CHANGING TRENDS IN THE STUDY OF SHARIA IN INDONESIA: An Account on Relevant Bibliographies

The study of Sharia in a Muslim country, like Indonesia, has been experiencing a significant change in terms of approaches, methods, and object of study. This article deals with the continuities and changes in the study of Islamic law in Indonesia. Based on my bibliographical study, it emphasizes that the study of Sharia in Indonesia has changed in response to the changing social and political surroundings, which I categorize into three phases. First, during colonialism, the relationship between Islam and local customs has become an important subject of intense debate among scholars. Second, an upturn occurred in the mid-1950s, as the study of Sharia was no longer oriented to examine the debates on the relationship between Islam and local practices. Instead, Islam is seen as a set of interpre­tative resources and practices. This approach continued to develop until the 1970s. Third, along with the codification of Islamic family law, the study of Sharia has been given to the dynamics of Islamic law in courtrooms, examining the position of women and the role of judges, and in state policies both at provincial and district levels.