Islamic Family Law and Child Labor Paradox: A Socio-Legal Analysis of Children As Household Heads
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52496/mjhki.v4i2.90Keywords:
Islamic Family Law, Child-Headed Households, Legal Capacity (Ahliyyah), Child Labor, Maqāṣid al-Sharī‘ahAbstract
Child labor and the rise of child-headed households present a critical socio-legal challenge that reveals tensions between normative Islamic legal frameworks and contemporary social realities. Islamic family law emphasizes child protection through the principles of maqāṣid al-sharī‘ah, particularly the safeguarding of life and lineage. However, empirical evidence shows that in contexts of poverty, orphanhood, and weak social protection systems, children are often compelled to assume adult roles as household heads. Existing studies tend to separate economic analyses of child labor from doctrinal discussions in Islamic law, creating a significant gap in integrated socio-legal understanding. This study aims to analyze how Islamic family law conceptualizes children’s legal capacity in relation to the phenomenon of child-headed households and to explore the extent to which maqāṣid al-sharī‘ah can provide a framework for addressing this paradox. Using a qualitative socio-legal approach, the research combines normative analysis of Islamic legal texts with empirical data from international reports and field-based studies. Data are examined through thematic and interpretative analysis, employing ahliyyah, maqāṣid, and socio-legal theory as analytical tools. The findings indicate a clear disjunction between legal incapacity and functional responsibility. Although children are classified as non-mukallaf, they frequently undertake significant economic and social responsibilities. While the principle of ḍarūrah allows legal flexibility, it does not alter their legal status. This study proposes the concept of “functional responsibility without legal obligation” and contributes to a more context-sensitive, maqāṣid-based approach in Islamic family law.
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