The rapid development of blockchain technology has introduced new forms of digital assets, including Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and metaverse virtual land, creating legal uncertainty regarding their status as inheritable property under Indonesian Islamic Family Law. This study examines the legal status of these digital assets as inheritance objects, analyzes their distribution based on fiqh al-mawārīth and Indonesian positive law, and proposes a legal framework to strengthen legal certainty in digital inheritance. This research employs a normative legal method using statutory, conceptual, and Islamic jurisprudential approaches. Legal materials were analyzed through descriptive and deductive legal reasoning. The findings demonstrate that NFTs and metaverse virtual land satisfy the Islamic legal characteristics of māl because they possess lawful ownership, measurable economic value, legal control, and transferability, thereby qualifying as al-tirkah (inheritance estate). Their distribution should follow the principles of fiqh al-mawārīth while accommodating the technical characteristics of blockchain-based assets, particularly digital wallets and private-key access. The study also identifies a regulatory gap in Indonesian positive law concerning digital asset inheritance. Unlike previous studies that primarily discuss digital assets from commercial or general legal perspectives, this research develops an integrated framework combining Islamic inheritance law, Indonesian positive law, and digital estate planning to strengthen legal certainty, protect heirs' rights, and contribute to the development of Islamic Family Law in the digital era.
Abdul Adlim, Babun Suharto, Wildan Khisbullah Suhma, Kholida Ulfi Mubaroka
The rapid development of crypto assets has challenged the classical concept of mal (property) in Islamic jurisprudence because digital assets do not possess tangible physical characteristics traditionally associated with lawful ownership. This study aims to reconstruct the paradigm of mal within contemporary fiqh by examining the legal status of crypto assets through the framework of maqasid al-shari'ah, particularly hifz al-mal, while evaluating the role of smart contracts in reducing contractual uncertainty (gharar). This study employed a qualitative normative legal approach based on literature analysis of classical fiqh, usul al-fiqh, contemporary Islamic legal scholarship, institutional fatwas, and financial regulations. The findings demonstrate that the concept of mal has evolved from a material-based understanding toward a value-oriented paradigm that emphasizes recognized benefit, scarcity, and lawful ownership. Under these criteria, crypto assets may be recognized as mal when supported by legitimate ownership, transparent governance, and productive economic purposes. Smart contracts contribute to minimizing contractual and operational gharar through automated execution and transaction transparency, although they cannot eliminate risks arising from market volatility. This study proposes a reconstructed paradigm of mal that provides a more contextual analytical framework for assessing the legality of digital assets within contemporary Islamic law.