The Law of Insulting Women’s Purdah in Islam

Islam is a perfect religion that arranges all of aspects in daily life, including to ways how to dress in Islam. This matter is also explained in Al-Qur’an, as the word of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala :

وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَٰتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَٰرِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا ۖ وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ ۖ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ ءَابَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ ءَابَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِىٓ إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِىٓ أَخَوَٰتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُهُنَّ أَوِ ٱلتَّٰبِعِينَ غَيْرِ أُو۟لِى ٱلْإِرْبَةِ مِنَ ٱلرِّجَالِ أَوِ ٱلطِّفْلِ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوا۟ عَلَىٰ عَوْرَٰتِ ٱلنِّسَآءِ ۖ وَلَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ مَا يُخْفِينَ مِن زِينَتِهِنَّ ۚ وَتُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

“And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily]appears thereof

And to wrap [a portion of] their head covers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ father, their sons, their husbands’’ son, their brothers, their brothers’ sons, their sisters’ sons, their women, that which their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women.

And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed.” (Q.S. An-Nur : 31)

Related articles :

• How to dress up for Muslim woman
• Ways how a woman should dress in Islam

يَآأَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُلْ لِأَزْوَاجِكَ وَ بَنَاتِكَ وَ نِسآءِ الْمُؤمِنِيْنَ يُدْنِيْنَض عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلَابِيبِهِنَّ ذَلِكَ أَدْنَى أَنْ يُعْرَفْنَ فَلَايُؤذَيْنَ وَكَانَ اللهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيْمَا

“O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.” (Q.S. Al-Ahzab : 59)

Islam obligates Muslim women to cover all of their private parts, so they avoid from the dangerous eyes of adultery and it can become an identity that they are Muslim women. Although face is not including a private part that must be covered and the law of women’s purdah is still debated by Ulama, but it will be better if a woman hides her beautiful face when she goes out from home.

But in Indonesia, purdah becomes a weird thing for some people. Even, some of them insult purdah by calling a ninja or ghost.

Mocking women’s purdah is a bad deed in Islam because Islam forbids to insult someone, moreover something that relates with sharia. As the word of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala :

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا يَسْخَرْ قَوْمٌ مِّن قَوْمٍ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَكُونُوا۟ خَيْرًا مِّنْهُمْ وَلَا نِسَآءٌ مِّن نِّسَآءٍ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَكُنَّ خَيْرًا مِّنْهُنَّ ۖ وَلَا تَلْمِزُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَلَا تَنَابَزُوا۟ بِٱلْأَلْقَٰبِ ۖ بِئْسَ ٱلِٱسْمُ ٱلْفُسُوقُ بَعْدَ ٱلْإِيمَٰنِ ۚ وَمَن لَّمْ يَتُبْ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ

“O you who have believed, let not a people ridicule [another] people; perhaps they may be better than them; nor let women ridicule [other] women; perhaps they may be better than them.

And do not insult one another and do not call each other by [offensive] nicknames. Wretched is the name of disobedience after [one’s] faith. And whoever does not repent – then it is those who are the wrongdoers.” (Q.S. Al-Hujurat : 11)

See also : Importance of keeping your words in Islam [AdSense-B]

Wearing a purdah or niqab is often related with terrorists who frighten many people, whereas not all of women’s purdah are terrorists. Even a terrorist who do bombardment all this time is only dirtying the name of Islam by pretend as a Muslim.

Whereas wearing a purdah is one of ways to become better in Islam. By negative thinking like that, it is as same as doing sins. As the word of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala :

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱجْتَنِبُوا۟ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ ٱلظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ ٱلظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ ۖ وَلَا تَجَسَّسُوا۟ وَلَا يَغْتَب بَّعْضُكُم بَعْضًا ۚ أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتًا فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ تَوَّابٌ رَّحِيمٌ

“O you who have believed, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin. And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Accepting of repentance and Merciful.” (Q.S. Al-Hujurat : 12)

Insulting women who wear purdah is very forbidden in Islam, even if this action continues to be done, someone who mocks that woman will become a kafir. You may also read punishment for insulting the Prophet Muhammad SAW.

وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُمْ لَيَقُولُنَّ إِنَّمَا كُنَّا نَخُوضُ وَنَلْعَبُ ۚ قُلْ أَبِٱللَّهِ وَءَايَٰتِهِۦ وَرَسُولِهِۦ كُنتُمْ تَسْتَهْزِءُونَ

“So let not their wealth children impress you. Allah only intends to punish them through them in worldly life and that their souls should depart [at death] while they are disbelievers.” (Q.S. At-Tawbah : 55)

لَا تَعْتَذِرُوا۟ قَدْ كَفَرْتُم بَعْدَ إِيمَٰنِكُمْ ۚ إِن نَّعْفُ عَن طَآئِفَةٍ مِّنكُمْ نُعَذِّبْ طَآئِفَةًۢ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ مُجْرِمِينَ

“And they swear by Allah that they are from among you while they are not from among you; but they are a people who are afraid.” (Q.S. At-Tawbah : 56)

Insulting women’s purdah in Islam is also one of invidious forms to someone. While the law of hurting someone in Islam is forbidden. The reply for someone who like mocking will be very acute. As the word of the Prophet Muhammad Shallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam : [AdSense-C]

“Indeed my people who go bankrupt is someone who in the hereafter come with praying, fasting and zakat, but he always insults, accuses, takes the treasure of others, kill and hurt others.

 

After that, the rewards will be taken to be given to everyone of  them until the rewards are gone, while there are many their claims that have been fulfilled. Next, a part of sins from everyone of them will be taken to be imposed to that person, until finally he is thrown to the hell.” (Narrated by Muslim)

Even, although that person is someone who does many worships, he will be still punished because of humiliation and insult that go out from his mouth.

From Abu Hurairah radhiallahu anhu said, someone asked,

“O Messenger of Allah Shallallahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam, there is a diligent woman to do Night prayer and sunnah fasting, but her neighbor who is tortured by her tongue.” Then he Shallallahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam said, “She does not have good deeds at all. She will enter to the hell.”

From the explanation above, we can conclude that the law of insulting women’s purdah in Islam is forbidden because Islam forbids to insult someone, moreover something that relates with sharia. Hopefully, this article can be useful for us and we can be better His servants. Amen.

Related articles :

• Muslim’s obligation to other Muslims
• Benefits of talking less in Islam