Marriage Counseling and Strengthening the Understanding of Spousal Rights and Responsibilities from the Perspective of Maqashid al-Usrah: A Qualitative Study at the Legokjawa Religious Affairs Office (KUA), Cimerak Subdistrict, Pangandaran Regency
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59966/setyaki.v4i1.2858Keywords:
Marriage guidance, spousal rights and obligations, maqashid al-usrah, couple relationship education, family resilienceAbstract
Marriage guidance (Bimbingan Perkawinan/Bimwin) in Indonesia should not be treated merely as an administrative prerequisite before the marriage contract, but as a preventive-educational intervention that strengthens couples' readiness and family resilience. This study examines the implementation of Bimwin at the Office of Religious Affairs (KUA) of Legokjawa, Cimerak District, Pangandaran Regency, and the mechanism through which it contributes to prospective couples' understanding of spousal rights and obligations (huquq al-zawjayn). Using a descriptive qualitative case-study design, data were collected through in-depth interviews with an Islamic religious counselor, participant observation, programme documentation, and literature review, then analysed thematically and validated through method triangulation with programme documents. Findings show that Bimwin encompasses religious, legal, communicative, economic, reproductive-health, conflict-management, and family-resilience dimensions, gradually shifting participants' understanding from a one-directional normative pattern towards a reciprocal, practical, and justice-oriented relation consistent with the maqashid al-usrah framework. Cross-theme comparison indicates that the binding constraint lies not in participants' resistance to the reciprocal reading of spousal rights, but in instructional design and programme dosage. Because the study relies on a single key informant without pre-post measurement, causal claims about behavioural change cannot be drawn.
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