POLYGAMY IN THE PERSPECTIVE OF FAMILY LAW IN TUNISIA AND TURKEY

Shofiyah

doi:10.70062/incoils.v5i1.408

Authors

Shofiyah Pascasarjana UIN Salatiga

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.70062/incoils.v5i1.408

Keywords:

Polygamy, Tunisia, Turkey

Abstract

Polygamy remains one of the most debated topics in Islamic family law today, particularly in relation to gender equality, justice, and state involvement in religious norms. This study evaluates the regulation of polygamy in Tunisia and Turkey to examine the philosophical basis, legal approach, and concept of justice underlying family law reform in both countries. Tunisia, through its Personal Status Code enacted in 1956, prohibits polygamy based on a progressive reinterpretation of Islamic law that emphasizes maqāṣid al-sharī‘ah, particularly the principles of justice and protection of women's dignity. Meanwhile, Turkey, through its Civil Code enacted in 1926, adopted a secular legal system that completely separates family law from religious influence and stipulates that monogamy is the only legally valid form of marriage. By applying a normative juridical method accompanied by a comparative legal approach and philosophical analysis, this study finds that despite their different ideological paths, both Tunisia and Turkey have similar substantive goals, namely to guarantee gender equality, legal certainty, and social justice in the context of the family. These findings indicate that the prohibition of polygamy should not be understood as a denial of Islamic values, but rather as a legal reform or ijtihād by the state aimed at realizing the fundamental goals of justice and human dignity in modern Muslim societies.

Author Biography

Shofiyah, Pascasarjana UIN Salatiga

Polygamy remains one of the most debated topics in Islamic family law today, particularly in relation to gender equality, justice, and state involvement in religious norms. This study evaluates the regulation of polygamy in Tunisia and Turkey to examine the philosophical basis, legal approach, and concept of justice underlying family law reform in both countries. Tunisia, through its Personal Status Code enacted in 1956, prohibits polygamy based on a progressive reinterpretation of Islamic law that emphasizes maqāṣid al-sharī‘ah, particularly the principles of justice and protection of women's dignity. Meanwhile, Turkey, through its Civil Code enacted in 1926, adopted a secular legal system that completely separates family law from religious influence and stipulates that monogamy is the only legally valid form of marriage. By applying a normative juridical method accompanied by a comparative legal approach and philosophical analysis, this study finds that despite their different ideological paths, both Tunisia and Turkey have similar substantive goals, namely to guarantee gender equality, legal certainty, and social justice in the context of the family. These findings indicate that the prohibition of polygamy should not be understood as a denial of Islamic values, but rather as a legal reform or ijtihād by the state aimed at realizing the fundamental goals of justice and human dignity in modern Muslim societies.

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