Hukum

Hukum is a Malay-Indonesian word meaning law, rule, or obligation. It is derived from Arabic hukm, meaning judgment or decree, and has entered Malay and Indonesian legal and religious vocabularies through Islam and legal traditions.

In civil law contexts, hukum refers to the body of rules that govern a society. In Indonesia and Malaysia, it encompasses hukum positif (positive law), hukum adat (customary law), hukum pidana (criminal law), hukum perdata (civil law), and hukum tata negara (constitutional law). Shariah or hukum Islam also play a significant role in personal status cases for Muslim communities.

In Islam, hukum denotes a religious obligation or ruling (hukm) determined by sources such as the Qur'an and hadith. Jurisprudence is organized into categories such as fard (obligatory), wajib, sunnah, makruh, and haram, with variations across schools of thought. These rulings guide conduct, worship, morality, and personal matters.

As a verb, hukum means to judge or condemn; menghukum is to sentence or punish. The term thus covers both normative rules and the act of imposing penalties.

Across regions, hukum adat coexists with formal state law, shaping property, marriage, and community governance, reflecting diverse legal cultures within Malay-speaking societies.