Di Sebalik Isu Perkahwinan Nadrah: Tumpuan Terhadap Pandangan Ahmad Luthfi dalam Majalah Qalam (1950–1963)

Abstract

The issue of Nadrah began to draw the attention of the world community in the early 1950s due to the trial of custody rights between her Malay adoptive mother and her Dutch biological parents. This event sparked a major polemic since it touched the sensitivities of the Malays and Muslims. Among the dominant issues in the Nadrah tragedy was the issue of Nadrah’s marriage, which had become the main topic in the newspapers and magazines at that time, including the Qalam magazine. Compared to other print media, the Qalam magazine seemed to emphasise more on reports that were based on Islamic beliefs and morals in relation to the issue of Nadrah. In relation to this, the current study examined the perception of Ahmad Luthfi, as a founder, publisher, and author of the Qalam magazine, on the issue of Nadrah’s marriage from the aspects of age limit for marriage, Islamisation and faith, women’s freedom, the role of kadi (a judge)/wali (Islamic legal guardian) and Islamic administrative law. The resources and materials in this article were obtained from the National Archives of Malaysia, Tun Sri Lanang Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Library, Universiti Malaya (UM) Main Library, UM Za’ba Memorial Library, UM Ahmad Ibrahim Library, UM Academy of Islamic Studies Library, and other sources. The findings of the study show that Ahmad Luthfi had a clear perception of the Islamic law based on the Al-Quran and Hadith. He would not compromise with those who undermined Islamic law. His views had invited positive and negative reactions from various parties.