PENCEGAHAN PERKAWINAN ANAK MELALUI LITERASI HUKUM DAN DAKWAH PARTISIPATIF DI MANDAILING NATAL

Abstract

Child marriage remains a socio-religious problem in Mandailing Natal Regency, driven by limited family-law literacy, religious understandings that equate puberty (baligh) with readiness for marriage, and the customary practice of marlojong (elopement), which often leads to marriage dispensation requests. This community service program aimed to strengthen family resilience by integrating legal literacy and participatory da‘wah, positioning students (santri) and teachers (asatiz) as agents of child marriage prevention. The program was conducted at Musthafawiyah Islamic Boarding School, Purba Baru, Lembah Sorik Marapi District, on 20 June 2026 with 30 participants comprising senior students, teachers, parents, and community leaders. Participatory Action Research (PAR) was applied through problem mapping, participatory planning, action, and reflection. The action stage included legal literacy on marriage and child protection, a thematic halaqah grounded in maqāṣid al-sharī‘ah, focus group discussions, and practice in composing da‘wah materials. Effectiveness was measured through pre- and post-tests analysed with N-gain and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The participants’ mean score increased from 56.17 to 80.50 (N-gain 0.56; moderate), a significant difference (Z = −4.70; p < 0.001), with the largest gain in the legal literacy domain (N-gain 0.75). The program also produced six thematic sermon scripts and a plan to establish a cadre of family-resilience preachers. Integrating state law, Islamic law, and Mandailing local wisdom through participatory da‘wah is a relevant model for pesantren-based child marriage prevention.