Redefinition of Istitha’ah in Pilgrimage Practices Within Contemporary Islamic Jurisprudence in Indonesia

Abstract

The pilgrimage is one of the central pillars of Islam, performed only when a Muslim fulfills the condition of istitha’ah, as prescribed by the Qur’an and elaborated by classical Islamic jurisprudence. In Indonesia, however, the administrative waiting period for performing the pilgrimage, creating a tension between normative religious obligations and the socio-administrative realities of a modern nation-state. This study reexamines the concept of istitha’ah in the context of such prolonged waiting times, focusing on its physical, financial, temporal, and administrative dimensions. Employing a normative-empirical approach, it analyzes classical Islamic jurisprudence sources alongside contemporary scholarship and Indonesia’s pilgrimage management policies. The findings suggest that when administrative constraints make it impossible for an individual to perform pilgrimage within their lifetime, the condition of istitha’ah cannot be considered fulfilled, thereby suspending the religious obligation. This reinterpretation reflects the adaptability of Islamic law in addressing modern challenges while remaining faithful to its higher objectives, as articulated in the principle of maqasid al-shari’ah. The study contributes to ongoing debates on contextualizing Islamic legal principles within contemporary governance and proposes a framework for harmonizing scriptural requirements with the social and political realities of present-day Muslim societies.