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Vol. 32 No. 1 (2026): Jurnal Al Qalam

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Copyright (c) 2026 Thohar Al Abza, Heni Purwati, Ainun Nadzifah, Ahmad ‘Ubaydi Hasbillah, Arif Syibromalisi, Andi Miftahul Maulidil Mursyid

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PATRIARCHY AND HADITH IN TOMBOR MAG: GENDER POLITICS IN PAPUAN ISLAMIC MARRIAGE LAW

https://doi.org/10.31969/alq.v32i1.1884
M.Thohar Al Abza
IAIN Fattahul Muluk Papua, Indonesia
Heni Purwati
IAIN Fattahul Muluk Papua, Indonesia
Ainun Nadzifah
3Universitas PTIQ Jakarta and Pendidikan Kader Ulama Masjid Istiqlal, Indonesia
Ahmad ‘Ubaydi Hasbillah
4Universitas Hasyim Asy’ari Tebuireng Jombang, Indonesia
Arif Syibromalisi
Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional (BRIN) Jakarta, Indonesia
Andi Miftahul Maulidil Mursyid
The University of Queensland, Australia, Australia

Corresponding Author(s) : M.Thohar Al Abza

hyangtoh0@gmail.com

Al-Qalam, Vol. 32 No. 1 (2026): Jurnal Al Qalam

Abstract

This study examines the patriarchal dimension of living hadith embedded in the Tombor Mag tradition
among Muslim Patipi community in Fakfak, West Papua, a Muslim majority regency in eastern Indonesia.
The analysis argues that Tombor Mag is not simply a customary form of mahr, but rather a deeply rooted
socio-religious institution through which patriarchal power is perpetuated via selective interpretations
of hadith. Using a qualitative field-based approach, data were collected through interviews, participant
observation, and document analysis, then analyzed through living hadith studies, Foucauldian discourse
analysis, and maqāṣid-oriented gender hermeneutics. The results show that Tombor Mag serves as a
significant marker of family honor, masculine legitimacy, and inter-clan solidarity, while also imposing
economic burdens and reinforcing gender inequality among Patipi Muslim families. Hadiths concerning
male responsibility and mahr obligation are selectively emphasized to legitimize customary structures,
whereas hadiths promoting simplicity and moderation in marriage are systematically marginalized. The
study further demonstrates that interpretive authority is dominated by male religious and customary
elites, resulting in patriarchal readings of hadith that reinforce women’s symbolic subordination and
constrain their agency within marital negotiations. This article proposes a maqāṣid al-sharīʿah-oriented
and gender-sensitive reinterpretation of hadith as a normative framework for reformulating customary
marriage practices while preserving cultural continuity and promoting justice, reciprocity, and human
dignity in Islamic family law.

Keywords

Islamic Family Law, Living Hadith, Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah, Patriarchy, Tombor Mag
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