Hijab Untuk Wanita // Hijab For Women

HIJAB UNTUK WANITA // HIJAB FOR WOMEN

SOALAN :

Mengapakah Islam merendahkan wanita dengan menyembunyikan mereka di sebalik tudung? // Why does Islam urged its Muslimah (women) wearing hijab as a sign of dignity?(It looks like the Muslim women are being doubled-standard by the urge of act).

JAWAPAN // ANSWERS (For English answer, please scroll down):

1. Status wanita dalam Islam sering menjadi sasaran serangan media sekular.

2. Hijab atau pakaian Islam selalu disebut sebagai contoh penguasaan wanita di bawah undang-undang Islam. Sebelum kita menganalisis tujuan di sebalik mandat agama untuk ‘hijab’. Terlebih dahulu marilah kita mengkaji status wanita dalam masyarakat sebelum kedatangan Islam.

Dahulu, wanita dipandang rendah dan dijadikan alat memuaskan nafsu. Berikut adalah contoh sejarah yang menunjukkan fakta bahawa status wanita pada tamadun awal adalah amat rendah sehingga tahap martabat kemanusiaan yang asas dinafikan

a. Tamadun Babylon

Di bawah undang-undang Babylon, martabat wanita menjadi rendah dan hak mereka dinafikan. Jika seseorang lelaki membunuh seorang lelaki/ wanita, bukan lelaki tersebut yang dihukum sebaliknya isterinya yang akan dihukum mati.

b. Tamadun Yunani

Tamadun Yunani dianggap tamadun lama yang paling agung. Di bawah sistem ‘agung’ ini, hak wanita dilucutkan dan dipandang rendah. Menurut mitologi Yunani, seorang ‘wanita khayalan’ yang dipanggil ‘Pandora’ merupakan penyebab nasib malang yang menimpa manusia. Kaum Yunani menganggap wanita sebagai binatang dan lebih rendah martabatnya daripada lelaki. Walaupun kesucian wanita berharga dan wanita disanjung tinggi, kaum Yunani kemudiannya ditenggelami keegoan dan sumbang laku seks. Pelacuran menjadi amalan biasa di kalangan masyarakat Yunani.

c. Tamadun Rom

Ketika Tamadun Rom berada di kemuncak kegemilangannya, seseorang lelaki berhak mengambil nyawa isterinya. Pelacuran dan kebogelan menjadi kebiasaaan di kalangan kaum Rom.

d. Tamadun Mesir

Orang Mesir (pra-Islam) menganggap wanita sebagai jahat dan sebagai petanda Syaitan.

e. Arab Pra-Islam

Sebelum Islam berkembang di Arab, kaum Arab memandang rendah terhadap wanita dan seringkali apabila anak perempuan dilahirkan, ia ditanam hidup-hidup. Islam telah mengangkat status wanita dan memberikan hak mereka 1400 tahun dahulu. Wanita mengharapkan Islam memelihara status mereka.

Hijab untuk lelaki // Hijab for Men

Lazimnya. ‘hijab’ hanya dibincangkan dalam konteks wanita. Walau bagaimanapun, di dalam kitab suci Al-Quran, Allah S.W.T. terlebih dahulu menyebut tentang ‘hijab’ untuk lelaki sebelum ‘hijab’ untuk wanita. Di dalam Al-Quran disebutkan dalam surah An-Nuur

“Katakanlah kepada orang-orang lelaki yang beriman: Hendaklah mereka menahan pandangannya, dan memelihara kemaluannya; yang demikian itu adalah lebih suci bagi mereka, sesungguhnya Allah Maha Mengetahui apa yang mereka perbuat.” (An-Nuur 24:30) //

The Quran urges the believing men and women to lower their gaze and guard their modesty and then urges the believing women to extend their head covers to cover the neck and the bosom “Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty……And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what ordinarily appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms….” (24:30,31).

**(^{source from other people’s quote – ‘Habayeb’ from http://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080402214200AA3n5QR}) However,Forcing anyone to do something against their own will is against Islam. There is no demand of compulsion in the Quran. On the other hand, every human being should see it as a religious duty to act out of a clean heart.

It is for modesty, modesty is prescribed to protect women from molestation or simply, modesty is protection.

Sebaik sahaja seseorang lelaki memandang wanita dan timbul pemikiran yang kurang elok dan memalukan, hendaklah dia menahan pandangannya.

Hijab untuk wanita

Ayat seterusnya dalam surah An-Nuur, firman-Nya:

“Katakanlah kepada wanitayang beriman: Hendaklah mereka memelihara pandangannya, dan memelihara kemaluannya, dan janganlah mereka menampakkan perhiasannya, kecuali yang (biasa) nampak daripadanya. Dan hendaklah mereka menutupkan kain kudung ke dadanya, dan janganlah menampakkan perhiasannya, kecuali kepada suami mereka, atau ayah mereka, atau ayah suami mereka, atau putera-putera mereka…” (An-Nuur 24:31)/

3. Enam Kriteria Hijab

Menurut Al-Quran dan Sunnah, pada dasarnya terdapat enam kriteria dalam pamatuhan hijab.

1. Aurat

Kriteria pertama adalah had tubuh yang perlu ditutup. Ini berbeza di antara lelaki dan wanita had yang wajib bagi lelaki adalah menutup sebahagian tubuh sekurang-kurangnya daripada pusat hingga lutut. Bagi wanita, had wajib adalah keseluruhan tubuh kecuali muka dan kedua tapak tangan sehingga ke pergelangan tangan. Jika mahu, bahagian tersebut juga boleh ditutup. Sebahagian ulama’ Islam menegaskan bahawa muka dan tapak tangan adalah wajib dalam pematuhan ‘hijab’.

Lima kriteria yang lain adalah sama bagi lelaki dan wanita.

2. Pakaian yang longgar dan tidak mendedahkan susuk tubuh.
3. Pakaian yang tidak jarang sehingga seseorang dapat melihat disebalik pakaiannya.
4. Pakaian hendaklah tidak terlalu glamor sehingga menarik perhatian kaum bukan sejenis.
5. Pakaian juga tidak boleh menyerupai pakaian kaum bukan sejenis.
6. Pakaian juga hendaklah tidak menyerupai pakaian orang yang tidak mempercayai Islam; iaitu tidak mengenakan pakaian yang menyerupai identiti atau simbol khas agama kaum yang tidak mempercayai Islam.

4. Hijab merangkumi antara lain tingkah laku dan budi pekerti. ‘Hijab’ yang sempurna selain daripada enam kriteria pakaian, juga termasuk perilaku moral, budi pekerti, sikap dan niat seseorang individu. Seseorang yang hanya mamatuhi kriteria ‘hijab’ pakaian mengamalkan ‘hijab’ dalam erti kata yang terhad. ‘Hijab’ pakaian hendaklah disertai dengan ‘hijab’ mata, ‘hijab’ hati, ‘hijab’ pemikiran dan ‘hijab’ niat. Ia juga mengambil kira cara seseorang berjalan, bertutur, kelakuannya dan lain-lain lagi.

5. Hijab mengelakkan pencabulan.

Mengapa hijab dianjurkan untuk wanita disebut di dalam Al-Quran dalam ayat berikut yang terkandung di dalam surah Al-Ahzab:

“Hai Nabi, katakanlah kepada isteri-isterimu, anak-anak perempuanmu dan isteri-isteri orang mu’min: Hendaklah mereka menghulurkan jilbabnya keseluruh tubuh mereka. Yang demikian itu supaya mereka lebih mudah untuk dikenal, kerana itu mereka tidak diganggu. Dan Allah adalah Maha Pengampun lagi Maha Penyayang.” (Al-Ahzab 33:59)

Al-Quran menyebut bahawa hijab dianjurkan kepada wanita agar mereka dikenali sebagai wanita bersopan dan juga mengelakkan mereka daripada pencabulan.

2. Saudara kembar perempuan sebagai contoh.

Katakan terdapat dua saudara perempuan kembar yang sama-sama cantik sedang berjalan. Salah seorang daripada mereka berpakaian jilbab Islam; iaitu menutupi keseluruhan tubuh kecuali muka dan kedua tapak tangan sehingga ke pergelangan tangan. Seorang lagi berpakaian skirt mini atau berseluar pendek. Sekiranya tedapat pengacau atau samseng sedang menanti mangsa, ingin mengusik gadis. Siapakah yang akan diusiknya? Gadis yang berpakaian hijab Islam ataupun gadis yang berpakaian skirt mini atau seluar pendek? Secara tabii (lumrah), dia akan mengusik gadis yang berpakaian skirt mini atau seluar pendek. Pakaian sedemikian secara tidak langsung mengundang kaum lelaki untuk mengusik dan mencabul. Al-Quran dengan kebenarannya menyatakan bahawa hijab menghalang wanita daripada dicabul.

3. Hukuman bunuh untuk perogol

Di bawah syariah Islam, seseorang lelaki yang disabitkan kesalahan merogol wanita akan dijatuhkan hukuman mati. Ramai yang terkejut dangan hukuman ‘berat’ ini. Ada juga yang berkata bahawa Islam adalah agama yang kejam dan tidak bertamadun! Saya telah bertanyakan soalan yang mudah kepada beratus lelaki bukan Islam. Katakan, dijauhkan Allah, seseorang merogol isteri, ibu atau saudara perempuan anda. Anda dilantik sebagai hakim dan perogol itu dibawa ke hadapan anda. Apakah hukuman yang anda jatuhkan? Kesemua mereka berkata bahawa mereka akan menjatuhkan hukuman mati ke atasnya. Ada juga yang sanggup berkata bahawa mereka akan menyeksanya sehingga mati. Kepada mereka yang saya bertanya, jika seseorang merogol isteri atau ibu anda, anda mahukan hukuman mati dijatuhkan. Tetapi jika jenayah sama dilakukan terhadap isteri atau anak perempuan orang lain, anda mengatakan bahawa hukuman mati adalah tidak bertamadun. Mengapakah perlu ada dwistandard?

4. Masyarakat Barat membuat dakwaan palsu terhadap menaikkan martabat wanita.

Laungan Barat tentang kebebasan wanita hanyalah sekadar suatu bentuk eksploitasi tubuh wanita, penghinaan terhadap maruahnya dan kehilangan kehormatan diri. Masayarakat Barat mendakwa telah menaikkan martabat wanita. Tetapi, sebaliknya, mereka telah merendahkan wanita kepada status perempuan simpanan dan pelacur yang hanya menjadi alat memuaskan nafsu lelaki yang mencari hiburan dan pedagang seks yang bersembunyi di sebalik tirai berwarna-warni ‘seni’ dan ‘budaya’.

5. Amerika Syarikat merupakan salah satu negara paling tinggi kadar jenayah rogol.

Amerika Syarikat sepatutnya merupakan salah satu negara termaju di dunia. Ia juga merupakan salah satu negara yang mempunyai kadar jenayah rogol tertinggi di dunia. Menurut laporan FBI, pada tahun 1990, di Amerika Syarikat sahaja, purata kes rogol setiap hari berjumlah 1756. Laporan lain pula kemuadiannya melaporkan bahawa purata 1900 kes rogol berlaku di Amerika Syarikat. Tahunnya tidak dinyatakan. Mungkin rakyat Amerika semakin ‘berani’ pada tahun-tahun berikutnya.

Bayangkan senario jika hijab Islam dilaksanakan di Amerika. Setiap kali seorang lelaki memandang seorang wanita dengan pemikiran yang kurang baik atau mengaibkan, dia menahan pandangannya. Setiap wanita memakai hijab Islam, iaitu menutup keseluruhan tubuh kecuali muka dan kedua tapak tangan sehingga sehingga ke pergelangan. Selepas itu, jika mana-mana lelaki melakukan melakukan jenayah rogol, dia akan dijatuhkan hukuman mati. Saya bertanya, dalam senario sedemikian, apakah kadar jenayah rogol di Amerika akan bertambah, kekal ataupun berkurangan?

6. Perlaksanaan syariah Islam akan mengurangkan kadar jenayah rogol.

Answers (English):

The status of women in Islam is often the target of attacks in the secular media. The ‘hijaab’ or the Islamic dress is cited by many as an example of the ‘subjugation’ of women under Islamic law. Before we analyze the reasoning behind the religiously mandated ‘hijaab’, let us first study the status of women in societies before the advent of Islam

1. In the past women were degraded and used as objects of lust

The following examples from history amply illustrate the fact that the status of women in earlier civilizations was very low to the extent that they were denied basic human dignity:

1.Babylonian Civilization:
The women were degraded and were denied all rights under the Babylonian law. If a man murdered a woman, instead of him being punished, his wife was put to death.

2.Greek Civilization:
Greek Civilization is considered the most glorious of all ancient civilizations. Under this very ‘glorious’ system, women were deprived of all rights and were looked down upon. In Greek mythology, an ‘imaginary woman’ called ‘Pandora’ is the root cause of misfortune of human beings. The Greeks considered women to be subhuman and inferior to men. Though chastity of women was precious, and women were held in high esteem, the Greeks were later overwhelmed by ego and sexual perversions. Prostitution became a regular practice amongst all classes of Greek society.

3.Roman Civilization:
When Roman Civilization was at the zenith of its ‘glory’, a man even had the right to take the life of his wife. Prostitution and nudity were common amongst the Romans.

4.Egyptian Civilization:
The Egyptian considered women evil and as a sign of a devil.

5.Pre-Islamic Arabia:
Before Islam spread in Arabia, the Arabs looked down upon women and very often when a female child was born, she was buried alive.


2. Islam uplifted women and gave them equality and expects them to maintain their status.

Islam uplifted the status of women and granted them their just rights 1400 years ago. Islam expects women to maintain their status.

Hijaab for men

People usually only discuss ‘hijaab’ in the context of women. However, in the Glorious Qur’an, Allah (swt) first mentions ‘hijaab’ for men before ‘hijaab’ for the women. The Qur’an mentions in Surah Noor:

"Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: and Allah is well acquainted with all that they do."
[Al-Qur’an 24:30]

The moment a man looks at a woman and if any brazen or unashamed thought comes to his mind, he should lower his gaze.

Hijaab for women.

The next verse of Surah Noor, says:

" And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons..."
[Al-Qur’an 24:31]


3. Six criteria for Hijaab.

According to Qur’an and Sunnah there are basically six criteria for observing hijaab:

1.Extent: The first criterion is the extent of the body that should be covered. This is different for men and women. The extent of covering obligatory on the male is to cover the body at least from the navel to the knees. For women, the extent of covering obligatory is to cover the complete body except the face and the hands upto the wrist. If they wish to, they can cover even these parts of the body. Some scholars of Islam insist that the face and the hands are part of the obligatory extent of ‘hijaab’.

All the remaining five criteria are the same for men and women.
2.The clothes worn should be loose and should not reveal the figure.
3.The clothes worn should not be transparent such that one can see through them.
4.The clothes worn should not be so glamorous as to attract the opposite sex.
5.The clothes worn should not resemble that of the opposite sex.
6.The clothes worn should not resemble that of the unbelievers i.e. they should not wear clothes that are specifically identities or symbols of the unbelievers’ religions.


4. Hijaab includes conduct and behaviour among other things

Complete ‘hijaab’, besides the six criteria of clothing, also includes the moral conduct, behaviour, attitude and intention of the individual. A person only fulfilling the criteria of ‘hijaab’ of the clothes is observing ‘hijaab’ in a limited sense. ‘Hijaab’ of the clothes should be accompanied by ‘hijaab’ of the eyes, ‘hijaab’ of the heart, ‘hijaab’ of thought and ‘hijaab’ of intention. It also includes the way a person walks, the way a person talks, the way he behaves, etc.


5. Hijaab prevents molestation

The reason why Hijaab is prescribed for women is mentioned in the Qur’an in the following verses of Surah Al-Ahzab:

"O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad); that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such) and not molested. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
[Al-Qur’an 33:59]

The Qur’an says that Hijaab has been prescribed for the women so that they are recognized as modest women and this will also prevent them from being molested.


6. Example of twin sisters

Suppose two sisters who are twins, and who are equally beautiful, walk down the street. One of them is attired in the Islamic hijaab i.e. the complete body is covered, except for the face and the hands up to the wrists. The other sister is wearing western clothes, a mini skirt or shorts. Just around the corner there is a hooligan or ruffian who is waiting for a catch, to tease a girl. Whom will he tease? The girl wearing the Islamic Hijaab or the girl wearing the skirt or the mini? Naturally he will tease the girl wearing the skirt or the mini. Such dresses are an indirect invitation to the opposite sex for teasing and molestation. The Qur’an rightly says that hijaab prevents women from being molested.


7. Capital punishment for the rapists

Under the Islamic shariah, a man convicted of having raped a woman, is given capital punishment. Many are astonished at this ‘harsh’ sentence. Some even say that Islam is a ruthless, barbaric religion! I have asked a simple question to hundreds of non-Muslim men. Suppose, God forbid, someone rapes your wife, your mother or your sister. You are made the judge and the rapist is brought in front of you. What punishment would you give him? All of them said they would put him to death. Some went to the extent of saying they would torture him to death. To them I ask, if someone rapes your wife or your mother you want to put him to death. But if the same crime is committed on somebody else’s wife or daughter you say capital punishment is barbaric. Why should there be double standards?


8. Western society falsely claims to have uplifted women

Western talk of women’s liberalization is nothing but a disguised form of exploitation of her body, degradation of her soul, and deprivation of her honour. Western society claims to have ‘uplifted’ women. On the contrary it has actually degraded them to the status of concubines, mistresses and society butterflies who are mere tools in the hands of pleasure seekers and sex marketeers, hidden behind the colourful screen of ‘art’ and ‘culture’.


9. USA has one of the highest rates of rape

United States of America is supposed to be one of the most advanced countries of the world. It also has one of the highest rates of rape in any country in the world. According to a FBI report, in the year 1990, every day on an average 1756 cases of rape were committed in U.S.A alone. Later another report said that on an average everyday 1900 cases of rapes are committed in USA. The year was not mentioned. May be it was 1992 or 1993. May be the Americans got ‘bolder’ in the following years.

Consider a scenario where the Islamic hijaab is followed in America. Whenever a man looks at a woman and any brazen or unashamed thought comes to his mind, he lowers his gaze. Every woman wears the Islamic hijaab, that is the complete body is covered except the face and the hands upto the wrist. After this if any man commits rape he is given capital punishment. I ask you, in such a scenario, will the rate of rape in America increase, will it remain the same, or will it decrease?


10. Implementation of Islamic Shariah will reduce the rate of rapes

Naturally as soon as Islamic Shariah is implemented positive results will be inevitable. If Islamic Shariah is implemented in any part of the world, whether it is America or Europe, society will breathe easier. Hijaab does not degrade a woman but uplifts a woman and protects her modesty and chastity.

**Nota // Note:

Tulisan ini ditaip semula oleh Inia Lurun Sophie @ Julai 2008 di ~Dominasi Pertamaku // My First Domination~ http://inia-lurun.blogspot.com // This article was re-typed by Inia Lurun Sophie @ July 2008 in ~Dominasi Pertamaku // My First Domination~.http://inia-lurun.blogspot.com.

Rujukan tulisan dari buku// Referenced article of book:

¡ Dr. Zakir Abdul-Karim Naik (April 2006), ‘20 Soalan Paling Lazim Tentang Islam- Hijab Untuk Wanita’, pg. 9 – 13, Saba Islamic Media, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. (versi Bahasa Malaysia// The Malay language version)

¡ ‘Habayeb & Loqman Saleem’ opinion discussion from http://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080402214200AA3n5QR

¡ *More readings on (English): http://islam.pakistanway.com/showtopic.aspx?topicid=461&typeid=6