Religious Approach in Mediating Military Family Conflicts: A Study at Bintaljarahdam V/Brawijaya Malang, East Java

Abstract

Supreme Court Regulation Number 1 of 2016 requires every couple filing for divorce to undergo mediation at the court.  Failure to comply with this provision will result in the decision being legally invalid. Specifically for members of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), there is an internal provision requiring mediation to be conducted three times before the case can be registered in court. This study examines the implementation of pre-trial mediation at Bintaljarahdam V/Brawijaya Malang as a mandatory stage for TNI member couples to obtain mediation recommendations and certification. The purpose of this study is to analyze the role of the Islamic Spiritual Guidance Section (Sibinrohis) as a mediator and educator, as well as to identify mediation strategies applied in resolving family conflicts. This study uses an empirical legal approach with qualitative descriptive methods through observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation studies. The findings show that Sibinrohis not only functions as a mediator that facilitates communication and provides alternative solutions to problems, but also as an educator through spiritual guidance, regular lectures, and the provision of Household Guidebooks. The mediation strategy consists of five stages, namely problem identification, diagnosis, prognosis, therapy, and evaluation. However, the success rate of mediation in the 2020–2024 period was only 13%, indicating the urgency of improvement.