, Hamidah alias Muhammad Hamdan will inherit as a son and husband
and father in the family. It is recommended that everyone who wants to change
their gender consider the religious and medical aspects well. The reason behind
the decision must be clear, whether due to personal desire or abnormality,
because it has future legal consequences. For couples who want to change their
gender, it is recommended to obtain a determination from the District Court
first to secure marital status and rights related to the distribution of
inheritance according to the new gender.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Arizona,
P., Nining Febriyana,
& Budi Kristianto. (2023). Psychiatric Approach
Management of Ambiguous Genitalia in Children and Teenagers. Jurnal Psikiatri
Surabaya, 12(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.20473/jps.v12i1.29117
Bragg,
S., Renold, E., Ringrose, J., & Jackson, C.
(2020). ‘More than boy, girl, male, female’: exploring young people’s views on
gender diversity within and beyond school contexts. In Trans youth in
education (pp. 100–114). Routledge.
DuBois,
L. Z., & Shattuck‐Heidorn, H. (2021).
Challenging the binary: Gender/sex and the bio‐logics
of normalcy. American Journal of Human Biology, 33(5), e23623.
Hsieh,
J.-L., & Umar, W. (2022). Same-Sex Marriage as a Human Rights Freedom in
Indonesia: The Perspective of Pancasila and the Marriage Law. Jambura Law Review, 4(2), 214–226.
Imaniyati, N. S., &
BAKTI, P. T. C. A. (2010). Aspek-Aspek
Hukum BMT (Baitul Maal wat Tamwil). Citra Aditya
Bakti.
Jamil,
F., Fakhruddin, F., & Izzuddin, A. (2023).
Registration of Unregistered Marriages on the Family Card from the Perspective
of Soerjono Soekanto’s
Legal Effectiveness Theory. Jurnal
Independent, 11(2), 473–490.
Kashish,
A., & Kishore, S. (2023). Same-Sex Marriage: An Analysis. Issue 2 Int’l
JL Mgmt. & Human., 6, 699.
Khadduri, M. (2017).
Marriage in Islamic law: The modernist viewpoints. In Issues in Islamic Law
(pp. 3–8). Routledge.
Negara,
T. A. S. (2023). Normative legal research in Indonesia: Its originis and approaches. Audito
Comparative Law Journal (ACLJ), 4(1), 1–9.
Noralla, N. (2023).
Gender Trouble in the Land of the Nile: Transgender Identities, the Judiciary
and Islam in Egypt. Yearbook of Islamic and Middle Eastern Law Online, 1(aop), 1–37.
Oladosu-Uthman, H.
(2021). “this man is my wife”: the same-sex marriage
prohibition act of 2014 in nigeria. Journal of
Law and Religion, 36(1), 92–104.
Rangkuti, M. Y., & Agustar, A. (2022). Change in Act Number 16 Of 2019 As An Amendment to Law Number 1 of 1974 Islamic Law and Gender
Perspective. Jurisprudensi: Jurnal Ilmu Syariah, Perundang-Undangan Dan Ekonomi Islam, 14(1),
51–62.
Safiera, D. E., & Retnaningsih, S. (2024). Registration of Interfaith
Marriages in Indonesia Based on Supreme Court Circular Number 2 of 2023. Asian
Journal of Engineering, Social and Health, 3(6), 1157–1169.
https://doi.org/10.46799/ajesh.v3i6.329
Susilo,
E., ZAHR2O, A., Santoso, B., & Faradz, S. M.
(2022). Gender Decision Dilemma of Disorders of Sex Development 20222022 (Khunsa) in Islamic Law with Medical Approach. International
Journal of Islamic Thought, 21.
Turban,
J. L., Loo, S. S., Almazan, A. N., & Keuroghlian, A. S. (2021). Factors leading to
“detransition” among transgender and gender diverse people in the United
States: A mixed-methods analysis. LGBT Health, 8(4), 273–280.
Umar,
H. M., Sultan, U., & Jambi, T. S. (n.d.). ISLAMIC LAW PERSPECTIVE ON LGBT
BEHAVIOR (LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER). In International Journal
of Southeast Asia (Vol. 68, Issue 2).
Umbu, E. I., &
Agada, J. (2021). The Right to Freedom of Marriage and the Constitutionality
of the Prohibition of Same Sex Marriage in Nigeria. Nigerian Bar Journal
(2021), 11(1).
Utami,
A. R., Djanuardi, D., & Rachmainy,
L. (2023). Sex change in multiple gender sufferers is associated with Islamic
law and the Population Administration Law. Enrichment: Journal of
Multidisciplinary Research and Development, 1(6), 322–328.
Wati,
R. D. (2022). The Marriage Agreement in Article 29 of Law Number 1 of 1974 is
Reviewed According to Islamic Law. Al Hurriyah: Jurnal Hukum Islam, 7(2), 116–130.
Yenti, E., Amin, S.,
& Alwana, H. A. (2023). Legal Age Equality in
Marriage According to Indonesian Positive Law in the Studies of Gender and Maqāṣid
Al-Sharia. De Jure: Jurnal Hukum Dan Syar’iah, 15, 67–81.
Zulaiha, E., & Mutaqin, A. Z. (2021). The problems of the marriage age
changing in Indonesia in the perspectives of muslim
jurists and gender equality. Hanifiya: Jurnal Studi Agama-Agama, 4(2),
99–108.