Hijab is a ‘challenge to the political system’

simple full cover hijab

While Hijab may have political implications, as evident in the banning of Hijab in certain countries, Muslim women who choose to practice Hijab are not doing it to challenge the political system. Islam encourages men and women to observe modesty in private and public life. Hijab is an individual’s act of faith and religious expression.
I am liberated from slavery to ‘physical perfection’
Society makes women desire to become ‘perfect objects’. The multitudes of alluring fashion magazines and cosmetic surgeries show women’s enslavement to beauty. The entertainment industry pressures teens to believe that for clothes, less is better. When we wear Hijab, we vow to liberate ourselves from such desires and serve only God.

I don’t let others judge me by my hair and curves!
In schools and professional environments, women are often judged by their looks or bodies-characteristics they neither chose nor created. Hijab forces society to judge women for their value as human beings, with intellect, principles, and feelings. A woman in Hijab sends a message, “Deal with my brain, not my body!”

I feel empowered and confident
In contrast to today’s teenage culture, where anorexia and suicide are on the rise, as women attempt to reach an unattainable ideal of beauty, Hijab frees a woman from the pressure to ‘fit in’. She does not have to worry about wearing the right kind of jeans or the right shade of eyeshadow. She can feel secure about her appearance because she cares to please only Allah.

I feel the bond of unity
Hijab identifies us as Muslims and encourages other Muslim sisters to greet us with the salutation of peace, “Assalamu Alaikum”. Hijab draws others to us and immerses us in good company.
In some Arabic-speaking countries and Western countries, the word hijab primarily refers to women’s head and body covering, but in Islamic scholarship, hijab is given the wider meaning of modesty, privacy, and morality. The word used in the Qur’an for a headscarf or veil is khimār.
‘Those who harass believing men and believing women undeservedly, bear (on themselves)
a calumny and a grievous sin. O Prophet! Enjoin your wives, your daughters, and the wives of true believers that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad) That is most convenient, that they may be distinguished and not be harassed. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.’
(Qur’an 33:58-59)

Proper Hijab means loose and opaque clothes. Clothes should not be alluring or similar to the clothing of men. What about guys? Islam outlines a modest dress code for men and women. The requirements are different based on the obvious physiological and psychological differences between the two genders.

Hijab does not apply only to clothes. It is a state of mind, behaviour, and lifestyle. Hijab celebrates a desirable quality called Haya (modesty), a deep concern for preserving one’s dignity. Haya is a natural feeling that brings us pain at the very idea of committing a wrong..

The Prophet (s.a.w.) said:
“Every religion has a distinct call. For Islam it is Haya (modesty).”

Since nothing but what is apparent may be shown (i.e. hands and face) the garment must be thick enough so that we cannot see the color of the skin it covers or the shape of the body. Once the Prophet (pbuh) saw Asma, the daughter of Abu Bakr, visiting Aishah while Asma was wearing a dress that was not thick enough. He turned his face away in anger and said:
“If the woman reaches the age of puberty, no part of her body should be seen, but this,” and he pointed to his face and his hands. Another time when the Prophet (pbuh) saw a bride wearing a thin dress, he said, “She is not a woman who believes in Surat-un Nur who wears this.” He also described the future condition of the Ummah which would be straying from the injunction of the Islamic dress code. “In later (generations) of my Ummah there will be women who will be dressed but naked on top of heads (what looks)like camel humps. Curse them for they am truly cursed.

Oleh : Syaikh Muhammad Ali Farkus hafidzohulloh

Pertanyaan :

Bagaimanakah sifat khimar yang syar’i?

.

Jawaban :

الحمدُ لله ربِّ العالمين، والصلاة والسلام على من أرسله اللهُ رحمةً للعالمين، وعلى آله وصحبه وإخوانه إلى يوم الدين، أمّا بعد:

Khimar haruslah menutup kepala wanita dan juga melingkupi leher serta menutup dada –yaitu tempat potongan dari baju dan gamis- dan demikian pula menutupi apa-apa yang di bawah dagu, sebagaimana firman Alloh ta’ala :

وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَى جُيُوبِهِنَّ

“Dan hendaklah mereka menutupkan khimar ke dada-dada mereka” [QS an-Nur : 31]

Dan karena menutup leher tidaklah sempurna kecuali juga dengan menutupi bagian bawah dari dagu maka wajib memasukkannya sebagai bagian yang harus ditutup berdasarkan kaidah :

مَا لاَ يَتِمُّ الوَاجِبُ إِلاَّ بِهِ فَهُوَ وَاجِبٌ

“Kewajiban yang tidak sempurna melainkan dengan suatu wasilah/perbuatan, maka hukum wasilah itu menjadi wajib.”

Dan jika seorang wanita hendak keluar dan pergi dari rumahnya maka tidaklah cukup memakai baju dan khimar saja, akan tetapi haruslah ia memakai mula’ah (jilbab) yang longgar diatas khimar tersebut dari atas kepalanya sampai ke bawah. Berdasar firman Alloh ta’ala :

يَا أيهَا النَّبِيُّ قُل لأَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِن جَلابِيبِهِنَّ ذَلِكَ أَدْنَى أَن يُعْرَفْنَ فَلاَ يُؤْذَيْنَ

“Hai Nabi, katakanlah kepada isteri-isterimu, anak-anak perempuanmu dan isteri-isteri orang mukmin: “Hendaklah mereka mengulurkan jilbabnya ke seluruh tubuh mereka.” Yang demikian itu supaya mereka lebih mudah untuk dikenal, karena itu mereka tidak di ganggu.” [QS. Al-Ahzab : 59]

Dan yang demikian adalah ketika ia pergi dari rumahnya, dan juga ketika menemui kerabat suaminya dan orang asing lainnya yang tidak tinggal serumah dengannya.

Adapun dalam sholat, boleh baginya untuk sholat dengan baju dan khimar saja dengan tanpa ada hiasan-hiasan padanya. Tapi yang utama bagi wanita dalam sholat adalah memakai tiga potong pakaian : khimar, baju dan jilbab.

والعلمُ عند الله تعالى، وآخر دعوانا أنِ الحمد لله ربِّ العالمين، وصلى الله على نبيّنا محمّد وعلى آله وصحبه وإخوانه إلى يوم الدين، وسلّم تسليمًا

Al-Jaza’ir : 3 Dzul Hijjah 1427 H

Bertepatan dengan : 23 Desember 2006 M

***

Sumber : http://www.ferkous.com/rep/Bj28.php

***

صفة الخمار الشرعي

:السـؤال

ما هي صفات الخمار الشرعي؟

:الجـواب

:الحمدُ لله ربِّ العالمين، والصلاة والسلام على من أرسله اللهُ رحمةً للعالمين، وعلى آله وصحبه وإخوانه إلى يوم الدين، أمّا بعد

فالخمار ينبغي أن يغطي رأسَ المرأةِ ويكون مُلْتَـفًّا على الرقبة بحيث يُغطِّي الجُيُوبَ -وهي موضع القطع من الدرع والقميص- وكذا ما يتعلَّق بأسفل الذِّقْنِ لقوله تعالى: ﴿وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَى جُيُوبِهِنَّ﴾ [النور: 31]، ولَمَّا كانت الرقبة لا تتمُّ إلاّ بجزءٍ من الذقن وجب دخوله فيه عملاً بقاعدة: «مَا لاَ يَتِمُّ الوَاجِبُ إِلاَّ بِهِ فَهُوَ وَاجِبٌ»، فإن أرادت الخروج والبروز من مسكنها فلا يكفي الدرع والخمار، ولا بدَّ لها فوق الخمار من مُلاءة من فوق رأسها إلى ما أسفل سابغًا، لقوله تعالى: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُل لأَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِن جَلابِيبِهِنَّ ذَلِكَ أَدْنَى أَن يُعْرَفْنَ فَلاَ يُؤْذَيْنَ﴾ [الأحزاب: 59]، وهذا كلّه في حالة بروزها من مَنْزِلها، وكذلك حال استقبالها لأقارب الزوج وغيرهم من الأجانب الذين لا يساكنونها في محلٍّ واحد، أمّا في الصلاة فيسعها أن تصلي بالدرع والخمار، بدون أن يكون عليها زخرفة وزينة، لكن الأفضل لها في صلاتها أن تكون بثلاث قطع: خمار ودرع وجلباب.

والعلمُ عند الله تعالى، وآخر دعوانا أنِ الحمد لله ربِّ العالمين، وصلى الله على نبيّنا محمّد وعلى آله وصحبه وإخوانه إلى يوم الدين، وسلّم تسليمًا

الجزائر في: 3 من ذي الحجة 1427ﻫ

الموافق ﻟ: 23 ديسمبر 2006م

Oleh : Syaikh Muhammad Ali Farkus hafidzohulloh

Pertanyaan :

Bagaimanakah sifat khimar yang syar’i?

.

Jawaban :

الحمدُ لله ربِّ العالمين، والصلاة والسلام على من أرسله اللهُ رحمةً للعالمين، وعلى آله وصحبه وإخوانه إلى يوم الدين، أمّا بعد:

Khimar haruslah menutup kepala wanita dan juga melingkupi leher serta menutup dada –yaitu tempat potongan dari baju dan gamis- dan demikian pula menutupi apa-apa yang di bawah dagu, sebagaimana firman Alloh ta’ala :

وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَى جُيُوبِهِنَّ

“Dan hendaklah mereka menutupkan khimar ke dada-dada mereka” [QS an-Nur : 31]

Dan karena menutup leher tidaklah sempurna kecuali juga dengan menutupi bagian bawah dari dagu maka wajib memasukkannya sebagai bagian yang harus ditutup berdasarkan kaidah :

مَا لاَ يَتِمُّ الوَاجِبُ إِلاَّ بِهِ فَهُوَ وَاجِبٌ

“Kewajiban yang tidak sempurna melainkan dengan suatu wasilah/perbuatan, maka hukum wasilah itu menjadi wajib.”

Dan jika seorang wanita hendak keluar dan pergi dari rumahnya maka tidaklah cukup memakai baju dan khimar saja, akan tetapi haruslah ia memakai mula’ah (jilbab) yang longgar diatas khimar tersebut dari atas kepalanya sampai ke bawah. Berdasar firman Alloh ta’ala :

يَا أيهَا النَّبِيُّ قُل لأَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِن جَلابِيبِهِنَّ ذَلِكَ أَدْنَى أَن يُعْرَفْنَ فَلاَ يُؤْذَيْنَ

“Hai Nabi, katakanlah kepada isteri-isterimu, anak-anak perempuanmu dan isteri-isteri orang mukmin: “Hendaklah mereka mengulurkan jilbabnya ke seluruh tubuh mereka.” Yang demikian itu supaya mereka lebih mudah untuk dikenal, karena itu mereka tidak di ganggu.” [QS. Al-Ahzab : 59]

Dan yang demikian adalah ketika ia pergi dari rumahnya, dan juga ketika menemui kerabat suaminya dan orang asing lainnya yang tidak tinggal serumah dengannya.

Adapun dalam sholat, boleh baginya untuk sholat dengan baju dan khimar saja dengan tanpa ada hiasan-hiasan padanya. Tapi yang utama bagi wanita dalam sholat adalah memakai tiga potong pakaian : khimar, baju dan jilbab.

والعلمُ عند الله تعالى، وآخر دعوانا أنِ الحمد لله ربِّ العالمين، وصلى الله على نبيّنا محمّد وعلى آله وصحبه وإخوانه إلى يوم الدين، وسلّم تسليمًا

Al-Jaza’ir : 3 Dzul Hijjah 1427 H

Bertepatan dengan : 23 Desember 2006 M

***

Sumber : http://www.ferkous.com/rep/Bj28.php

***

صفة الخمار الشرعي

:السـؤال

ما هي صفات الخمار الشرعي؟

:الجـواب

:الحمدُ لله ربِّ العالمين، والصلاة والسلام على من أرسله اللهُ رحمةً للعالمين، وعلى آله وصحبه وإخوانه إلى يوم الدين، أمّا بعد

فالخمار ينبغي أن يغطي رأسَ المرأةِ ويكون مُلْتَـفًّا على الرقبة بحيث يُغطِّي الجُيُوبَ -وهي موضع القطع من الدرع والقميص- وكذا ما يتعلَّق بأسفل الذِّقْنِ لقوله تعالى: ﴿وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَى جُيُوبِهِنَّ﴾ [النور: 31]، ولَمَّا كانت الرقبة لا تتمُّ إلاّ بجزءٍ من الذقن وجب دخوله فيه عملاً بقاعدة: «مَا لاَ يَتِمُّ الوَاجِبُ إِلاَّ بِهِ فَهُوَ وَاجِبٌ»، فإن أرادت الخروج والبروز من مسكنها فلا يكفي الدرع والخمار، ولا بدَّ لها فوق الخمار من مُلاءة من فوق رأسها إلى ما أسفل سابغًا، لقوله تعالى: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُل لأَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِن جَلابِيبِهِنَّ ذَلِكَ أَدْنَى أَن يُعْرَفْنَ فَلاَ يُؤْذَيْنَ﴾ [الأحزاب: 59]، وهذا كلّه في حالة بروزها من مَنْزِلها، وكذلك حال استقبالها لأقارب الزوج وغيرهم من الأجانب الذين لا يساكنونها في محلٍّ واحد، أمّا في الصلاة فيسعها أن تصلي بالدرع والخمار، بدون أن يكون عليها زخرفة وزينة، لكن الأفضل لها في صلاتها أن تكون بثلاث قطع: خمار ودرع وجلباب.

والعلمُ عند الله تعالى، وآخر دعوانا أنِ الحمد لله ربِّ العالمين، وصلى الله على نبيّنا محمّد وعلى آله وصحبه وإخوانه إلى يوم الدين، وسلّم تسليمًا

الجزائر في: 3 من ذي الحجة 1427ﻫ

الموافق ﻟ: 23 ديسمبر 2006م

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1

The religious practice of Niqab ultimately leads to one of the greatest debates of modern times- to or not to? Some Muslim scholars [believed to be among the “stricter” ones] deem the Niqab to be compulsory, while others say it’s like “extra” credit for your faith. Whatever the case, there are some inevitable negative stereotypes that are connected with the Niqab.

Even in a predominantly Muslim country such as the U.A.E., there are quite a few preconceived notions about Niqabi women. Many believe them to be uneducated, belonging to a lower level of social hierarchy, the popular belief of being “oppressed”, being made to wear a Niqab by parents [particularly by the father], being orthodox, extreme, having a non-existent fashion sense, having a strict approach to life, and basically general ideas somewhere along these lines. I wish to break up these negative stereotypes associated with Niqabis and enlighten people a bit more on the issue that will improve the fundamental issue of open communication between various cultural groups, which is a must for a multi-cultural country, such as the U.A.E.

I am a 17-year-old “part-time-Niqabi”. I took to wearing the Niqab as a product of my own will, not being forced to or even “suggested” to wear one by any of the members of my family. In fact, more often than not, I was told I’m too young to wear it. When I went out with the Niqab, I immediately felt the difference. When you’re a Niqabi, people expect you to be a certain way. They expect you to be unaware of the cyber-world, of what goes on outside the four walls of your home. They believe you are unaware of popular teen subcultures, cyber-culture, technology, that you can’t openly communicate in English, etc.They think you haven’t the faintest idea of what TV-shows are on top of the list, who the hottest celebrity is, etc. What they do not know is that simply put, me as a teenager, it can be absolutely normal for me to wear Converse under my Abaya, carry a skull-printed handbag, wear jelly bracelets, actively blog, stay connected to the outside world, hold probably more knowledge than them about technology and cyber-cultures, go out with my friends over the weekends, follow the latest fashion trends, listen to rock-music, watch the latest movies and STILL be a Niqabi. The life of a Niqabi is a life just like any other woman. She may have various interests, probably a bit more on the religious side, but she is absolutely “normal”. Niqabis are being turned away from jobs, rejected from interviews, and are unable to take positions as successful career-oriented women such as lawyers, journalists, etc., all because of a personal religious choice that doesn’t even get in anyone’s way. This is a violation of the basic human right to freely practice one’s religion. I’m not saying that all those stereotypes are false, because they may have sprung up from somewhere obviously. But it’s wrong to negatively stereotype Niqabis. The reason for this being that as education improves and grows in all parts of the world, people are becoming more informed about other religions, particularly Islam in this context, and increasingly women are opting for Niqab in the west, which means that stereotypes associated with Eastern cultures are becoming false, as the west is believed to be quite “freedom-oriented” and “advanced”.

I strongly urge employers to be more open to employing Niqab-clad women in their firms, and understand that it will in no way, hinder their performances.

I think that as a predominantly Muslim country, people within the U.A.E. as well as outside, should broaden their visions and understand that increasingly, as education and knowledge improves, not all Niqabi women are oppressed, uneducated and socially-inactive, that they probably hold the same or more amount of knowledge as you, and that most importantly, they dream of having a thriving career whilst not having to compromise on the most vital aspect of their life- their religion.

Me: I have been waiting for you to tell me what is going on with you. I thought you would be able to come to me and tell me whats happening.

Her: I have just been through so many things. I just need a break.

Me: A break from what, Allah and His Commands?

Her: I just need a break, I just need a break! I need you to understand where I am coming from inshaAllah.

Me: MashaAllah, just don’t forget about Allah. When you stop fulfilling His commandments you leave His Protection.

Her : **SILENCE**

I know a sister that goes through the same phase every so often. When I first witnessed this phase, I was totally blown away, but at the same time I tried to understand what she could have been going through. I tried to guide her in the right direction and give her da’wah from my own actions. Sometimes many of us get weak and we need to see good and positive examples so that we know that there are good Muslims out there. It can get extremely difficult to wade through the masses as many Muslims do have diseased hearts which cause them to act in opposition to Allah and His Messenger. I will admit that being wronged by another Muslim or witnessing other Muslims wrong each other can have a lasting negative effect. But since when do people let other people guide and shape their lives so much? Since when do we care about what others think about us to the point we feel the need to “tone down” our practice of Islaam or change our views? It is amazing how much many of us do care about how we are viewed by non-believers at the end of the day.

At that time, I had not seen the sister in years. We kept in contact via email so I knew she had been through some tough situations due to her own personal choices. I never really knew the full extent until I met up with her again. I was totally in for a bit of a shock  when I walked in and she wasn’t wearing a hijab. I didn’t say anything at the moment because it wasn’t from hikmah to do so. I waited until the time was right. I asked her why she stopped wearing her hijab and she said she just needed a break. Since when is this Deen a game that we can shout “time out” whenever the mood strikes us? I didn’t go into a huge conversation with her I just told her that I was making du’a that she was guided back to wearing hijab and upholding her duties as a believer.

Shortly thereafter she began wearing hijab again.  That was a good thing mashaAllah. Along the way, she admitted that she didn’t like to cover but she was trying to do it for feesabillilah. Fair enough because what we need to do is not always in accordance with what we want to do. As for me, I thought that if I was a good companion for her that she would be compelled to follow Allah’s Command with ease and confidence. I say ease because covering at times can be difficult if you don’t have the familial support in place. I say confidence because actions need to be backed up with the knowledge that what you are doing is right and true. But I repeatedly witnessed her make decisions that would lead her into a downward spiral. Like most people, she is comfortable with blaming others for her shortcomings. I could see that she felt like if something bad happened to her that it had something to do with being a Muslimah or that someone just wanted to harm her. She never wanted to really own up to her part in the fitn that occurred in her life. But Islaam teaches us that we are responsible for ourselves. She was not and is not in an oppressive situation where she doesn’t have a way out. She has the ability to freely do what she needs to seek the Pleasures of her Lord but she would choose otherwise at times when her Imaan began to waiver.

I totally realize that for many women, covering is a huge issue for an array of reasons. But at the same time, this is something that is waajib for us to do in Islaam.  And yes, it does distinguish us as Muslimaat and it increases our level with Allah. Her reasons for not wearing hijab are strictly her own. It wasn’t that she was trying to say it wasn’t waajib upon her. That wasn’t the problem at all. She was already used to racism and being treated badly because of her ethnic group. So that wasn’t the problem either. She simply doesn’t like to cover. These were her words, not mine. I learned the reasons why she would go in and out of her Islaamic clothing as time went on.

The sister admitted she was having a problem within herself. She wanted to be in a more productive community so she could feel more connected. She told me it was when she felt disconnected that she would feel herself slipping in regards to the Deen. So what did I do? I helped her with any and everything that I could. I helped her move. I helped her pick out clothing she could be happy with that were within Islaamic guidelines. I talked to her about the Deen and sent her daleel. I tried to help her out so she would never feel alone. I didn’t leave any room for excuses; she could never say that she didn’t meet at least one Muslim trying to be pious and righteous. My fault in the situation is that I forgot that it is Allah that guides and not the people. So no matter what I did, if she didn’t  have enough Imaan within her ownself to sustain her and help her increase herself, there was nothing I could do.

A few months ago I felt that her situation maybe headed downhill once again. At first, it wasn’t because of anything I witnessed.  I started feeling that way because of things that she would say. She admitted that she was not praying at work. That was a very big sign because she works very long hours. Then she began asking what was going on at the masjid because she needed to be around the Muslims. I advised her to the best of my ability on these issues but in the end she made her own choices. She essentially felt herself slipping and she knew she was falling fast. She had been going to school and working on top of that. She wasn’t around the Believers at all and this was dangerous for her because she always said a strong community was essential to her Islaam. I rarely ever saw her and we barely talked on the phone because of our different schedules. But she knew she was slipping more than I ever could have. She is the only one who could call on Allah in order to try and stop herself from falling. But it seems that she just let the chips fall where they may.

I know if a sister is not covering that there is a high probability that she isn’t praying either. Lets just be real about that. Part of the hikmah behind wearing the hijab is to constantly be ready to make salaat. It is a constant reminder of our obligations as Muslim women to our Lord.  Sometimes the sister would often cover but not make her salaat on time or at all. Again, this points to a problem within the individual. No one can stand on your neck and make you pray. Islaam is not that type of religion. Islaam is a proactive religion; it doesn’t matter whether you see Muslims all the time or never at all, it is still incumbent upon you to make your salaat and do all the things that are incumbent upon you. Salaat is a foundationary aspect in the Deen that without it you can be deemed outside the fold of Islaam altogether. This is a serious matter and it goes well beyond any fitn that we may encounter in our lives. Fitnah is not going to stop coming because we say we believe. It will continue onward to the Yaumal Qiyamah.

I admit it has been very difficult to deal with this sister. I have found it increasing difficult to feel sorry for the sister because it is not as though she doesn’t know right from wrong. On the one hand, I try to make concessions for her behavior because no one can say 100% what they would or would not do in any given situation. I always pray that Allah protects me from completely falling away from the Deen allahumma ameen.  I have not and will not be rude or mean to the sister. I don’t want anyone thinking I am the haraami police or something. But I am not going to apologize to anyone for what Allah has asked of His Servants. If someone doesn’t like it, then no one is forcing you to practice Islaam or ascribe to it in anyway.

From what I have witnessed, the sister wants to do what she wants and then she  gets mad at Islaam when things aren’t going her way. It isn’t something she really says but her actions speak to that attitude. I know that no matter what I did, her issues are so deep seated that unless she makes it her business to do things seeking the Pleasure of Allah then she may lose her aakhirah. We all have issues. No one is perfect. We have to deal with our mistakes and shortcomings on a daily basis. That is the only way to correct ourselves and better ourselves. If you don’t feel you have a problem then that is a problem in and of itself. How will you know you need to correct yourself if you feel there is nothing to correct?

I had to realize I couldn’t save her. She has to make her own choices and live with the results of her actions. But what I can do is continue to make du’a and continue to be a good example for her. We definitely don’t do anything together because she isn’t covering and I in no way want to give her the impression that I am consenting to her behavior. It is easy enough though because we weren’t around each other anyway because of conflicting schedules. But still, if she wants to go towards practicing Islaam to the fullest then she will. It is the same as waking up in the morning to make sure you get to work. You do it because you don’t want to lose your job. You don’t speed because you don’t want to get a ticket. You don’t steal because you don’t want to go to jail. Likewise the Muslim prays because they don’t want to lose their soul.  The Believer seeks to do that which is pleasing to Allah to gain His Mercy and Forgiveness every day of their lives. The only “break” we get is in the grave.

I continue to make du’a for this sister and any other Muslims out there who are struggling with their Deen. We have to realize though that some of us struggle because of what our own hands have put forth and we cannot blame Islaam for our personal shortcomings. Whatever decisions we make we have to own them pure and simple. It is easier said than done but it comes with  greater understanding and a higher level of maturity. If we find that anything is coming in between us and Allah we have to do our best, biithnillah, to remove those things from our path inshaAllah. So alhamdullilah, with Ramadhaan so near I pray that those who shaitaan has caused to have an issue in regards to their Deen are guided to the truth because either it will set you free or break your back.

MashaAllah, I had a great weekend. It was an extremely warm and sunny day alhamdullilah. I was thoroughly tired after wards but my weekend was great. I basically got everything I wanted with the exception of a couple of things. But I figured that it wasn’t meant for me to have them so I just left them off. InshaAllah I will get those things at a later date if they are meant for me to have them.

I met up with some good sisters that I had not seen in a long time. It felt good to be in their company alhamdullilah. We talked, we laughed and we remembered Allah together. It was a wonderful feeling. My kids were so excited to see all the different people, sights and sounds. They had a blast!

The big highlight for my trip was the clothing that Allah allowed me to find. It was like he was guiding me to the places to find what I needed. And yes, I did find some khimaar and I was sooooo overjoyed alhamdullilah ala na’matihi. All of them are just gorgeous, mashaAllah. I even found a butterfly shoulder abaya but the only problem was it was a bit too snug when I got it home. It looks more so like something to be worn in the home and not the street. But alas, I will still get some use out of it inshaAllah.

As for the search for the perfect niqaab, my friend forgot the bag she was going to give me so it wasn’t meant for me at this time. Then I came across some niqaabs with cheese cloth but the sister who was selling them had a sister watching her store so she didn’t really know the prices. It just wasn’t meant to be this time mashaAllah. I did get one niqaab though but it doesn’t have cheese cloth backing. I was taking a risk so we will see how it works out inshaAllah. It is cute with a very interesting design mashaAllah.

I found some bakhoor but not the kind I was really looking for. The store I normally get it from was closed and I didn’t have time to stop by again before I had to get back home. Qadruallahu wa maa shafa’al. But I like the kind that I have. It smells nice and burns well mashaAllah. I also got some charcoal incense sticks that smell really good. So I still got what I wanted to a great extent. I am thankful alhamdullilah.

We were all tired and worn out by the time it was time to head home. I was so thankful for a wonderful day and the blessings Allah bestowed upon me and my family. It was a beautiful sunny day and there was not a cloud in the sky. Alhamdullilah.

It was so beautiful. I never thought much of it before. Sure I had seen them many times before but not like this. It was just something about it. I fell in love immediately. My first beautiful khimaar was long and gold mashaAllah. It was made just for me by an older Somali sister whose family I had met and come to love.

And with that, my love affair with the khimaar began. At first, I only wore it when I made salaat. I wanted the sister to get so many blessings for making me such a beautiful garment. It was so long that it almost touched the ground in the back. I only had to pull on a skirt to perform salaat. I thought it was much too beautiful to wear into the street. In fact, I never did. I would wear it when I had visitors in my home as is it was super comfortable and pleasing to the eye. Alhamdullilah, I received many complements on that khimaar. I still have it and it is still gorgeous.

A few months later I ran across Sheikh Al Al Bani’s opinion concerning the outer garments of the women. He felt that our garments should be one piece because some two piece combinations could over accentuate a woman’s form. At that point, I was wearing a khimaar over an isdaal. I felt totally covered that way because an isdaal isn’t as wide and flowing as regular abayaat are hence the use of the khimaar. Wearing a khimaar over it made me feel completely covered and I was very content. But when I read the Sheikh’s opinion, I thought that it did make sense and I could see how he could come to that conclusion (although I knew I was totally covered and properly at that).  I wasn’t opposed to this idea and I was glad to try the gulf style abayaat on a full time basis.  At that time, the abayaat known as the overhead had begun to emerge as a popular style because of the great coverage they provide. The material that many of them were constructed from was light, cool and most times wrinkle free. I enjoyed the ease of it; especially the ones with the built in under piece. That just made so much sense to me. I even loved the khimaar that were sewn that way. It just cut down on the process of getting dressed and it was more secure as there was nothing to slip off of your head.

For many years  I wore the head abayaat. I love them for the most part. Just not so much when it’s windy or when I am expecting (or passing by a particularly noisy crowd of men). While expecting, I would usually wear my khimaar. But for the most part, head abayaat were my staple. I still love them. But somehow, I never felt the same contentment in them that I did when I wore a khimaar.

My love affair with the khimaar was reignited when I saw a beautiful  black khimaar on a display. I just had to have it. I bought several of them thereafter and fell in love all over again. All the ones that I have are really long and in different styles from the Somali to the Yemeni khimaar mashaAllah. That is what I look for now when I do get a chance to go shopping for myself. The ultimate outer outfit for me at the moment is a butterfly shoulder abayah with a khimaar.  I think that is such a great combination mashaAllah.

So this weekend I am on the lookout for a few new khimaar so I can have something really nice to wear for ‘Eid biithnillahi ta’ala.

Assalamu’alaikum ya ukhtiy fillah. Jumpa lagi dengan ana disini (caile…  ). Artikel ana kali bakal ngebahas tentang apa aja yang berhubungan dengan jilbab. Tapi perlu diketahui kalo artikel ini murni 100% copaz sama salah seorang ikhwah ana, hhe…. *Jazakumullah artikelnya. Nah, berhubung kita akan membahas sedikit fungsi jilbab serta berbagai alasan yang diajukan saudari-saudari kita yang muslimah yang juga belum berjilbab meski usia tak lagi dapat dikatakan anak-anak, ada baiknya kalo kita tau dulu perbedaan antara jilbab dan kerudung.

Jilbab ->> Jilbab ialah sejenis baju kurung yang lapang yang dapat menutup kepala serta mampu menutupi bentuk tubuh seorang wanita yang merupakan auratnya. Dalilnya ada pada Al-Qur’an surat Al-Ahzab [33] : 59 yang artinya, ”Wahai Nabi! Katakanlah kepada istri-istrimu, anak-anak perempuanmu dan istri-istri orang mukmin, ’Hendaklah mereka menutupkan jilbabnya ke seluruh tubuh mereka.’ Yang demikian itu agar mereka lebih mudah untuk dikenali, sehingga mereka tidak diganggu. Dan Allah Maha Pengampun, Maha Penyayang.”

Kerudung ->> Sedangkan yang dimaksud dengan kerudung adalah apa yang disebut dalam Qur’an surat An-Nuur [24] ayat 31 sebagai khimar (khumur). Yaitu selembar kain yang dapat menutupi kepala dan rambut. ”….Dan hendaklah mereka menutupkan kain kerudung ke dadanya….”

Jadi kesimpulannya, kalo ada wanita yang mengaku sudah memakai jilbab namun masih memperlihatkan lekuk-lekuk tubuhnya, maka sesungguhnya ia belumlah berjilbab. Sebutan yang sesuai untuknya bukanlah wanita berjilbab melainkan wanita berkerudung, gituuuu……

Sudah tau bedanya? Sekarang selamat menikmati artikel yang ana sajikan :-)

Bismillah,
Bila anda seorang muslimah dewasa dan masih belum menutup auratnya dengan hijab dan jilbab yang benar, maka ada baiknya merenungkan kembali alasan anda dengan menyimak dialog pemikiran dbawah ini.

ALASAN I : Saya belum benar-benar yakin akan fungsi/kegunaan jilbab
Kami kemudian menanyakan dua pertanyaan kepada saudari ini; Pertama, apakah ia benar-benar percaya dan mengakui kebenaran agama Islam? Dengan alami ia berkata, Ya, sambil kemudian mengucap Laa Ilaa ha Illallah! Yang menunjukkan ia taat pada aqidahnya dan Muhammadan rasullullah! Yang menyatakan ia taat pada syariahnya. Dengan begitu ia yakin akan Islam beserta seluruh hukumnya. Kedua, kami menanyakan; Bukankah memakai jilbab termasuk hukum dalam Islam? Apabila saudari ini jujur dan dan tulus dalam ke-Islamannya, ia akan berkata; Ya, itu adalah sebagian dari hukum Islam yang tertera di Al-Quran suci dan merupakan sunnah Rasulullah Shallallahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam yang suci. Jadi kesimpulannya disini, apabila saudari ini percaya akan Islam dan meyakininya, mengapa ia tidak melaksanakan hukum dan perintahnya?

ALASAN II : Saya yakin akan pentingnya jilbab namun Ibu saya melarangnya, dan apabila saya melanggar ibu, saya akan masuk neraka.

Yang telah menjawab hal ini adalah ciptaan Allah Azza wa Jalla termulia, Rasulullah Shallallahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam dalam nasihatnya yang sangat bijaksana; “Tiada kepatuhan kepada suatu ciptaan diatas kepatuhan kepada Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala.”(HR. Ahmad). Sesungguhnya, status orangtua dalam Islam, menempati posisi yang sangat tinggi dan terhormat. Dalam sebuah ayat disebutkan; “Sembahlah Allah dan janganlah kamu mempersekutukan-Nya dengan sesuatu pun. Dan berbuat baiklah kepada kedua orang Ibu Bapak . . “ (QS. An-Nisa [04] : 36). Kepatuhan terhadap orangtua tidak terbatas kecuali dalam satu aspek, yaitu apabila berkaitan dengan kepatuhan kepada Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala. Allah berfirman; “dan jika keduanya memaksamu untuk mempersekutukan dengan Aku sesuatu yang tidak ada pengetahuanmu tentang itu, maka janganlah kamu mengikuti keduanya…”(QS. Luqman [31] : 15)

Berbuat tidak patuh terhadap orangtua dalam menjalani perintah Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala tidak menyebabkan kita dapat berbuat seenaknya terhadap mereka. Kita tetap harus hormat dan menyayangi mereka sepenuhnya. Allah berfirman di ayat yang sama; “dan pergaulilah keduanya di dunia dengan baik.” Kesimpulannya, bagaimana mungkin kamu mematuhi ibumu namun melanggar Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala yang menciptakan kamu dan ibumu.

ALASAN III : Posisi dan lingkungan saya tidak membolehkan saya memakai jilbab.
Saudari ini mungkin satu diantara dua tipe: dia tulus dan jujur, atau sebaliknya, ia seorang yang membohongi dirinya sendiri dengan mengatasnamakan lingkungan pekerjaannya untuk tidak memakai jilbab. Kita akan memulai dengan menjawab tipe dia adalah wanita yang tulus dan jujur. “Apakah anda tidak tidak menyadari saudariku tersayang, bahwa wanita muslim tidak diperbolehkan untuk meninggalkan rumah tanpa menutupi auratnya dengan hijab dan adalah kewajiban bagi setiap muslim untuk mengetahuinya? Apabila engkau, saudariku, menghabiskan banyak waktu dan tenagamu untuk melakukan dan mempelajari berbagai macam hal di dunia ini, bagaimana mungkin engkau dapat sedemikian cerobohnya untuk tidak mempelajari hal-hal yang akan menyelamatkanmu dari kemarahan Allah dan kematianmu?” Bukankah Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala telah berfirman; “maka bertanyalah kepada orang yang mempunyai pengetahuan, jika kamu tidak mengetahui” (QS An-Nahl : 43). Belajarlah untuk mengetahui hikmah menutup auratmu. Apabila kau harus keluar rumahmu, tutupilah auratmu dengan jilbab, carilah kesenangan Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala daripada kesenangan syetan. Karena kejahatan dapat berawal dari pemandangan yang memabukkan dari seorang wanita.

Saudariku tersayang, apabila kau benar-benar jujur dan tulus dalam menjalani sesuatu dan berusaha, kau akan menemukan ribuan tangan kebaikan siap membantumu, dan Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala akan membuat segala permasalahan mudah untukmu. Bukankah Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’alatelah berfirman; “Barangsiapa yang bertakwa kepada Allah niscaya Dia akan mengadakan baginya jalan keluar. Dan memberinya rizki dari arah yang tiada disangka-sangkanya..”(QS. AtTalaq :2-3). Kedudukan dan kehormatan adalah sesuatu yang ditentukan oleh Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala. Dan tidak bergantung pada kemewahan pakaian yang kita kenakan, warna yang mencolok, dan mengikuti trend yang sedang berlaku. Kehormatan dan kedudukan lebih kepada bersikap patuh pada Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala dan Rasulullah Shallallahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam, dan bergantung pada hukum Allah yang murni. Dengarkanlah kalimat Allah; “sesungguhnya orang yang paling mulia diantara kamu di sisi Allah adalah orang yang paling bertakwa diantara kamu..”(QS. Al-Hujurat:13).Kesimpulannya, lakukanlah sesuatu dengan mencari kesenangan dan keridhoan Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala, dan berikan harga yang sedikit pada benda-benda mahal yang dapat menjerumuskanmu.

ALASAN IV : Udara di daerah saya amatlah panas dan saya tidak dapat menahannya. Bagaimana mungkin saya dapat mengatasinya apalagi jika saya memakai jilbab.

Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala memberikan perumpamaan dengan mengatakan; “api neraka jahannam itu lebih lebih sangat panas(nya) jikalau mereka mengetahui..”(QS At-Taubah [09] : 81). Bagaimana mungkin kamu dapat membandingkan panas di daerahmu dengan panas di neraka jahannam? Sesungguhnya saudariku, syaithan telah mencoba membuat tali besar untuk menarikmu dari panasnya bumi ini kedalam panasnya suasana neraka. Bebaskan dirimu dari jeratannya dan cobalah untuk melihat panasnya matahari sebagai anugerah, bukan kesengsaraan. Apalagi mengingat bahwa intensitas hukuman dari Allah akan jauh lebih berat dari apa yang kau rasakan sekarang di dunia fana ini. Kembalilah pada hukum Allah dan berlindunglah dari hukuman-Nya, sebagaimana tercantum dalam ayat; “mereka tidak merasakan kesejukan didalamnya dan tidak (pula mendapat) minuman, selain air yang mendidih dan nanah” (QS. An-Naba’ [78] : 24-25). Kesimpulannya, surga yang Allah janjikan, penuh dengan cobaan dan ujian. Sementara jalan menuju neraka penuh dengan kesenangan, nafsu dan kenikmatan.

ALASAN V : Saya takut, bila saya memakai jilbab sekarang, di lain hari saya akan melepasnya kembali, karena saya melihat banyak sekali orang yang begitu.
Kepada saudari itu saya berkata, “apabila semua orang mengaplikasikan logika anda tersebut, mereka akan meninggalkan seluruh kewajibannya pada akhirnya nanti!” Mereka akan meninggalkan shalat lima waktu karena mereka takut tidak dapat melaksanakan satu saja waktu shalat itu. Mereka akan meninggalkan puasa di bulan ramadhan, karena mereka takut tidak dapat menunaikan satu hari ramadhan saja di bulan puasa, dan seterusnya. Tidakkah kamu melihat bagaimana syetan telah menjebakmu lagi dan memblokade petunju bagimu? Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala menyukai ketaatan yang berkesinambungan walaupun hanya suatu ketaatan yang sangat kecil atau dianjurkan. Lalu bagaimana dengan sesuatu yang benar-benar diwajibkan sebagaimana kewajiban memakai jilbab? Rasulullah Shallallahu ‘Alaihi Wasallambersabda; “Perbuatan yang paling dicintai Allah adalah perbuatan mulia yang terus menerus, yang mungkin orang lain anggap kecil.” Mengapa kamu saudariku, tidak melihat alasan mereka yang dibuat-buat untuk menanggalkan kembali jilbab mereka dan menjauhi mereka? Mengapa tidak kau buka tabir kebenaran dan berpegang teguh padanya? Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala sesungguhnya telah berfirman; “maka Kami jadikan yang demikian itu peringatan bagi orang-orang dimasa itu, dan bagi mereka yang datang di masa kemudian, serta menjadi pelajaran bagi orang-orang yang bertakwa” (QS. Al-Baqarah [02] : 66). Kesimpulannya, apabila kau memang teguh petunjuk dan merasakan manisnya keimanan, kau tidak akan meninggalkan sekali pun perintah Allah setelah kau melaksanakannya.

ALASAN VI : Apabila saya memakai jilbab, maka jodohku akan sulit, jadi aku akan memakainya nanti setelah menikah.
Saudariku, suami mana pun yang lebih menyukaimu tidak memakai jilbab dan membiarkan auratmu di depan umum, berarti dia tidak mengindahkan hukum dan perintah Allah dan bukanlah suami yang berharga sejak semula. Dia adalah suami yang tidak memiliki perasaan untuk melindungi dan menjaga perintah Allah, dan jangan pernah berharap tipe suami seperti ini akan menolongmu menjauhi api neraka, apalagi memasuki surga Allah. Sebuah rumah yang dipenuhi dengan ketidak-taatan kepada Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala, akan selalu menghadapi kepedihan dan kemalangan di dunia kini dan bahkan di akhirat nanti. Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala bersabda; “dan barangsiapa berpaling dari peringatan-Ku, maka sesungguhnya baginya penghidupan yang sempit, dan Kami akan menghimpunkannya pada hari kiamat dalam keadaan buta” (QS. Taha [20] : 124).

Pernikahan adalah sebuah pertolongan dan keberkahan dari Allah kepada siapa saja yang Ia kehendaki. Berapa banyak wanita yang ternyata menikah sementara mereka yang tidak memakai jilbab tidak?

Apabila kau, saudariku tersayang, mengatakan bahwa ketidak-tertutupanmu kini adalah suatu jalan menuju sesuatu yang murni, asli, yaitu pernikahan. Tidak ada ketertutupan. Saudariku, suatu tujuan yang murni, tidak akan tercapai melalui jalan yang tidak murni dan kotor dalam Islam. Apabila tujuannya bersih dan murni, serta terhormat, maka jalan menuju kesana pastilah harus dicapai dengan bersih dan murni pula. Dalam syariat Islam kita menyebutnya : Alat atau jalan untuk mencapai sesuatu, tergantung dari peraturan yang ada untuk mencapai tujuan tersebut. Kesimpulannya, tidak ada keberkahan dari suatu perkawinan yang didasari oleh dosa dan kebodohan.

ALASAN VII : Saya tidak memakai jilbab berdasarkan perkataan Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala : “dan terhadap nikmat Tuhanmu, maka hendaklah kamu menyebut-nyebutnya (dengan bersyukur)” (QS.Ad-Dhuhaa 93: 11). Bagaimana mungkin saya menutupi anugerah Allah berupa kulit mulus dan rambutku yang indah?
Jadi saudari kita ini mengacu pada Kitab Allah selama itu mendukung kepentingannya dan pemahamannya sendiri! ia meninggalkan tafsir sesungguhnya dibelakang ayat itu apabila hal itu tidak menyenangkannya. Apabila yang saya katakan ini salah, mengapa saudari kita ini tidak mengikuti ayat : “janganlah mereka menampakkan perhiasannya kecuali yang nampak daripadanya” (QS An-Nur [24] : 31) dan firman Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala: “katakanlah kepada istri-istrimu, anak-anak perempuanmu dan istri-istri orang mukmin; hendaklah mereka mengulurkan jilbabnya…” (QS. Al-Ahzab [33] : 59). Dengan pernyataan darimu itu, saudariku, engkau telah membuat syariah sendiri bagi dirimu, yang sesungguhnya telah dilarang oleh Allah, yang disebut at-tabarruj dan as-sufoor. Berkah terbesar dari Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala bagi kita adalah iman dan hidayah, yang diantaranya adalah menggunakan hijab. Mengapa kamu tidak mempelajari dan menelaah anugerah terbesar bagimu ini? Kesimpulannya, apakah ada anugerah dan pertolongan terhadap wanita yang lebih besar daripada petunjuk dan hijab?

ALASAN VIII : Saya tahu bahwa jilbab adalah kewajiban, tapi saya akan memakainya bila saya sudah merasa terpanggil dan diberi petunjuk oleh-Nya.
Saya bertanya kepada saudariku ini, rencana atau langkah apa yang ia lakukan selama menunggu hidayah, petunjuk dariAllah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala seperti yang dia katakan? Kita mengetahui bahwa Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala dalam kalimat-kalimat bijak-Nya menciptakan sebab atau cara untuk segala sesuatu. Itulah mengapa orang yang sakit menelan sebutir obat untuk menjadi sehat, dan sebagainya. Apakah saudariku ini telah dengan seluruh keseriusan dan usahanya mencari petunjuk sesungguhnya dengan segala ketulusannya, berdoa, sebagaimana dalam surah Al-Fatihah 1:6 “Tunjukilah kami jalan yang lurus ” serta berkumpul mencari pengetahuan kepada muslimah-muslimah lain yang lebih taat dan yang menurutnya telah diberi petunjuk dengan menggunakan jilbab? Kesimpulannya, apabila saudariku ini benar-benar serius dalam mencari atau pun menunggu petunjuk dari Allah , dia pastilah akan melakukan jalan-jalan menuju pencariannya itu.

ALASAN IX : Belum waktunya bagi saya. Saya masih terlalu muda untuk memakainya. Saya pasti akan memakainya nanti seiring dengan penambahan umur dan setelah saya pergi haji.
Malaikat kematian, saudariku, mengunjungi dan menunggu di pintumu kapan saja Allah berkehendak. Sayangnya, saudariku, kematian tidak mendiskriminasi antara tua dan muda dan ia mungkin saja datang disaat kau masih dalam keadaan penuh dosa dan ketidaksiapan Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala bersabda; “tiap umat mepunyai batas waktu; maka apabila telah datang waktunya mereka tidak dapat mengundurkannya barang sesaat pun dan tidak dapat (pula) memajukannya” (QS Al-An’aam 7:34] saudariku tersayang, kau harus berlomba-lomba dalam kepatuhan pada Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala, “berlomba-lombalah kamu kepada (mendapatkan) ampunan dari Tuhanmu dan surga yang luasnya seluas langit dan bumu..” (QS Al-Hadid 57:21).

Saudariku, jangan melupakan Allah atau Ia akan melupakanmu di dunia ini dan selanjutnya. Kau melupakan jiwamu sendiri dengan tidak memenuhi hak jiwamu untuk mematuhi-Nya. Allah mengatakan tentang orang-orang yang munafik, “dan janganlah kamu seperti orang-orang yang lupa kepada Allah, lalu Allah menjadikan mereka lupa kepada diri mereka sendiri” (QS Al-Hashr 59: 19). Saudariku, memakai jilbab di usiamu yang muda, akan memudahkanmu. Karena Allah akan menanyakanmu akan waktu yang kau habiskan semasa mudamu, dan setiap waktu dalam hidupmu di hari pembalasan nanti.Kesimpulannya, berhentilah menetapkan kegiatanmu dimasa datang, karena tidak seorang pun yang dapat menjamin kehidupannya hingga esok hari.

ALASAN X : Saya takut, bila saya memakai jilbab, saya akan di-cap dan digolongkan dalam kelompok tertentu! Saya benci pengelompokan!
Saudariku, hanya ada dua kelompok dalam Islam. Dan keduanya disebutkan dalam Kitabullah . Kelompok pertama adalah kelompok / tentara Allah (Hizbullah ) yang diberikan pada mereka kemenangan, karena kepatuhan mereka. Dan kelompok kedua adalah kelompok syetan yang terkutuk (hizbush-shaiython ) yang selalu melanggarAllah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala . Apabila kau, saudariku, memegang teguh perintah Allah, dan ternyata disekelilingmu adalah saudara-saudaramu yang memakai jilbab, kau tetap akan dimasukkan dalam kelompokAllah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala . Namun apabila kau memperindah nafsu dan egomu, kau akan mengendarai kendaraan Syaithan, seburuk-buruknya teman.

Saudariku,
Jangan biarkan tubuhmu dipertontonkan di pasar para syetan dan merayu hati para pria. Model rambut, pakaian ketat yang mempertontonkan setiap detail tubuhmu, pakaian-pakaian pendek yang menunjukkan keindahan kakimu, dan semua yang dapat membangkitkan amarah Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala dan menyenangkan syetan. Setiap waktumu yang kau habiskan dalam kondisi ini, akan terus semakin menjauhkanmu dari Allah dan semakin membawamu lebih dekat pada syetan. Setiap waktu kutukan dan kemarahan menuju kepadamu dari surga hingga kau bertaubat. Setiap hari membawamu semakin dekat kepada kematian. “tiap-tiap yang berjiwa akan merasakan mati. Dan sesungguhnya pada hari kiamat sajalah disempurnakan pahalamu. Barangsiapa dijauhkan dari neraka dan dimasukkan ke dalam surga, maka sungguh ia telah beruntung. Kehidupan dunia itu tidak lain dari kesenangan yang memperdayakan ” (QS Ali ‘Imran 3:185). Naikilah kereta untuk mengejar ketinggalan, saudariku, sebelum kereta itu melewati stasiunmu. Renungkan secara mendalam, saudariku, apa yang terjadi hari ini sebelum esok datang.Pikirkan tentang hal ini, saudariku, sekarang, sebelum semuanya terlambat !
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Tambahan lagi dari ana, alasan seorang ikhwah ogah pake jilbab karena dia IKHWAN *hahahaha (ih, akhwat kok ketawanya ngakak gitu. Ups! Afwan, afwan *malu mode on. Kabuuuuur…)

 

 

Shaikh Salih Ibn Fawzaan Al Fawzaan said in his explanation of Zaad Al Mustaqni’: The Khimar (Hijab as is known in Trinidad) if it is on her head in that it is tied under her neck to the point that it is difficult to take it off then she wipes on it because it has been narrated from the Prophet that he ordered that the women wipe their Khimars.   Umm Salamah used to wipe over her Khimar, and because in taking it off there is hardship on the woman, and she is in need of it (wiping over it), especially when she is travelling or when it is cold. And her need in wiping over the Khimar is not less than the man’s need in wiping over his turban.

 

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. 

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger. 

Undivided loyalty: A Muslimah offering prayer at the newly finished Masjid Syeikh Zayed in Abu Dhabi. Picture: AFP

 The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him said: “Islam has been built on five pillars: to testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; to perform daily Prayers (Salah); to pay the poor-due (Zakah); to fast in Ramadan; and to perform Pilgrimage (Hajj) to the Sacred Mosque in Makkah, if one is financially and physically able.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari) In another Hadith, he said, “Prayer is the cornerstone of Islam…” 

Answering your question, Sheikh M. S. Al-Munajjid, a prominent Saudi Muslim lecturer and author, states: 

“The general principle is that women are equal to men in all religious rulings, because of the Hadith: “Women are counterparts of men.” (Reported by Ahmad), except when there is evidence of a specific ruling which applies only to women. One of the cases in which the scholars mention specific rules for women is Prayer, as follows: 

1. Women do not have to give Adhan (call to Prayer) or Iqamah (second call to Prayer). Ibn Qudamah, may Allah have mercy on him, said: “We don’t know any difference between Muslim scholars (on this point).” (Al-Mughni ma`a Ash-Sharh Al-Kabir, 1/438). 

2. All of the woman’s body must be covered during Prayer, except for her face and hands, because the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:“No prayer will be accepted from an adult woman unless she wears a Khimar.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari) There is some dispute as to whether her heels and feet should be covered. 

3. The woman should keep her limbs close to her body during bowing and prostration, and not spread them out, because this is more modest and covering. (Al-Mughni, 2/258) 

Al-Nawawi said: “In his Al-Mukhtasar, Ash-Shafi`i said that there is no difference between men and women in Prayer, except that women should keep the parts of their bodies close to one another, and they should make their stomachs touch their thighs during prostration. This is more covering and preferable in bowing and the rest of the Prayer as well.” (Al-Majmu`, 3/429) 

4. It is preferable for women to pray in congregation, led by another woman, because the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, told Umm Waraqah to lead the women of her household in Prayer. There is some difference among scholars on this matter. (See Al-Mughni, 2/202 and Al-Majmu`, 4/84-85) The woman leading the Prayer should read aloud as long as no non-mahram man can hear her. It is permissible for women to go out and pray in the mosque with men, although their Prayer at home is better, because the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: ”Do not prevent the women from going out to the mosques, even though their homes are better for them.” 

d) If women are praying in rows behind men, the back rows are better for them than the front rows.” (Al-Majmu`, 3/455)” 

“1. When the Imam makes a mistake in a congregational Prayer, men would correct him by saying, “Subhanallah”, while women would correct him by clapping (some describe it as clapping the palm of one hand against the back of the other). This is confirmed in a well-known Hadith. 

Excerpted, with slight modifications, from: www.jannah.org 

Ditulis oleh Gusti Orrin Prayudi Wardhana
Ditulis sebagai tanggapan atas polemik jilbab di sebuah perguruan tinggi

Kegairahan kaum muslimin untuk senantiasa terikat dengan hukum-hukum Islam semakin tak terbendung.  Dari masalah-masalah individu sampai persoalan bermasyarakat, berbangsa, dan bernegara.  Hal ini dipicu oleh pertama, masalah imani.  Secara imani, sistem Islam adalah sistem terbaik produk Ilahi yang akan menghantarkan manusia kepada kemaslahatan dan rahmat.  Tidak saja bagi umat Islam tapi juga bagi  komunitas manusia seluruhnya.  Kedua, pelampiasan kegagalan sistem yang berlaku saat ini.  Sosialisme sudah lebih dulu runtuh.  Kapitalisme yang menguasai seluruh dunia pun sudah menampakkan kegamangannya.  Lantas, sistem mana yang bisa diharapkan ?  Jawabnya : tentu saja Islam !  Dengan demikian, kegairahan kepada sistem Islam merupakan kewajaran dan kemestian ditinjau dari sudut pandang imani dan realitas faktual.Namun, keterkungkungan yang terlampau lama dalam sistem Kapitalisme – Sekulerisme membuat pemahaman akan hukum-hukum Islam itu sendiri menjadi kabur.  Jangankan wacana tentang pemerintahan Islam (khilafah/imamah),  pidana (‘uqubat), ekonomi (iqtishod), persaksian (bayyinah), dan permasalahan yang menyangkut hajat hidup orang banyak lainnya, permasalahan yang ‘hanya’ menyangkut individu pun juga mengalami kekaburan.  Jilbab hanyalah satu contoh di antara sekian banyak polemik hukum dalam lingkup individu.   Kondisi ini tentu saja membawa ekses negatif di tengah maraknya tuntutan penerapan syari’at Islam.

Menutup Aurat
Permasalahan pakaian baik bagi pria maupun wanita erat kaitannya dengan permasalahan aurat.  Secara khusus, pembahasan aurat wanita di hadapan pria yang bukan muhrimnya telah tuntas dibahas oleh para ulama salaf sekalipun tetap terdapat perbedaan pendapat (khilafiyah) di antara mereka. Perbedaannya bukan pada kewajiban menutupnya tetapi pada batasan aurat yang wajib ditutup.  Itu saja. Perbedaan tersebut muncul dari perbedaan memahami QS. An Nur : 31 yang artinya : “… Dan janganlah mereka menampakkan perhiasannya kecuali yang (biasa) nampak darinya …” Dan jumhur fuqaha menyatakan “kecuali yang (biasa) nampak darinya” adalah wajah dan kedua telapak tangan.  Imam Ath Thabari menyatakan : “Pendapat yang paling kuat dalam masalah ini adalah pendapat yang menyatakan sesuatu yang biasa nampak adalah wajah dan kedua telapak tangan.” (Tafsir Ath Thabari XVIII/94).  Pendapat senada juga diungkapkan oleh Ibnu Katsir (Tafsir Al Qur’an Al ‘Azhim III/283), Al Qurthubi (Tafsir Al Qurthubi XII/229), Imam Zamakhsyari (Tafsir Al Kasysyaf  III/61), Ali Ash Shabuni (Tafsir Ayat Ahkam (terj) II/245), Ibnu Rusyd (Bidayah al Mujtahid (Terj) I/235-236), dan masih banyak lagi yang lainnya.

Pendapat di atas didasari oleh sabda Rasulullah SAW dari Aisyah ra yang menyatakan : “ … Apabila seorang wanita telah baligh, ia tidak boleh menampakkan anggota badannya kecuali wajahnya dan ini.  Beliau berkata demikian sambil menggenggam pergelangan tangannya sendiri dan dibiarkan genggaman antara telapak tangan yang satu dengan genggaman terhadap telapak tangan yang lain.” (HR. Ath Thabari)

Dengan demikian, menutup aurat merupakan kewajiban bagi seorang perempuan.  Aurat yang wajib ditutup dari yang bukan muhrimnya meliputi seluruh tubuhnya kecuali wajah dan kedua telapak tangannya.  Sampai di sini, kedua pihak yang berpolemik dan juga para ulama dipastikan dapat menerimanya.

Kewajiban Jilbab
Hanya saja, dari penelaahan terhadap nash-nash Al Qur’an dan As Sunnah ternyata Allah SWT telah memberikan aturan tertentu yang merupakan kewajiban tersendiri selain kewajiban menutup aurat.  Kewajiban tersebut adalah kewajiban memakai jilbab jika seorang perempuan keluar dari rumahnya (berada dalam kehidupan umum).  Perintah ini dapat difahami dari firman Allah SWT yang artinya : “Wahai Nabi, katakanlah kepada isteri-isterimu, anak-anak perempuanmu, dan isteri-isteri orang mukmin : ‘Hendaklah mereka mengulurkan jilbabnya ke seluruh tubuh mereka.  Yang demikian itu supaya mereka mudah dikenal, karena itu mereka tidak diganggu.  Dan Allah Maha Pengasih lagi Maha Penyayang.” (QS. Al Ahzab : 59)

Apa itu jilbab ?  Inilah yang menjadi pangkal polemik.  Untuk itu, pengertian jilbab harus difahami maknanya.  Bukankah sebuah lafadz mengandung konotasi tentang fakta yang diwakilinya ? Karena lafadz jilbab adalah lafadz yang berasal dari bahasa Arab maka fakta jilbab yang diwakili oleh lafadz tersebut haruslah berupa fakta yang difahami oleh orang-orang Arab pada masa lafadz ini diturunkan (pada saat QS. Al Ahzab : 59 diturunkan), bukan pemahaman atas lafadz yang telah mengalami perubahannya.

Para ulama tafsir menjelaskan pengertian jilbab sebagai berikut : kain penutup baju luar/mantel yang menutupi seluruh tubuh (Tafsir Ibnu Abbas : 137), baju panjang (mula’ah) yang menutupi seluruh tubuh (Imam An Nawawi dalam Tafsir Jalalain : 307), baju luas yang menutupi seluruh kecantikan dan perhiasan wanita (Ali Ash Shabuni, Shofwah at Tafasir : 494), pakaian seperti terowongan (baju panjang yang lurus sampai ke bawah) selain kerudung (Tafsir Ibnu Katsir), dan lain-lain.

Makna ini berdasarkan sabda Rasulullah SAW : “Rasulullah SAW memerintahkan kepada kami untuk keluar pada hari raya ‘Idul Fitri dan ‘Idul Adha, baik gadis-gadis, yang sedang haid, maupun yang sudah kawin.  Mereka yang sedang haid tidak mengikuti shalat tetapi mendengarkan kebaikan serta nasihat-nasihat kepada kaum muslimin.  Maka Ummu ‘Athiyah berkata : ‘Ya Rasulullah, ada seseorang di antara kami yang tidak memiliki jilbab.’  Maka Rasulullah SAW bersabda : ‘Hendaklah saudaranya meminjamkan kepadanya.” (HR. Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Daud, Tirmidzi, dan Nasa’i).

Dalam hadits di atas diriwayatkan tentang seorang wanita yang tidak memiliki jilbab untuk keluar pada saat Idul Fitri atau Idul Adha dan Rasulullah SAW memerintahkan untuk meminjaminya.  Yang dimaksud dalam hadits tersebut bukan pakaian biasa (al mihnah).  Karena, apa mungkin seseorang tidak memiliki pakaian biasa (berarti telanjang) di masa Rasulullah SAW ?

Jilbab inilah yang menutupi pakaian biasa (al mihnah) yang digunakan wanita untuk menutupi auratnya tatkala mereka keluar rumah.  Pengertian ini dapat difahami juga dari QS. An Nur : 60) yang artinya : “Dan perempuan-perempuan tua yang telah terhenti (dari haid dan mengandung) yang tiada ingin kawin (lagi), tiadalah dosa atas mereka menanggalkan pakaian mereka dengan tidak (bermaksud) menampakkan perhiasan, dan berlaku sopan adalah lebih baik bagi mereka.  Dan Allah Maha Mendengar lagi Maha Mengetahui.”

Berdasarkan dalalah al isyarah (penunjukan yang didasarkan isyarat yang ditunjukkan nash), tsiyab (jamak dari tsaub) yang dimaksud dalam ayat tersebut adalah pakaian luar (khimar/kerudung dan jilbab).  Sebab, setelah dilepaskannya tsaub bukan berarti perempuan tua tersebut tanpa pakaian sama sekali.  Pakaian yang dipakai di dalam jilbab (ditutupi jilbab) inilah yang ditunjukkan berdasarkan dalalah al isyarah itu.  Pengertian berdasarkan dalalah al isyarah ini sah digunakan (Muhammad Abu Zahrah, Ushul al Fiqh : 146-147; Abdul Wahab Khalaf, Ilmu Ushul al Fiqh : 143-153).

Fakta inilah yang diwakili oleh lafadz jilbab. Tentu tidak bisa kita mengatakan : “yang penting menutup aurat.” Karena, sekali lagi, sebuah lafadz mengandung konotasi yang diwakilinya.  Konotasi makna untuk jilbab adalah pengertian di atas.  Sebagai contoh, bisakah kita menyamakan persepsi bahwa sandal dan sepatu itu sama saja dengan alasan “yang penting alas kaki” ?  Atau topi dan peci itu sama dengan alasan “yang penting penutup kepala” ? Tentu tidak, bukan ?  Jika demikian, mengapa jilbab disamakan dengan selain jilbab dengan alasan “yang penting menutup aurat” ?  Padahal, yang dituntut dalam berbagai firman Allah SWT di atas adalah mengenakan jilbab jika seorang wanita keluar rumah.

Pakaian ini (jilbab) masih harus dilengkapi dengan kerudung (khimar) yang dijulurkan sampai menutupi dadanya.  Allah SWT berfirman : “… Dan hendaklah mereka menutupkan kain kerudung ke dadanya.” (QS. An Nur : 31).  Ali Ash Shabuni menjelaskan : “Kerudung itu hendaknya terjulur hingga dada supaya leher sampai dada tidak terlihat.” (Tafsir Ayat Ahkam (Terj) II/237).  Bukan seperti wanita jahiliyah yang memakai kerudung tapi dilipat ke belakang dan bagian depannya menganga lebar sehingga tampaklah bagian telinga dan dada mereka (Imam Syaukani, Faidul Qadir IV/23).

Maka harus dibedakan antara jilbab dan kerudung (khimar).  Saat ini banyak salah kaprah.  Seorang wanita tidak bisa dikatakan berjilbab sekalipun dia  telah memakai kerudung (khimar).  Karena, jilbab dan kerudung (khimar) adalah dua hal berbeda yang ditunjukkan oleh nash yang berbeda dengan penunjukan makna lafadz yang berbeda pula.

Dari penelaahan di atas jelaslah bahwa pakaian wanita di saat mereka keluar rumah telah ditetapkan oleh Allah SWT secara rinci dan gamblang, yakni pakaian dalam/keseharian (al mihnah), kerudung (khimar), dan jilbab (pakaian luas seperti terowongan/tidak terputus; fakta mudahnya adalah jubah).

Khatimah
Kewajiban menutup aurat dan kewajiban memakai jilbab adalah dua kewajiban yang berbeda sebagaimana perbedaan kewajiban shalat dan kewajiban membaca surah al fatihah dalam shalat.

Pembahasan jilbab tidak ada perbedaan di kalangan ulama salaf karena jelasnya makna dari lafadz tersebut.  Perbedaan baru terjadi tatkala pemikiran-pemikiran Barat mulai merasuk di benak kaum muslimin yang ditanamkan oleh cendekiawan-cendekiawan muslim yang terbaratkan dan — secara sadar atau tidak sadar — turut pula disebarluaskan oleh tokoh-tokoh muslim.   Amat disayangkan memang !

Kewajiban jilbab juga tidak dapat dibenturkan dengan peraturan sekolah ataupun peraturan negara.  Karena, kewajiban jilbab ditentukan secara syar’i sedangkan peraturan sekolah hanyalah kesepakatan manusia yang tentu saja harus disesuaikan kepada tuntunan syara’.  Jika terjadi benturan, justru tuntunan syara’ lah yang harus diikuti.  Dalam konteks polemik ini, mengapa tidak kita ubah saja peraturannya ?  Meminjam istilah iklan : “Daripada tidak sesuai syari’at, mending ganti peraturannya.” Sulit memang, tapi bukan tidak mungkin.

Dan satu hal perlu diperhatikan bahwa kaum muslimin tidak akan pernah dapat hidup tenang menjalankan keyakinannya kecuali syari’at Islam diterapkan secara kaffah.  Dan itu hanya mungkin dilakukan oleh Daulah Khilafah Islamiyah.  Wallahu a’lam !

Banyak kesalahpahaman terhadap Islam di tengah masyarakat. Misalnya saja jilbab. Tak sedikit orang menyangka bahwa yang dimaksud dengan jilbab adalah kerudung. Padahal tidak demikian. Jilbab bukan kerudung. Kerudung dalam Al Qur`an surah An Nuur : 31 disebut dengan istilah

Kesalahpahaman lain yang sering dijumpai adalah anggapan bahwa busana muslimah itu yang penting sudah menutup aurat, sedang mode baju apakah terusan atau potongan, atau memakai celana panjang, dianggap bukan masalah. Dianggap, model potongan atau bercelana panjang jeans oke-oke saja, yang penting ‘kan sudah menutup aurat. Kalau sudah menutup aurat, dianggap sudah berbusana muslimah secara sempurna. Padahal tidak begitu. Islam telah menetapkan syarat-syarat bagi busana muslimah dalam kehidupan umum, seperti yang ditunjukkan oleh nash-nash Al Qur`an dan As Sunnah. Menutup aurat itu hanya salah satu syarat, bukan satu-satunya syarat busana dalam kehidupan umum. Syarat lainnya misalnya busana muslimah tidak boleh menggunakan bahan tekstil yang transparan atau mencetak lekuk tubuh perempuan. Dengan demikian, walaupun menutup aurat tapi kalau mencetak tubuh alias ketat –atau menggunakan bahan tekstil yang transparan– tetap belum dianggap busana muslimah yang sempurna.

Karena itu, kesalahpahaman semacam itu perlu diluruskan, agar kita dapat kembali kepada ajaran Islam secara murni serta bebas dari pengaruh lingkungan, pergaulan, atau adat-istiadat rusak di tengah masyarakat sekuler sekarang. Memang, jika kita konsisten dengan Islam, terkadang terasa amat berat. Misalnya saja memakai jilbab (dalam arti yang sesungguhnya). Di tengah maraknya berbagai mode busana wanita yang diiklankan trendi dan up to date, jilbab secara kontras jelas akan kelihatan ortodoks, kaku, dan kurang trendi (dan tentu, tidak seksi). Padahal, busana jilbab itulah pakaian yang benar bagi muslimah.

Di sinilah kaum muslimah diuji. Diuji imannya, diuji taqwanya. Di sini dia harus memilih, apakah dia akan tetap teguh mentaati ketentuan Allah dan Rasul-Nya, seraya menanggung perasaan berat hati namun berada dalam keridhaan Allah, atau rela terseret oleh bujukan hawa nafsu atau rayuan syaitan terlaknat untuk mengenakan mode-mode liar yang dipropagandakan kaum kafir dengan tujuan agar kaum muslimah terjerumus ke dalam limbah dosa dan kesesatan.

Berkaitan dengan itu, Nabi SAW pernah bersabda bahwa akan tiba suatu masa di mana Islam akan menjadi sesuatu yang asing –termasuk busana jilbab– sebagaimana awal kedatangan Islam. Dalam keadaan seperti itu, kita tidak boleh larut. Harus tetap bersabar, dan memegang Islam dengan teguh, walaupun berat seperti memegang bara api. Dan in sya-allah, dalam kondisi yang rusak dan bejat seperti ini, mereka yang tetap taat akan mendapat pahala yang berlipat ganda. Bahkan dengan pahala lima puluh kali lipat daripada pahala para shahabat. Sabda Nabi SAW :

“Islam bermula dalam keadaan asing. Dan ia akan kembali menjadi sesuatu yang asing. Maka beruntunglah orang-orang yang terasing itu.” (HR. Muslim no. 145)
“Sesungguhnya di belakang kalian ada hari-hari yang memerlukan kesabaran. Kesabaran pada masa-masa itu bagaikan memegang bara api. Bagi orang yang mengerjakan suatu amalan pada saat itu akan mendapatkan pahala lima puluh orang yang mengerjakan semisal amalan itu. Ada yang berkata,’Hai Rasululah, apakah itu pahala lima puluh di antara mereka ?” Rasululah SAW menjawab,”Bahkan lima puluh orang di antara kalian (para shahabat).” (HR. Abu Dawud, dengan sanad hasan)
2. Aurat dan Busana Muslimah
Ada 3 (tiga) masalah yang sering dicampuradukkan yang sebenarnya merupakan masalah-masalah yang berbeda-beda.
Pertama, masalah batasan aurat bagi wanita.
Kedua, busana muslimah dalam kehidupan khusus (al hayah al khashshash), yaitu tempat-tempat di mana wanita hidup bersama mahram atau sesama wanita, seperti rumah-rumah pribadi, atau tempat kost.
Ketiga, busana muslimah dalam kehidupan umum (al hayah ‘ammah), yaitu tempat-tempat di mana wanita berinteraksi dengan anggota masyarakat lain secara umum, seperti di jalan-jalan, sekolah, pasar, kampus, dan sebagainya. Busana wanita muslimah dalam kehidupan umum ini terdiri dari jilbab dan khimar.
a. Batasan Aurat Wanita
Aurat wanita adalah seluruh anggota tubuhnya kecuali wajah dan dua telapak tangannya. Lehernya adalah aurat, rambutnya juga aurat bagi orang yang bukan mahram, meskipun cuma selembar. Seluruh tubuh kecuali wajah dan dua telapak tangan adalah aurat yang wajib ditutup. Hal ini berlandaskan firman Allah SWT :
“Dan janganlah mereka menampakkan perhiasannya, kecuali yang (biasa) nampak dari padanya.” (QS An Nuur : 31)
Yang dimaksud “wa laa yubdiina ziinatahunna” (janganlah mereka menampakkan perhiasannya), adalah “wa laa yubdiina mahalla ziinatahinna” (janganlah mereka menampakkan tempat-tempat (anggota tubuh) yang di situ dikenakan perhiasan). (Lihat Abu Bakar Al-Jashshash, Ahkamul Qur`an, Juz III hal. 316).
Selanjutnya, “illa maa zhahara minha” (kecuali yang (biasa) nampak dari padanya). Jadi ada anggota tubuh yang boleh ditampakkan. Anggota tubuh tersebut, adalah wajah dan dua telapak tangan. Demikianlah pendapat sebagian shahabat, seperti ‘Aisyah, Ibnu Abbas, dan Ibnu Umar (Al-Albani, 2001 : 66). Ibnu Jarir Ath-Thabari (w. 310 H) berkata dalam kitab tafsirnya Jami’ Al-Bayan fi Tafsir Al-Qur`an Juz XVIII hal. 84, mengenai apa yang dimaksud dengan “kecuali yang (biasa) nampak dari padanya” (illaa maa zhahara minha) : “Pendapat yang paling mendekati kebenaran adalah yang mengatakan,’Yang dimaksudkan adalah wajah dan dua telapak tangan.” Pendapat yang sama juga dinyatakan Imam Al-Qurthubi dalam kitab tafsirnya Al-Jami’ li Ahkam Al-Qur`an, Juz XII hal. 229 (Al-Albani, 2001 : 50 & 57).
Jadi, yang dimaksud dengan apa yang nampak dari padanya adalah wajah dan dua telapak tangan. Sebab kedua anggota tubuh inilah yang biasa nampak dari kalangan muslimah di hadapan Nabi SAW sedangkan beliau mendiamkannya. Kedua anggota tubuh ini pula yang nampak dalam ibadah-ibadah seperti haji dan shalat. Kedua anggota tubuh ini biasa terlihat di masa Rasulullah SAW, yaitu di masa masih turunnya ayat Al Qur`an (An-Nabhani, 1990 : 45). Di samping itu terdapat alasan lain yang menunjukkan bahwasanya seluruh tubuh wanita adalah aurat kecuali wajah dan dua telapak tangan karena sabda Rasulullah SAW kepada Asma` binti Abu Bakar :
“Wahai Asma` sesungguhnya seorang wanita itu apabila telah baligh (haidl) maka tidak boleh baginya menampakkan tubuhnya kecuali ini dan ini, seraya menunjukkan wajah dan telapak tangannya.” (HR. Abu Dawud)
Inilah dalil-dalil yang menunjukkan dengan jelas bahwasanya seluruh tubuh wanita itu adalah aurat, kecuali wajah dan dua telapak tangannya. Maka diwajibkan atas wanita untuk menutupi auratnya, yaitu menutupi seluruh tubuhnya kecuali wajah dan telapak tangannya.
b. Busana Muslimah dalam Kehidupan Khusus
Adapun dengan apa seorang muslimah menutupi aurat tersebut, maka di sini syara’ tidak menentukan bentuk/model pakaian tertentu untuk menutupi aurat, akan tetapi membiarkan secara mutlak tanpa menentukannya dan cukup dengan mencantumkan lafadz dalam firman-Nya (QS An Nuur : 31) “wa laa yubdiina” (Dan janganlah mereka menampakkan) atau sabda Nabi SAW “lam yashluh an yura minha” (tidak boleh baginya menampakkan tubuhnya) (HR. Abu Dawud). Jadi, pakaian yang menutupi seluruh auratnya kecuali wajah dan telapak tangan dianggap sudah menutupi, walau bagaimana pun bentuknya. Dengan mengenakan daster atau kain yang panjang juga dapat menutupi, begitu pula celana panjang, rok, dan kaos juga dapat menutupinya. Sebab bentuk dan jenis pakaian tidak ditentukan oleh syara’.
Berdasarkan hal ini maka setiap bentuk dan jenis pakaian yang dapat menutupi aurat, yaitu yang tidak menampakkan aurat dianggap sebagai penutup bagi aurat secara syar’i, tanpa melihat lagi bentuk, jenis, maupun macamnya.
Namun demikian syara’ telah mensyaratkan dalam berpakaian agar pakaian yang dikenakan dapat menutupi kulit. Jadi pakaian harus dapat menutupi kulit sehingga warna kulitnya tidak diketahui. Jika tidak demikian, maka dianggap tidak menutupi aurat. Oleh karena itu apabila kain penutup itu tipis/transparan sehingga nampak warna kulitnya dan dapat diketahui apakah kulitnya berwarna merah atau coklat, maka kain penutup seperti ini tidak boleh dijadikan penutup aurat.
Mengenai dalil bahwasanya syara’ telah mewajibkan menutupi kulit sehingga tidak diketahui warnanya, adalah hadits yang diriwayatkan dari Aisyah RA bahwasanya Asma` binti Abubakar telah masuk ke ruangan Nabi SAW dengan berpakaian tipis/transparan, lalu Rasulullah SAW berpaling seraya bersabda :
“Wahai Asma` sesungguhnya seorang wanita itu apabila telah baligh (haidl) tidak boleh baginya untuk menampakkan tubuhnya kecuali ini dan ini.” (HR. Abu Dawud)
Jadi Rasulullah SAW menganggap kain yang tipis itu tidak menutupi aurat, malah dianggap menyingkapkan aurat. Oleh karena itu lalu Nabi SAW berpaling seraya memerintahkannya menutupi auratnya, yaitu mengenakan pakaian yang dapat menutupi.
Dalil lainnya juga terdapat dalam hadits riwayat Usamah bin Zaid, bahwasanya ia ditanyai oleh Nabi SAW tentang Qibtiyah (baju tipis) yang telah diberikan Nabi SAW kepada Usamah. Lalu dijawab oleh Usamah bahwasanya ia telah memberikan pakaian itu kepada isterinya, maka Rasulullah SAW bersabda kepadanya :
“Suruhlah isterimu mengenakan baju dalam di balik kain Qibtiyah itu, karena sesungguhnya aku khawatir kalau-kalau nampak lekuk tubuhnya.”(HR. Ahmad dan Al-Baihaqi, dengan sanad hasan. Dikeluarkan oleh Adh-Dhiya’ dalam kitab Al-Ahadits Al-Mukhtarah, Juz I hal. 441) (Al-Albani, 2001 : 135).
Qibtiyah adalah sehelai kain tipis. Oleh karena itu tatkala Rasulullah SAW mengetahui bahwasanya Usamah memberikannya kepada isterinya, beliau memerintahkan agar dipakai di bagian dalam kain supaya tidak kelihatan warna kulitnya dilihat dari balik kain tipis itu, sehingga beliau bersabda : “Suruhlah isterimu mengenakan baju dalam di balik kain Qibtiyah itu.”
Dengan demikian kedua hadits ini merupakan petunjuk yang sangat jelas bahwasanya syara’ telah mensyaratkan apa yang harus ditutup, yaitu kain yang dapat menutupi kulit. Atas dasar inilah maka diwajibkan bagi wanita untuk menutupi auratnya dengan pakaian yang tidak tipis sedemikian sehingga tidak tergambar apa yang ada di baliknya.
c. Busana Muslimah dalam Kehidupan Umum

Pembahasan poin b di atas adalah topik mengenai penutupan aurat wanita dalam kehidupan khusus. Topik ini tidak dapat dicampuradukkan dengan pakaian wanita dalam kehidupan umum, dan tidak dapat pula dicampuradukkan dengan masalah tabarruj pada sebagian pakaian-pakaian wanita.

Jadi, jika seorang wanita telah mengenakan pakaian yang menutupi aurat, tidak berarti lantas dia dibolehkan mengenakan pakaian itu dalam kehidupan umum, seperti di jalanan umum, atau di sekolah, pasar, kampus, kantor, dan sebagainya. Mengapa ? Sebab untuk kehidupan umum terdapat pakaian tertentu yang telah ditetapkan oleh syara’. Jadi dalam kehidupan umum tidaklah cukup hanya dengan menutupi aurat, seperti misalnya celana panjang, atau baju potongan, yang sebenarnya tidak boleh dikenakan di jalanan umum meskipun dengan mengenakan itu sudah dapat menutupi aurat.

Seorang wanita yang mengenakan celana panjang atau baju potongan memang dapat menutupi aurat. Namun tidak berarti kemudian pakaian itu boleh dipakai di hadapan laki-laki yang bukan mahram, karena dengan pakaian itu ia telah menampakkan keindahan tubuhnya (tabarruj). Tabarruj adalah, menempakkan perhiasan dan keindahan tubuh bagi laki-laki asing/non-mahram (izh-haruz ziinah wal mahasin lil ajaanib) (An-Nabhani, 1990 : 104). Oleh karena itu walaupun ia telah menutupi auratnya, akan tetapi ia telah bertabarruj, sedangkan tabarruj dilarang oleh syara’.
Pakaian wanita dalam kehidupan umum ada 2 (dua), yaitu baju bawah (libas asfal) yang disebut dengan jilbab, dan baju atas (libas a’la) yaitu khimar (kerudung). Dengan dua pakaian inilah seorang wanita boleh berada dalam kehidupan umum, seperti di kampus, supermarket, jalanan umum, kebun binatang, atau di pasar-pasar.
Apakah pengertian jilbab ? Dalam kitab Al Mu’jam Al Wasith karya Dr. Ibrahim Anis (Kairo : Darul Maarif) halaman 128, jilbab diartikan sebagai “Ats tsaubul musytamil ‘alal jasadi kullihi” (pakaian yang menutupi seluruh tubuh), atau “Ma yulbasu fauqa ats tsiyab kal milhafah” (pakaian luar yang dikenakan di atas pakaian rumah, seperti milhafah (baju terusan), atau “Al Mula`ah tasytamilu biha al mar`ah” (pakaian luar yang digunakan untuk menutupi seluruh tubuh wanita).
Jadi jelaslah, bahwa yang diwajibkan atas wanita adalah mengenakan kain terusan (dari kepala sampai bawah) (Arab : milhafah/mula`ah) yang dikenakan sebagai pakaian luar (di bawahnya masih ada pakaian rumah, seperti daster, tidak langsung pakaian dalam) lalu diulurkan ke bawah hingga menutupi kedua kakinya.
Untuk baju atas, disyariatkan khimar, yaitu kerudung atau apa saja yang serupa dengannya yang berfungsi menutupi seluruh kepala, leher, dan lubang baju di dada. Pakaian jenis ini harus dikenakan jika hendak keluar menuju pasar-pasar atau berjalan melalui jalanan umum (An-Nabhani, 1990 : 48).
Apabila ia telah mengenakan kedua jenis pakaian ini (jilbab dan khimar) dibolehkan baginya keluar dari rumahnya menuju pasar atau berjalan melalui jalanan umum, yaitu menuju kehidupan umum. Akan tetapi jika ia tidak mengenakan kedua jenis pakaian ini maka dia tidak boleh keluar dalam keadaan apa pun, sebab perintah yang menyangkut kedua jenis pakaian ini datang dalam bentuk yang umum, dan tetap dalam keumumannya dalam seluruh keadaan, karena tidak ada dalil yang mengkhususkannya.
Dalil mengenai wajibnya mengenakan dua jenis pakaian ini, karena firman Allah SWT mengenai pakaian bagian bagian atas (khimar/kerudung) :
“Hendaklah mereka menutupkan kain kerudung ke dadanya, dan janganlah menampakkan perhiasannya, kecuali yang (biasa) nampak dari padanya.” (QS An Nuur : 31)
Dan karena firman Allah SWT mengenai pakaian bagian bawah (jilbab) :

“Wahai Nabi katakanlah kepada isteri-isterimu, anak-anak perempuanmu dan isteri-isteri orang mu’min: ‘Hendaklah mereka mengulurkan jilbabnya.” (QS Al Ahzab : 59)
Adapun dalil bahwa jilbab merupakan pakaian dalam kehidupan umum, adalah hadits yang diriwayatkan dari Ummu ‘Athiah RA, bahwa dia berkata :
“Rasulullah SAW memerintahkan kaum wanita agar keluar rumah menuju shalat Ied, maka Ummu ‘Athiyah berkata,’Salah seorang di antara kami tidak memiliki jilbab?” Maka Rasulullah SAW menjawab: ‘Hendaklah saudarinya meminjamkan jilbabnya kepadanya!”(Muttafaqun ‘alaihi) (Al-Albani, 2001 : 82).
Berkaitan dengan hadits Ummu ‘Athiyah ini, Syaikh Anwar Al-Kasymiri, dalam kitabnya Faidhul Bari, Juz I hal. 388, mengatakan : “Dapatlah dimengerti dari hadits ini, bahwa jilbab itu dituntut manakala seorang wanita keluar rumah, dan ia tidak boleh keluar [rumah] jika tidak mengenakan jilbab.” (Al-Albani, 2001 : 93).
Dalil-dalil di atas tadi menjelaskan adanya suatu petunjuk mengenai pakaian wanita dalam kehidupan umum. Allah SWT telah menyebutkan sifat pakaian ini dalam dua ayat di atas yang telah diwajibkan atas wanita agar dikenakan dalam kehidupan umum dengan perincian yang lengkap dan menyeluruh. Kewajiban ini dipertegas lagi dalam hadits dari Ummu ‘Athiah RA di atas, yakni kalau seorang wanita tak punya jilbab –untuk keluar di lapangan sholat Ied (kehidupan umum)—maka dia harus meminjam kepada saudaranya (sesama muslim). Kalau tidak wajib, niscaya Nabi SAW tidak akan memerintahkan wanita mencari pinjaman jilbab.
Untuk jilbab, disyaratkan tidak boleh potongan, tetapi harus terulur sampai ke bawah sampai menutup kedua kaki, sebab Allah SWT mengatakan : “yudniina ‘alaihinna min jalabibihinna” (Hendaklah mereka mengulurkan jilbab-jilbab mereka.).
Dalam ayat tersebut terdapat kata “yudniina” yang artinya adalah yurkhiina ila asfal (mengulurkan sampai ke bawah/kedua kaki). Penafsiran ini –yaitu idnaa` berarti irkhaa` ila asfal– diperkuat dengan dengan hadits Ibnu Umar bahwa dia berkata, Rasulullah SAW telah bersabda :
“Barang siapa yang melabuhkan/menghela bajunya karena sombong, maka Allah tidak akan melihatnya pada Hari Kiamat nanti.’ Lalu Ummu Salamah berkata,’Lalu apa yang harus diperbuat wanita dengan ujung-ujung pakaian mereka (bi dzuyulihinna).” Nabi SAW menjawab,’Hendaklah mereka mengulurkannya (yurkhiina) sejengkal (syibran)’(yakni dari separoh betis). Ummu Salamah menjawab,’Kalau begitu, kaki-kaki mereka akan tersingkap.’ Lalu Nabi menjawab,’Hendaklah mereka mengulurkannya sehasta (fa yurkhiina dzira`an) dan jangan mereka menambah lagi dari itu.” (HR. At-Tirmidzi Juz III, hal. 47; hadits sahih) (Al-Albani, 2001 : 89)
Hadits di atas dengan jelas menunjukkan bahwa pada masa Nabi SAW, pakaian luar yang dikenakan wanita di atas pakaian rumah –yaitu jilbab– telah diulurkan sampai ke bawah hingga menutupi kedua kaki.
Berarti jilbab adalah terusan, bukan potongan. Sebab kalau potongan, tidak bisa terulur sampai bawah. Atau dengan kata lain, dengan pakaian potongan seorang wanita muslimah dianggap belum melaksanakan perintah “yudniina ‘alaihinna min jalaabibihina” (Hendaklah mereka mengulurkan jilbab-jilbabnya). Di samping itu kata min dalam ayat tersebut bukan min lit tab’idh (yang menunjukkan arti sebagian) tapi merupakan min lil bayan (menunjukkan penjelasan jenis). Jadi artinya bukanlah “Hendaklah mereka mengulurkan sebagian jilbab-jilbab mereka” (sehingga boleh potongan), melainkan Hendaklah mereka mengulurkan jilbab-jilbab mereka (sehingga jilbab harus terusan).(An-Nabhani, 1990 : 45-51)
3. Penutup
Dari penjelasan di atas jelas bahwa wanita dalam kehidupan umum wajib mengenakan baju terusan yang longgar yang terulur sampai ke bawah yang dikenakan di atas baju rumah mereka. Itulah yang disebut dengan jilbab dalam Al Qur`an.
Jika seorang wanita muslimah keluar rumah tanpa mengenakan jilbab seperti itu, dia telah berdosa, meskipun dia sudah menutup auratnya. Sebab mengenakan baju yang longgar yang terulur sampai bawah adalah fardlu hukumnya. Dan setiap pelanggaran terhadap yang fardlu dengan sendirinya adalah suatu penyimpangan dari syariat Islam di mana pelakunya dipandang berdosa di sisi Allah

khimar (jamaknya : khumur), bukan jilbab. Adapun jilbab yang terdapat dalam surah Al Ahzab : 59, sebenarnya adalah baju longgar yang menutupi seluruh tubuh perempuan dari atas sampai bawah.

8 Dhul-Qi`dah 1429

From the book “Masaa’il Nisaa’iyyah Mukhtaarah min Fiqh al-’Alaamah Al-Albaanee” [Selected Women's Issues from the Fiqh of Imaam Al-Albaanee] compiled by Umm Ayoob Ghaawee.

Shaikh Al-Albaanee was asked the following question in a recorded talk: “We would like more details on the definition of a jilbaab, since you have stated that your view on the jilbaab is that it is a garment that covers the body from the head to the feet. However, we have come across a rather large difference of opinion in the language books concerning this. Amongst the linguists are those who say it is a large gown, while others say it is a khimaar. And others hold the same view you mentioned, Shaikh. So we would like a further elaboration, may Allaah reward you, as well as which one is the strongest opinion.”

The Shaikh responded to the questioner: “I’m sorry but I’m having difficulty understanding the part where you said that some people hold the jilbaab to be the khimaar. What is the khimaar that you are referring to when you say that they consider it to be the jilbaab? This is because it is well-known that the khimaar is a head-covering and not an ample garment that covers a woman’s entire body from her head to her feet. So who is it that claims that the jilbaab is a khimaar from what you know, according to what I mentioned? This is truly a very strange thing. Who said this?!”

The questioner said: “This is mentioned in the book Lisaan-ul-‘Arab, where it states that such a definition for it is held by some people.”

The Shaikh said: “It states that the jilbaab is a khimaar?”

The questioner said: “Yes.”

So the Shaikh replied: “It is not possible to say this because as you know there are two ayahs in the Qur’aan – one ayah that orders women to wear the jilbaab while the other orders them to put on the khimaar. It is not possible to say that both ayahs contain a repetition of the same meaning, thus the jilbaab would be the khimaar, while the khimaar would be the jilbaab. Rather, both of these terms – the jillbaab and the khimaar – have their own respective meanings that are distinct from one another.

You know, for example, that when a woman is at home and she gets up to pray her obligatory prayers, for the most part, she is normally at home with her hair uncovered. So she just places her khimaar over her head. The Prophet (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘Allaah does not accept the prayer of a mature woman unless she has a khimaar.’

What is meant here is not the jilbaab at all, but rather what is meant is the head-covering. From the evidences that indicate this is that the Prophet (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) ordered us to wipe over the turban or the khimaar or the socks.

My objective behind this hadeeth is to show that it indicates that the khimaar is a garment that both men and women – males and females – share in wearing.

It cannot be understood from this, for those who understand the Arabic language, that a man can place a jilbaab over himself! Rather, it means that he can place a khimaar (head-covering) over himself.

So it is permissible for a person that places a khimaar over his head to wipe over it (when performing ablution), regardless of whether it is a man or a woman. My objective behind this discussion is to firstly confirm the quote according to the Arabic language, and secondly if it is finally confirmed that the quote is indeed found in Lisaan-ul-‘Arab and that it states that the meaning of a jilbaab is held to be a khimaar, then it is sufficient proof, from what you quoted, that such a statement is weak because of the fact that the author said: ‘It is held to mean such and such.’ (i.e. uncertainty)

Furthermore, if we study the texts from the Book and the Sunnah, of which we already mentioned some of them, we would derive with certainty that the khimaar is not a jilbaab and nor is the jilbaab a khimaar.

In brief, a khimaar covers less that a jilbaab while a jilbaab has a more ample range in terms of the parts that it covers. Also, a jilbaab is specific for only women. They were the ones who were ordered to wear it and not men. But as for the khimaar, then that is a garment that both men and women share in wearing. Even though a man is not obligated to wear it, regardless, it is a garment that both men and women partake in wearing, just like a shirt. In the same manner that a man wears a shirt to cover his ‘awrah – which is different from the ‘awrah of a woman – so does a woman. But her ‘awrah is ampler than the ‘awrah of a man.

This is why we said in the book ‘The Muslim Woman’s Hijaab’ that when a Muslim woman leaves from her home, she is obligated to do two things:

(1) To place a khimaar over her head, and (2) then to apply a jilbaab over that, thus going out dressed with the khimaar and the jilbaab. So when a woman goes out of her home, one garment does not suffice without the other – a woman must combine between both the khimaar and the jilbaab. You are aware of the Qur’anic verse related to the khimaar in which Allaah says: ‘And (tell them) to draw their khumur (veils) over their bosoms.’ [Surah An-Noor: 31]

Drawing a garment close to the bosom cannot be achieved with a jilbaab. This can only be achieved with a khimaar, since it is possible to wrap it. But as for the jilbaab, you know that it cannot be wrapped around the chest or on the neck. You can see here how the men wrap their khimaars and how they affix them to their necks. So due to this, what has been particularized here is the khimaar and not the jilaab. When a woman goes out from her house, she is obligated to place a khimaar over her head and to wrap it over her neck and her chest. This is since a jilbaab does not correspond in her attempt to achieve this comprehensive covering since it is ample and long whereas the khimaar is ample and short. So each of these garments has its own specific effect in fulfilling what a woman is obligated to cover. This is my response to what you have asked. If there is anything left that I have not covered in my discussion, then remind me of it.”

The questioner asked: “So then I understand from this that the jilbaab is not the wide gown that women wear today, here (in this country) for example, from the neck to the feet?”

The Shaikh responded: “No, not at all. This is not a jilbaab. However, this leads us to elaborate further on discussing what is related to the jilbaab. As we stated before, according to the language, a jilbaab is not a garment like that which is known as the balto. So what needs to be clarified now is:

The command directed towards women, particularly with regard to wearing the jilbaab, is not an obligatory act of worship which has a meaning that we can’t comprehend. Rather, on the contrary, it does have a meaning we can understand. And the meaning that is derived from it, which we indicated previously, is to achieve the covering that a woman must abide by.

So if, for example, a woman wears two garments or she makes the jilbaab into two pieces – one upper piece and one lower piece – and both of these pieces fulfill the objective of the jilbaab, which has been mentioned in the Qur’aan, at this point, even though we don’t refer to these two pieces as a jilbaab from a linguistic standpoint, we hold that it still fulfills the desired objective of the command to wear the jilbaab from a religious perspective.

There used to be found in Syria up to recently, and there still continues to be found in some practicing women that stick to the Religion, a garment called Malaa’at-uz-Zamm. Have you heard anything about this during your lifetime?”

The questioner replied: “We have something called a Malaa’ah (cloak).”

The Shaikh said: “No, I said Malaa’at-uz-Zamm.”

The questioner replied: “No, not with this term. We say Malaa’ah.”

The Shaikh said: “This is an Arabic term. The point is that this garment which we have with us in Syria consists of two pieces. The first piece is a skirt known as a tannoorah – are you familiar with this word?”

The questioner said: Yes.”

The Shaikh said: “A tannoorah is a skirt that is affixed to the waist with an elastic strap. So naturally it is wide and ample.

A woman wears this from here, thus covering the entire lower part of her body. Then over this tannoorah, which is called a kharraatah (skirt) in Syria, is placed the upper part of the garment, which is placed over the head and which a woman uses to cover her head, shoulders, sides, hips and even the belt strap that is tightened around the waist by this tannoorah or this kharraatah. No part of this skirt’s waist-strap is visible since it goes under it. Is the image clear?”

The questioner replied: “Yes.”

The Shaikh continued: “Amongst us here, they call this garment Malaayat-uz-Zamm (or Malaa’at-uz-Zamm), since the skirt is strapped at the waist with a plastic waistband. So if you have grasped a perception of this dress with us, then the point that I am trying to make is that even though this cloak-like garment is not a jilbaab (linguistically), it still fulfills the obligation of a jilbaab, which consists of covering the body completely. Is this clear to you?”

The questioner said: “Yes.”

The Shaikh said: “If the matter is clear, then we see that we are not obligated to adhere to the literal wording of the jilbaab, but rather to its end-result, objective and goal. Now I will go back to this ‘balto’ which I talked about previously, which the Muslim women wear today and which is of various types. It may be produced in long sizes for some of the practicing women reaching up to their feet. However, this is not a jilbaab. In spite of this, it is still not like the Malaa’at-uz-Zamm since it does not cover the head and what it consist of, for example. But what does the woman do today? She wraps a garment known as the esharp around her head – is this term known to you?”

The questioner answered: “Yes.”

The Shaikh said: “A small khimaar (i.e. the esharp) that is fastened to the head but which exposes parts of the forehead and temple and which also exposes parts of the neck since it is small in size, naturally does not fulfill the objective of a jilbaab according to its proper definition. The objective of a jilbaab is as we have discussed concerning the Malaayat-uz-Zamm. Is this clear? So let’s take the example of this woman who is wearing this balto – what would you call this?”

The questioner[1] said: “We call it a Hijaab.”

The Shaikh said: “No, this is wrong. The point is that if a woman wears this type of ‘Hijaab’ then places a khimaar over her head, then there must be a Hijaab, i.e. jilbaab placed over this khimaar. We have stated that there are two verses in the Qur’aan. This jilbaab may be divided into parts as we stated before when we discussed the Malaayat-uz-Zamm.

So therefore, if a woman wears that garment which you call a Hijaab and then places a valid khimaar over her head and not that which is known as the ‘esharp’, then places over this khimaar a partial garment that covers half of her body, such as one that covers her shoulders and hands, at this point, this becomes valid and acceptable according to the Religion.” [2]

Footnotes:

[1] The questioner was from Algeria.

[2] Silsilat-ul-Hudaa wan-Noor (tape no. 232)

Daniel Martin Varisco

28 July 2008

Tabsir.net

Niqab and the Social Contract

Remember your Rousseau: “man is born free, but he is everywhere in chains.” Updating the male-oriented language of his day, women must also be born free. Feminists would argue that everywhere she is also bound in chauvanistic chains, but what would Rousseau say about women who in some places are hidden away head to toe in full-length veils? To veil or not to veil: that has become more than a philosophical question these days. A recent legal opinion in France denied Faiza Silmi, a Moroccan woman, French citizenship because of her insistence on wearing the niqab, which obscured all but a narrow slit-view of her eyes in public. In a similar context, a Muslim woman in Florida was not allowed to have her driver’s license picture taken without showing her face. While relatively few Muslim women in Western societies choose to be chador laden or walk around in full-length woven tents, the few that do invariably stir strong feelings. If the intention is to be invisible, the opposite response is inevitable. In both these cases the issue was not one of physically removing their choice of dress in public, but one of a lack of the conformity necessary for negotiating individuality in the public sphere. If you want to become a French citizen, an option rather than a natural right, then you must accept the range of behavior agreed upon as acceptable in secular French culture. Dressing like Muhammad’s wives supposedly did in the 7th century may convince the authorities in Saudi Arabia, but modern France freed itself from the bloody history of religious bigotry that such symbols often cover. If you want the privilege of driving a car, then you need to pass a driving test and not obstruct your vision or prevent authorities from identifying you by failing to show your face. (more…)

***If you would like to share this article, please do not post the entire article on a website, blog, group or forum. Instead only post the link. JazakumAllahu khair.***

MUHAAJIRAH
By Tara R Gregory
Copyright March 24, 2002

Suurat al­’Imraan 3:149 “O you who believe! If you obey those who disbelieve, they will send you back on your heals, and you will turn back as losers.” Tafsir: What is said about
staying in the land of ­shirk (the land where polytheism is practiced): Narrated Sumurah bin Junduub (raa): Allaah’s Messenger (saws) said, “Anybody (from among the Muslims who meets, gathers together, lives, and stays (permanently) with a Mushrik (polytheist) and agrees to his ways, opinions, and (enjoys) his living with him (Mushrik) then he (that Muslim) is like him (Mushrik). This hadiith indicates that a Muslim should not stay in a non­Muslim country, he must emigrate to a Muslim country where Islam is practiced. [The Book of Abu Daawuud]. ‘Abdullah bin Amr said that Allah’s Messenger (saws) said, “The Muslim is he from whose tongue and hand a Muslim is safe, and the Muhajir (the one who emigrates) is he who gives up what Allah has prohibited for him.” (Sahih Al­Bukhaari and Muslim)

Oh Allah please accept my hijrah and expiate my sins ameen!

PART 1: USA TO OMAN

My hijrah to Oman on 17 January 2002 marked a second turning point in my life, the first being my reversion to Islam May 1996. A point in my life were I sacrificed almost everything
purely for the sake of Allah. Well everything that I couldn’t fit into my three suitcases. How many people can do that? To put their trust entirely in Allah and leave their comfort zone,
the only country they had known since birth. It can’t be easy you must be thinking to yourself. It isn’t! But that is the whole point behind the purification process of hijrah. In order for
your sins to be expiated you need to experience hardship, deal with it patiently, and never despair of the Mercy of Allah.

Hijrah is a hardship and I started encountering it after I made istiqara and the decision to go through with it. Allah tells us in the Qur’aan just because one says there is no deity
except Him to not make the assumption that you won’t be tested. So I accepted the afflictions that came my way with the optimism that after hardship there is two eases.
A female acquaintance knew of my desire to perform hijrah and invited me to come to Oman to live with her. I eagerly accepted this opportunity and with the intention of making
hijrah for the sake of Allah as soon as possible, I began to plan my trip.

As soon as I had the round­trip ticket to Oman in my hand I packed up everything I could into three suitcases. Meanwhile I tried to explain to my mother and sister the concept of
hijrah. But to their non­Muslim minds it was strange and inconceivable that I could leave my place of birth and family for the unknown. Especially since I was a woman wearing hijab
hard of hearing, and traveling by myself during a time of war. In the end they were more accepting of it and my mother placed me in the care of Allah. This was the best thing that
she could possibly do for me. Nevertheless it was a wonderful week spent with my family. Allah knows knows if it will be my last time to see them.

The day of my departure I hugged my mother for the longest time and we both said we loved each other. With one final wave of goodbye to her standing at the front door, my sister
and I set out for the airport. I did not have butterflies from fear of flying but I was afraid of attracting too much attention from the observant soldiers and cautious airline employees. I
already knew what I would say if they asked me to remove my hijab. My sister was praying that I wouldn’t make a scene. There was no problem checking my baggage in except I
forgot to ask if it could be sent straight to Oman. In New York I would really regret it. Non­passengers were not allowed to go to the gates but because of my disability my sister was
able to get a special permit to go with me. When we got to the security lines my sister was able to go through but they pulled me aside to wand me. Make that a double wand. Out o
the corner of my eye I saw that the soldiers were watching me with interest. Maybe they were waiting for me to blow up. And they were probably disappointed when I didn’t set off
the metal wand.

Walking towards the gate my sister and I settled down and so did my stomach. We chatted until it was time for me to board. My sister handed me a small envelope and told me not
to read it until I got on the plane. When we hugged each other I almost started to cry but when I saw her strength I held it back. So call me sensitive. It was much harder to leave my
sister than my mother because as the older sister I had always been protective of her.

In New York it was a nightmare. JFK is such a huge airport and to try to get around it lugging three suitcases is a hassle. Twice I got on the wrong bus and when I finally got on the
right one I got off at the wrong stop. And then if that wasn’t enough I had to push a heavy cart loaded with my luggage up a steep driveway. Yeah, yeah, yeah if it happened to you it
wouldn’t be funny. Was it over? Not! First I had to get through the security line with everyone eyeballing me. I had to endure the metal wand again while others just passed under th
metal detector. Then one of my suitcases was opened and my underwear was put on the table in full display. Well at least the eyeballs left me for a while. Somehow I managed to
maintain a good composure through all this humiliation only to be given the wrong gate and flight number.

By the time I sat down at an empty gate my head was pounding. I reached inside my purse to get a candy bar and discovered the envelope my sister had given me. Inside there
was a letter and a picture of my sister and I as little girls with her arm around me. On the back she had written, “Don’t lose this…I want it back when you come back!” It was touchin
and renewed my spirits.

I went to the correct gate for the flight to Jordan and when it was time to board I was so exhausted that I didn’t even bother to fight for a place in line. The men had absolutely no
respect, even jumping in front of an old toothless woman. It reminded me of trying to board a bus or train in Morocco. There were simply no lines or any organization whatsoever. I
was glad the seats weren’t on a first­come­first­served basis!

From New York we flew to Shannon, Ireland and then to Amman, Jordan. My headache remained unabated despite taking some Ibuprofin. In Jordan I got in the visa line only to find
out that I needed to get out of it and exchange some money. Dirhams in hand I got back in line, albeit the wrong line. I learned later (always the hard way) that I should have gotten
in the line for transit visas. The Jordanian officers were very nice and got my two­year visa cancelled on the spot. I was so grateful to be going in the right direction again that I didn’
even ask for my money back.

I headed for the nearest bathroom, opened the door to the nearest stall, and saw the hole in the ground. Morocco had prepared me well but thank Allah I didn’t have to do number
two. Back outside I tried to get comfortable on an uncomfortable bench. Pretty soon I was aware that I was the focus of manly stares. I couldn’t believe it was coming from Muslim
men in a Muslim country who were supposed to know better and lower their gaze. For the first time I began to wish that I was wearing niqab.

The flight was called and just as I expected there was a rush to the gate. I sat back, put my feet up on my carry­on, and watched them push and shove each other.

We stopped in Dubai, UAE before going on to Muscat, Oman. When we reached Muscat I was the first one up to the visa counter but that didn’t matter. The women were very
aggressive there and then at the baggage claim. I pulled a cart out for myself but another woman came up and I smiled and gave it to her. She took it without so much as a smile or
thank you. I shrugged and then here comes another woman so I gave the second cart to her and she accepted it with a haughty flip of her black hair and upturned nose. Not that I
was expecting a thank you but I hadn’t been expecting such snobbiness from Muslim women either. It was very hurtful.

I was glad to see familiar faces waiting for me. Alhamdullilah five stops later and I had made it!!!

Or so I thought. Turns out that Muslim countries aren’t perfect but better than the lands of disbelief any day. Much to my dismay I hadn’t been told by my acquaintance that the
majority of Omanis are from the Ibadhi school of thought. Seems like another Islamic sect to me. Anyways, Sunnis are definitely in the minority here. One thing you want to be sure
of before you emigrate is the belief system of the Muslim country.

Just so that you know, I am not complaining. I wouldn’t have made it this far if Allah hadn’t thought it was good for me. I am grateful that my dream of making hijrah for the sake of
Allah has finally been realized. I hope that He will accept it from me and expiate my sins ameen.

Part 2: OMAN TO BAHRAIN

If I remember correctly we arrived in Manama, Bahrain (which means two seas in English) within three hours. Its the smallest country of the six GCC member countries, connected
to the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia by the Kind Fahd Causeway. The current ruler is King Hamad bin Isa Al­Khalifa and although Bahrain’s government is Sunni the majority of
its population is Shi’a.

I waited until almost all of the pushers and me­first­people had rushed off the plane, being last isn’t always a bad thing. As I walked down the ailse my heart was beating fast
because I knew where I was headed next: customs and immigration. Im so intimidated by these officers no matter what country they are from because they do a good job of making
you feel like you’ve done something wrong. I tried to locate a gentle­looking officer while walking towards the lanes. I zeroed in on one and waited my turn. When I got up to the des
the officer’s eyes narrowed and I realized too late that you can’t judge a book by its cover. I could tell that for whatever reason he was suspicious of me and he asked unexpected
questions.

“Why did you come to Bahrain?” (To meet my friend)

“Who is your sponsor?” (I don’t have one and didn’t know I needed one)

“Which hotel will you stay in?” (I will stay with my friend)

His queries left me sweating under my niqab and my glasses were starting to fog up. He stared at me for a few seconds before requesting 5 Bahraini Dinars and then instead of
stamping my passport he told me to step aside. I’m in trouble! Others seemed to think so too because they were staring at me with interest. I wonder what I did wrong? Maybe the
smiling woman who approached me would have the answer. She asked politely if I was the name in the passport she was holding and when I said yes she told me to come with her
Reluctantly I followed her to an empty hallway where she asked me to lift up my niqab so she can check my identity. Satisfied that the face before her matched the picture, she
smiled, said thank you, and gave my passport back to the officer to be…you guessed it…stamped with an entry visa! Sheesh now I know what to expect next time.

Downstairs in the baggage area I was accosted by men pushing luggage carts as soon as I cleared the metal detector. I was grateful to have this kind of help because I was too
tired to deal with it myself. When one of them loaded my three suitcases on the cart I told him khalas (finished) in my broken Arabic and he actually understood me. However when
we got outside into the arrival area he was going way too fast for me and I asked him to wait in English. He must not have understood me this time because he kept on truckin’. I ha
to run after him and grab the cart before he could make it out the door and almost passed up my friend who was holding a placard with my name on it!

In the car with my friend and passing through downtown Manama I was shocked to see the scarcity of palm trees and vegetation compared to Oman and the UAE. Bahrain used to
be known for having a million palm trees and I have read that land reclamation might have contributed to this.

I first lived in Muharraq then moved to Manama and finally settled in East Riffa. I prefer Riffa because of the abundance of palm trees and greenery. The weather is often dry as
opposed to the humidity of Manama and its open spaces allows for more air to circulate unlike Manama with its buildings built so close together.

Its been tough living in Bahrain emotionally and physically but with the help of Allah I preservered. If it wasn’t for my strong faith, masha’Allah, I think I would have given up easily.
My views have changed a lot since I have been in this part of the world. I understand why people from the Middle East want to immigrate to developed countries such as America,
Canada, and Europe where the opportunities are better. I used to think they were being ungrateful because they have Islam in their land, mosques around every corner, Muslim
women don’t get stared at for wearing hijab and especially niqab, they don’t have to worry about whether the meat is slaughtered according to Islamic customs, being around other
Muslims and having a “Muslim” ruler. They used to shake their heads at me NOT for wanting all of this but for wanting to go to Muslim countries where there is no job or life stability.
And I used to shake my heads at them for wanting to give up what I wanted so badly.

If you don’t have a job before you arrive in the Middle East you might struggle to find one. This could be because of the high unemployment rate for nationals which narrows
positions for expatriates, the drive to replace expatriates with nationals in the workforce, not enough qualifications, lack or proper advertisement for jobs or your own ability to seek
out employment due to limitations of your resources, etc. Therefore you must try to do your job hunting from afar in your native country.

What if you find a job? Will it be enough to sustain you or your family? Will the company continue to hire you or will they terminate your contract after two years? And if that happens
will you be able to find another job quickly? In the meantime keep in mind that there might not be any unemployment benefits. An alternative to consider would be going into
business for yourself. Some Middle East countries require that you obtain a native to sponsor you and be a joint owner. If you can secure this kind of arrangement with financial
backing then this is more secure than being under contract to a company and besies you would benefit your host country. Either way in the end you basically have to trust in Allah
that He will provide.

Sometimes despite all your efforts it just doesn’t work out and you can’t avoid having to return back to the non­Muslim country you left. Just keep trying until you get it right
bi’idhnillah. And remember no matter what land we are residing in, we are all just travelers passing through this world on a one­way ticket. So we must pack our invisible suitcases
with the good deeds we will need when we disembark in the next world.

PART 3: BAHRAIN TO USA
Because of visa problems I had to come back to the USA qadrullah wa maa shaa’ fa’ala. While I’m happy to see my family again I’m also sad that I couldn’t stay in Bahrain or make
it to Saudi Arabia. I refuse to lose my intention of performing hijrah again. And I don’t feel like a failure because I succeeded in gaining valuable experience living in the Gulf
alhamdulillah.

Ya Allah being back in a non­Muslim country makes me really miss the Gulf! I miss….

My husband. Its hard being separated from him and knowing that he can’t see our son going through those important milestones in life. Sometimes I wonder if my son will remembe
his father when we finally unite one day insha’Allah. I miss my husband teaching me the tajweed of the Qur’aan and correcting my errors or explaining what a new Arabic word
meant in English. I miss going to the beach with him and sharing the peaceful quiet together, we understood each other even when there was silence alhamdulillah.
Hearing the beauty of the adhan. In Manama I was fortunate enough to have a flat where the mosque was only a few steps from my doorsteps. I always knew when it was time to
pray alhamdulillah. Sometimes I would stop whatever I was doing and revel in the melodious voice of the mu’adhin. Tears would form in my eyes and my skin would break out in
goosebumps as I recognized and understood the meaning of the words.

Watching the TV channels that were in English with Arabic subtitles. I would turn the TV on mute so that this forced me to read the Arabic and try to understand. This way I learned
Arabic. It was supplemented with a project I started of transliterating the Qur’aan in order to pass time. If I knew how the Arabic word was written with vowel markings in the Qur’aan
then I could recognize it without the vowel markings when it came on TV. My husband was especially impressed by this untraditional method of teaching myself Arabic because
everytime he would visit me he would notice an improvement in my recitation of the Qur’aan plus my ability to understand the Arabic subtitles on TV masha’Allah. I used to practice
my Arabic on him, my Bahraini students, and my Bahraini neighbor Aisha who didn’t speak a word of English.

The availability of modest clothing for Muslimahs. There are so many varieties of hijabs, niqabs, khimars, abayahs, jilbabs, prayer outfits in different designs and colors to choose
from. You can buy them readymade or get them made by a tailor. Throughout the whole year you can always find a long skirt, dress and long­sleeved shirt. I never had to bother
with going to the men’s section to find a long­sleeved shirt like I must do in the States during the summer. The hotter it gets here the more revealing and shorter the women’s
clothing gets.

Being amongst my fellow Muslims, their friendliness and generosity. They didn’t look down on me for covering what Allah commanded me to. They looked up at me to say “As­
Salamu Alaikum.” If I even looked like I had a problem then help was offered in the form of transportation, money or even a mobile was offered by virtual strangers. I remember one
morning I was in a residential neighborhood in Riffa walking to my friend’s house with my infant son sleeping in his stroller. Every so often I would stop to message my friend as she
was giving me instructions to her house. I was squatting on my haunches in the shade of a tree waiting on a message when a little girl about 9 or 10 years old came out of a
gorgeous house mash’Allah and walked towards me. She asked me in Arabic if I needed help. I assumed that her mother had sent her and assured her that I was ok. I was so
grateful that someone was inquiring after my welfare when they didn’t even know me.

Not having to worry about the meat or food not being halal. And it was cheap! My favorites were shawarmas and malghoom, I could eat those everyday.

Not having a bidet in the toilet to make istinja. To be out in public and having to use the toilet where there is no water hose is disgusting. Tissue doesn’t purify all that much.

As a friend told me, “It seems when we reflect on our time in the Gulf and compare it to living in the US it wasn’t so bad.”

PART 4: USA TO KSA

It was the morning of my flight and I had butterflies in my stomach. I was excited at the prospect of seeing my husband but anxious about leaving my mother and sister. As I was scurrying around the apartment doing last minute packing, I noticed my mother sitting at the dining room table, writing on a piece of paper. I saw the sadness in her slumped posture but was momentarily distracted by my travel preparations, guilt chasing me all the while.

Sometimes I get sad or homesick for my home country but I remind myself that no country is perfect because they all have good and bad aspects. What I can do to help myself adapt to Saudi Arabia is not focus so much on the negatives and accentuate the positives. I pray to Allah that I never appear ungrateful and deny His blessing of allowing me to live in the land of tawheed.

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