Oleh: Ust. Ahmad Sarwat

Masalah kewajiban memakai cadar sebenarnya tidak disepakati oleh para ulama. Maka wajarlah bila kita sering mendapati adanya sebagian ulama yang mewajibkannya dengan didukung dengan sederet dalil dan hujjah.

Namun kita juga tidak asing dengan pendapat yang mengatakan bahwa cadar itu bukanlah kewajiban. Pendapat yang kedua ini pun biasanya diikuti dengan sederet dalil dan hujjah juga. Dalam kajian ini, marilah kita telusuri masing-masing pendapat itu dan berkenalan dengan dali dan hujjah yang mereka ajukan.

Sehingga kita bisa memiliki wawasan dalam memasuki wilayah ini secara bashirah dan wa`yu yang sepenuhnya. Tujuannya bukan mencari titik perbedaan dan berselisih pendapat, melainkan untuk memberikan gambaran yang lengkap tentang dasar isitmbath kedua pendapat ini agar kita bisa berbaik sangka dan tetap menjaga hubunngan baik dengan kedua belah pihak.

1. Kalangan Yang Mewajibkan Cadar

Mereka yang mewajibkan setiap wanita untuk menutup muka (memakai niqab) berangkat dari pendapat bahwa wajah itu bagian dari aurat wanita yang wajib ditutup dan haram dilihat oleh lain jenis non mahram.

Dalil-dalil yang mereka kemukakan antara lain:

A. Surat Al-Ahzab: 59

Hai Nabi, katakanlah kepada isteri-isterimu, anak-anak perempuanmu dan isteri-isteri orang mu`min: `Hendaklah mereka mengulurkan jilbabnya ke seluruh tubuh mereka`. Yang demikian itu supaya mereka lebih mudah untuk dikenal, karena itu mereka tidak di ganggu. Dan Allah adalah Maha Pengampun lagi Maha Penyayang.` (QS. Al-Ahzab: 59)

Ayat ini adalah ayat yang paling utama dan paling sering dikemukakan oleh pendukung wajibnya niqab. Mereka mengutip pendapat para mufassirin terhadap ayat ini bahwa Allah mewajibkan para wanita untuk menjulurkan jilbabnya keseluruh tubuh mereka termasuk kepala, muka dan semuanya, kecuali satu mata untuk melihat. Riwayat ini dikutip dari pendapat Ibnu Abbas, Ibnu Mas`ud, Ubaidah As-Salmani dan lainnya, meskipun tidak ada kesepakatan di antara mereka tentang makna `jilbab` dan makna `menjulurkan`.

Namun bila diteliti lebih jauh, ada ketidak-konsistenan nukilan pendapat dari Ibnu Abbas tentang wajibnya niqab. Karena dalam tafsir di surat An-Nuur yang berbunyi (kecuali yang zahir darinya), Ibnu Abbas justru berpendapat sebaliknya.

Para ulama yang tidak mewajibkan niqab mengatakan bahwa ayat ini sama sekali tidak bicara tentang wajibnya menutup muka bagi wanita, baik secara bahasa maupun secara `urf (kebiasaan). Karena yang diperintahkan jsutru menjulurkan kain ke dadanya, bukan ke mukanya. Dan tidak ditemukan ayat lainnya yang memerintahkan untuk menutup wajah.

B. Surat An-Nuur: 31

Katakanlah kepada wanita yang beriman: `Hendaklah mereka menahan pandangannya, dan kemaluannya, dan janganlah mereka menampakkan perhiasannya, kecuali yang nampak dari padanya.` (QS. An-Nur: 31).

Menurut mereka dengan mengutip riwayat pendapat dari Ibnu Mas`ud bahwa yang dimaksud perhiasan yang tidak boleh ditampakkan adalah wajah, karena wajah adalah pusat dari kecantikan. Sedangkan yang dimaksud dengan `yang biasa nampak` bukanlah wajah, melainkan selendang dan baju.

Namun riwayat ini berbeda dengan riwayat yang shahi dari para shahabat termasuk riwayt Ibnu Mas`ud sendiri, Aisyah, Ibnu Umar, Anas dan lainnya dari kalangan tabi`in bahwa yang dimaksud dengan `yang biasa nampak darinya` bukanlah wajah, tetapi al-kuhl (celak mata) dan cincin. Riwayat ini menurut Ibnu Hazm adalah riwayat yang paling shahih.

C. Surat Al-Ahzab: 53

Apabila kamu meminta sesuatu kepada mereka, maka mintalah dari belakang tabir. Cara yang demikian itu lebih suci bagi hatimu dan hati mereka. Dan tidak boleh kamu menyakiti Rasulullah dan tidak mengawini isteri-isterinya selama-lamanya sesudah ia wafat. Sesungguhnya perbuatan itu adalah amat besar di sisi Allah.`(QS. Al-Ahzab: 53)

Para pendukung kewajiban niqab juga menggunakan ayat ini untuk menguatkan pendapat bahwa wanita wajib menutup wajah mereka dan bahwa wajah termasuk bagian dari aurat wanita. Mereka mengatakan bahwa meski khitab ayat ini kepada isteri Nabi, namun kewajibannya juga terkena kepada semua wanita mukminah, karena para isteri Nabi itu adalah teladan dan contoh yang harus diikuti.

Selain itu bahwa mengenakan niqab itu alasannya adalah untuk menjaga kesucian hati, baik bagi laki-laki yang melihat ataupun buat para isteri nabi. Sesuai dengan firman Allah dalam ayat ini bahwa cara yang demikian itu lebih suci bagi hatimu dan hati mereka (isteri nabi).

Namun bila disimak lebih mendalam, ayat ini tidak berbicara masalah kesucian hati yang terkait dengan zina mata antara para shahabat Rasulullah SAW dengan para isteri beliau. Kesucian hati ini kaitannya dengan perasaan dan pikiran mereka yang ingin menikahi para isteri nabi nanti setelah beliau wafat.

Dalam ayat itu sendiri dijelaskan agar mereka jangan menyakiti hati nabi dengan mengawini para janda isteri Rasulullah SAW sepeninggalnya. Ini sejalan dengan asbabun nuzul ayat ini yang menceritakan bahwa ada shahabat yang ingin menikahi Aisyah ra bila kelak Nabi wafat. Ini tentu sangat menyakitkan perasaan nabi.

Adapun makna kesucian hati itu bila dikaitkan dengan zina mata antara shahabat nabi dengan isteri beliau adalah penafsiran yang terlalu jauh dan tidak sesuai dengan konteks dan kesucian para shahabat nabi yang agung.

Sedangkan perintah untuk meminta dari balik tabir, jelas-jelas merupakan kekhusususan dalam bermuamalah dengan para isteri Nabi. Tidak ada kaitannya dengan `al-Ibratu bi `umumil lafzi laa bi khushushil ayah`. Karena ayat ini memang khusus membicarakan akhlaq pergaulan dengan isteri nabi. Dan mengqiyaskan antara para isteri nabi dengan seluruh wanita muslimah adalah qiyas yang tidak tepat, qiyas ma`al-fariq. Karena para isteri nabi memang memiliki standart akhlaq yang khusus. Ini ditegaskan dalam ayat Al-Quran.

'Hai isteri-isteri Nabi, kamu sekalian tidaklah seperti wanita yang lain, jika kamu bertakwa. Maka janganlah kamu tunduk dalam berbicara sehingga berkeinginanlah orang yang ada penyakit dalam hatinya dan ucapkanlah perkataan yang baik` (QS. Al-ahzab: 32)

D. Hadits Larang Berniqab bagi Wanita Muhrim (Berihram)

Para pendukung kewajiban menutup wajah bagi muslimah menggunakan sebuah hadits yang diambil mafhum mukhalafanya, yaitu larangan Rasulullah SAW bagi muslimah untuk menutup wajah ketika ihram.

`Janganlah wanita yang sedang berihram menutup wajahnya (berniqab) dan memakai sarung tangan`.

Dengan adanya larangan ini, menurut mereka lazimnya para wanita itu memakai niqab dan menutup wajahnya, kecuali saat berihram. Sehingga perlu bagi Rasulullah SAW untuk secara khusus melarang mereka. Seandainya setiap harinya mereka tidak memakai niqab, maka tidak mungkin beliau melarangnya saat berihram.

Pendapat ini dijawab oleh mereka yang tidak mewajibkan niqab dengan logika sebaliknya. Yaitu bahwa saat ihram, seseorang memang dilarang untuk melakukan sesautu yang tadinya halal. Seperti memakai pakaian yang berjahit, memakai parfum dan berburu. Lalu saat berihram, semua yang halal tadi menjadi haram. Kalau logika ini diterapkan dalam niqab, seharusnya memakai niqab itu hukumnya hanya sampai boleh dan bukan wajib. Karena semua larangan dalam ihram itu hukum asalnya pun boleh dan bukan wajib. Bagaimana bisa sampai pada kesimpulan bahwa sebelumnya hukumnya wajib?

Bahwa ada sebagian wanita yang di masa itu menggunakan penutup wajah, memang diakui. Tapi masalahnya menutup wajah itu bukanlah kewajiban. Dan ini adalah logika yang lebih tepat.

E. Hadits bahwa Wanita itu Aurat Diriwayatkan oleh At-Tirmizy marfu`an

"Wanita itu adalah aurat, bila dia keluar rumah, maka syetan menaikinya`.

Menurut At-turmuzi hadis ini kedudukannya hasan shahih. Oleh para pendukung pendapat ini maka seluruh tubuh wanita itu adalah aurat, termasuk wajah, tangan, kaki dan semua bagian tubuhnya. Pendapat ini juga dikemukakan oleh sebagian pengikut Asy-Syafi`iyyah dan Al-Hanabilah.

F. Mendhaifkan Hadits Asma`

Mereka juga mengkritik hadits Asma` binti Abu Bakar yang berisi bahwa:

`Wahai Asma', seorang wanita yang sudah hadih itu tidak boleh nampak bagian tubuhnya kecuali ini dan ini` Sambil beliau memegang wajar dan tapak tangannya.

* * *

2. Kalangan Yang Tidak Mewajibkan Cadar

Sedangkan mereka yang tidak mewajibkan cadar berpendapat bahwa wajah bukan termasuk aurat wanita. Mereka juga menggunakan banyak dalil serta mengutip pendapat dari para imam mazhab yang empat dan juga pendapat salaf dari para shahabat Rasulullah SAW.

A. Ijma` Shahabat

Para shahabat Rasulullah SAW sepakat mengatakan bahwa wajah dan tapak tangan wanita bukan termasuk aurat. Ini adalah riwayat yang paling kuat tentang masalah batas aurat wanita.

B. Pendapat Para Fuqoha Bahwa Wajah Bukan Termasuk Aurat Wanita.

Al-Hanafiyah mengatakan tidak dibenarkan melihat wanita ajnabi yang merdeka kecuali wajah dan tapak tangan. (lihat Kitab Al-Ikhtiyar). Bahkan Imam Abu Hanifah ra. sendiri mengatakan yang termasuk bukan aurat adalah wajah, tapak tangan dan kaki, karena kami adalah sebuah kedaruratan yang tidak bisa dihindarkan.

Al-Malikiyah dalam kitab `Asy-Syarhu As-Shaghir` atau sering disebut kitab Aqrabul Masalik ilaa Mazhabi Maalik, susunan Ad-Dardiri dituliskan bahwa batas aurat waita merdeka dengan laki-laki ajnabi (yang bukan mahram) adalah seluruh badan kecuali muka dan tapak tangan. Keduanya itu bukan termasuk aurat.

Asy-Syafi`iyyah dalam pendapat As-Syairazi dalam kitabnya `al-Muhazzab`, kitab di kalangan mazhab ini mengatakan bahwa wanita merdeka itu seluruh badannya adalah aurat kecuali wajah dan tapak tangan.

Dalam mazhab Al-Hanabilah kita dapati Ibnu Qudamah berkata kitab Al-Mughni 1: 1-6, `Mazhab tidak berbeda pendapat bahwa seorang wanita boleh membuka wajah dan tapak tangannya di dalam shalat Daud yang mewakili kalangan zahiri pun sepakat bahwa batas aurat wanita adalah seluruh tubuh kecuai muka dan tapak tangan. Sebagaimana yang disebutkan dalam Nailur Authar. Begitu juga dengan Ibnu Hazm mengecualikan wajah dan tapak tangan sebagaiman tertulis dalam kitab Al-Muhalla.

c. Pendapat Para Mufassirin

Para mufassirin yang terkenal pun banyak yang mengatakan bahwa batas aurat wanita itu adalah seluruh tubuh kecuali muka dan tapak tangan. Mereka antara lain At-Thabari, Al-Qurthubi, Ar-Razy, Al-Baidhawi dan lainnya. Pendapat ini sekaligus juga mewakili pendapat jumhur ulama.

D. Dhai`ifnya Hadits Asma Dikuatkan Oleh Hadits Lainnya

Adapun hadits Asma` binti Abu Bakar yang dianggap dhaif, ternyata tidak berdiri sendiri, karena ada qarinah yang menguatkan melalui riwayat Asma` binti Umais yang menguatkan hadits tersebut. Sehingga ulama modern sekelas Nasiruddin Al-Bani sekalipun meng-hasankan hadits tersebut sebagaimana tulisan beliau `hijab wanita muslimah`, `Al-Irwa`, shahih Jamius Shaghir dan `Takhrij Halal dan Haram`.

E. Perintah Kepada Laki-laki Untuk Menundukkan Pandangan.

Allah SWt telah memerintahkan kepada laki-laki untuk menundukkan pandangan (ghadhdhul bashar). Hal itu karena para wanita muslimah memang tidak diwajibkan untuk menutup wajah mereka.

`Katakanlah kepada orang laki-laki yang beriman: `Hendaklah mereka menahan pandanganya, dan memelihara kemaluannya; yang demikian itu adalah lebih suci bagi mereka, sesungguhnya Allah Maha Mengetahui apa yang mereka perbuat (QS. An-Nuur: 30)

Dalam hadits Rasulullah SAW kepada Ali ra. disebutkan bahwa,

Dari Buraidah ra bahwa Rasulullah SAW bersabda kepada Ali bin Abi Thalib, "Jangan lah kamu mengikuti pandangan pertama (kepada wanita) dengan pandangan berikutnya. Karena yang pertama itu untukmu dan yang kedua adalah ancaman/ dosa`. (HR Ahmad, Abu Daud, Tirmizy dan Hakim).

Bila para wanita sudah menutup wajah, buat apalagi perintah menundukkan pandangan kepada laki-laki. Perintah itu menjadi tidak relevan lagi.

I embrace the fact that I'm idealistic! At the same time, I try not to let my idealism fall into polytheism. But the fear of treating the outer markers of religion as idols cannot mean that we turn away from them altogether. The ego will find space to cavort, whether it be within the closed-ness of our ideals or the open space above them.

I've been receiving a few comments about this idealism of mine, and it reminds me of another comment that I read a long time ago on another blog, that Islamic Traditionalism is the refuge of the exhausted academically minded Muslim. The idea expressed was that traditionalism is a cop out. I agreed with the comment at the time, believing that people are just not prepared to go outside of their comfort zone, nor face the criticism which comes from questioning the boundaries imposed by others, so they retreat into that which is safe. In the case of those with an academic bent, there's heaps of room within traditional thought to accommodate critical thinking, and so it is the obvious location for the more intellectual kind of Muslim, but not too intellectual, because that leads to pushing boundaries, and traditionalism can't cope with that, or so I thought.

What I thought, is folly.

I'm a Mum of three young children, I don't have the time to fully qualify what I write, although I wish that I was able to, perhaps in the future inshaAllah. If the main push of this blog is that I have grown much more at ease with an orthodox presentation of Islam, this is because I am so surprised that this is the case, because I don't have the kind of mind that rests easily. What I have come to understand is that my mind will only be at ease when I am spiritually at ease also, and for a long time, my approach to life was very imbalanced, all mind and a few drops of heart, although I deceived myself into thinking otherwise. The thing was, I spent a great deal of time questioning everything, and not very much time standing in the night in Tahajjud.

I am still not spending enough time doing the latter, but at least now, when I feel the urge to start dissecting a thought, idea or position, I move away in the other direction and start questioning myself about what I am doing for Allah. I am trying to rectify the imbalance. One of my weaknesses is responding to criticism and falling into defensiveness. This is partly a learned response, that is, I have faced a great deal of criticism so sometimes I want to jump in before it even occurs, make my stance known and provide footnotes! And it is partly ego, I struggle with being considered stupid and I have to remind myself that it doesn't matter if a person isn't aware of the amount of mental somersaults my brain has performed before reaching a decision, I know and Allah knows and that should suffice, I don't need to prove to anyone that my mind isn't closed.

But still, sometimes I want to keep talking in this line of defense, why? Because I want others to know this place of rest. I want others with minds like mine, to understand that no amount of thinking and developing premises, will break the veils between us and Allah. You can't think your way through faith.

I loved Tarim, it seems to me to have mythical proportions. Perhaps this is misplaced idealism or sentimentality, only Allah knows. My visit was short, I only touched the surface of what it has to offer. And I wasn't there long enough to see it's drawbacks and negative aspects. But that doesn't matter, because what I saw changed me in ways that I'm still not completely aware of.

Once, a few years ago, I ate lunch with a Sufi group in Australia. I had a strong internal dialogue the whole time, trying to decide whether the Imam was an impostor or the real thing. It was a mixed setting, the meat wasn't halal (not easily available in the locality) although it was organic ;) and I felt like an oddity in my hijab. When I rose to leave, the Imam gave me salams and a look which has remained in my mind ever since. I have spent years trying to figure out what he was looking at, he looked at me from the inside out, as if he was regarding something in me that I am not aware of myself. After that, I always thought of him with respect, no matter the externals of the place.

When in Tarim, I met with one of the Haba'ib. I waited in a room for him to arrive. Because of the gender segregation, I assumed that I was in a female space and that I would be called when he was ready to see me, so I flipped up my niqab. Soon afterwards he appeared in the doorway of the room, he glanced at me and then turned away and I re-flipped the veil. That glance has been in my mind ever since and I keep re-playing it in my memory. What was he looking at? He saw more than my face, it felt like he plucked out my soul, looked at it from different angles and then put it back, all in a split second. After that I felt that he knew who I was, even though I don't know who I am.

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by what lies ahead, sometimes I wonder if it's even possible. The fact that he did not turn me away gives me hope. It makes me feel as if there is a prospect for improvement spiritually, that I am not, as I have felt at times, dead in my heart, never likely to know Allah. When I received that glance I wished that I could meet myself in his eyes, and know what it was that he saw.

This meeting and other things transformed my individual practice, being in Tarim itself transformed my understanding of how social practice affects the inner workings of each person in the community. But what happens when you take aspects of the social life and transplant them into a different context where they become only individual practice. Is there any point?

Some teachers make things easy for their murids, by giving express instructions about how to go about things in their home countries. For example, Sheikh Nuh Ha Meem Keller, says to his female students to not wear niqab in Western countries. The Haba'ib are more ambiguous. The niqab question came up a lot during the Dowra. During my Shafi'i fiqh class, I asked the teacher whether we should cover our faces in the West. He had told us a story about a woman who wore hijab in a catholic school, and completely put her trust in Allah, that despite being discriminated against by a teacher, things would be ok, and Allah would look after her. And then he gave examples of how Allah did, in fact, look after her. In response to my question, the sheikh answered that women who seek knowledge have higher expectations on them than women who do not. He went on to discuss the women of the Sahaba and the numerous blessings associated with emulating them. To me, this seemed like a fairly clear indication that he was saying to wear it. It seemed that way to a friend in class also. But when I related what he had said to another friend outside of class, she said, see they are not saying to wear it in the west. The difference in our interpretation came down to the fact that my friend in class and I already inclined towards wearing it, whereas my friend outside of class had a lot of reservations. I believe that the answer was meant for us all.

When asked the same question, Habib Ali al Jifri responded that there is no sin on a woman who does not cover her face in a western country, but should she choose to do so, she should possess patience and not a fiery nature. She should be able to cope with confrontation without responding negatively.

I was told by some sisters that Habiba Nur, who is Habib Umar's wife, recommended to western sisters that they not wear it at home, because it may be a barrier to dawa, but as I did not hear this from her directly, I am being cautious about giving it too much weight in my own decision whether to wear it or not, as I noticed the way this question was tackled in such an ambiguous manner by other scholars in Tarim.

Really it was stressed that it comes down to individual circumstances, and this is where I am taking this conversation. The function of face-veiling in the west is entirely different to that in countries where it is the norm. In order to benefit from it's social function it must occur en masse. One of the reasons that I love the niqab so much, is because of its social function, yet I'm aware that should I wear it here in Australia, I will only achieve individual benefit. And that's why for me, the discussion moves from the outer to the inner, even though it happens to be an outer symbol itself.

Sheikh Abd 'al Qadir al Jilani has mentioned

"an outward appearance (zahir) that has an inner content (batin) to prove its authenticity, and an inner reality that has an outer manifestation to confirm it."

One of the reasons that I know that niqab is not just a form of Muslim cultural dress, is because of its inner content. Yes, it has been used as a form of cultural dress, and it is still used as such, but this does not mean that it is cultural and nothing else. Whether it was used by the upper classes in Byzantium prior to Islam is not the point, the issue is that it was also used by the Mothers of the Believers and the women of the Sahaba, and this connection with these special women in Islam is part of what gives it it's inner content. Language is living and so is dress. We know that language grows and changes over time, acquiring different meanings according to time and place. What makes us think that dress is less porous than language? The things that prevent language and dress (because of their porous capacity) from being completely time based, is the presence of the Sacred. Because the Sacred transcends time and place. Niqab is sacred dress. Wearing it connects us with our history, but it doesn't limit us to that, it is a link to the Vertical, that which takes us outside of ourselves to Allah, for me, it is part of the rope of Allah, the handhold that never breaks.

is it just about sexuality? I don't think so, spirituality transcends sexuality. It may have a function related to sexuality, in a social context, but in an individual context becomes much more about the inner.

It becomes much more a part of the conversation about private and public space and the rich spirituality of Islam which is ever present in the functions of both.The Prophet saw warned that upon entering the marketplace, one should say

"There is none worthy of worship except Allah, alone, without any partner with Him. For Him is the Dominion and to Him is the praise. He gives life and He brings about death; He is living and does not die. In His hand is all good and He has power over all things. " [Recorded by al-Tirmidhi.

This is because, the market-place is one of the most obvious places of distraction from Allah. I really feel that women have been given a great blessing in not having to enter the marketplace on a continual basis. We can avoid the distractions of the outside world, and when we do enter it, we can do so with a portable barrier. This is how the niqab feels to me, it is sacred dress. i felt it a few years ago but dissected my thoughts so much, that I ended up distrusting my intentions and believing that I was treating the niqab as an idol. Perhaps I was, but that was then.

Dear World, Allow me my philosophy, I'm not asking you to agree with me, just let me wear my sacred dress in peace.

love Saha the sentimentalist...

MPAC "Queens of Islam"

Ich habe mich im Urlaub prächtig erholt und präsentiere an dieser Stelle zur gewohnten Zeit den wöchentlichen Rückblick auf die Mode und deren Wirkung in der Gesellschaft. Auf dem Programm stehen eine Armani Fiale für Dubai, IBM und virtuelles Modemarketing sowie ein Saudiarabischer Geistlicher der Frauen „empfiehlt“ einen „Niqab“ zu tragen der nur ein Auge zeigen soll.

Armani eröffnet Fiale in Dubai

Laut arabianbusiness.com bereitet Giorgio Armani die Eröffnung des ersten Einrichtungshaus in den Vereinigten Arabischen Emiraten vor. Die Filiale in der 1 Millionen m² großen Dubai Mall soll am 31.10 eröffnet werden und natürlich wird es sich Armani nicht nehmen lassen, eine weitere Fiale im Burj Dubai zu eröffnen.

IBM und virtuelles Modemarketing

IBM wird sich verstärkt im virtuellen Marketing engagieren und ging zu diesem Zweck eine Partnerschaft mit dem Fashion Research Institute (FRI) ein . Wie man marketwatch.com entnehmen kann geht es dem FRI um folgende Punkte:

Das Mode-Forschungs-Institut, mit Sitz in New York forscht an Technologie-Initiativen und entwickelt neue Technologien zur Verbesserung traditioneller Arbeitsweisen und Methoden in der Mode-Zur Mission des FRI zählt die Verringerung des CO₂-Austoßes sowie eine Änderung der Unternehmenspraxen hin zu Nachhaltigkeit. Es bleibt aber stets praktisch und sinnvoll für alle Beteiligten. Das FRI unterhält Shengri-La, einen fünf-Insel Komplex in Second Life, und einen OpenSim komplex.

Doch auf für IBM lohnt sich diese Partnerschaft:

„Das FRI arbeit weiterhin an der Verbesserung der IT-Fähigkeiten der Modeindustrie sowie der Konsumgüterindustrie, IBMs tiefe Kenntnisse in Produkt-Design, Enterprise-Systemen und virtuellen Welten wird dem FRI helfen neue Märkte in der Mode-Welt zu erschließen“, sagte Jeffrey Russell , IBM Global Business Services. „Ein Designer der mit Hilfe dieser Software seine Kollektion erstellt könnte Dutzende von Wochen an Arbeiten sparen, die Anzahl der physischen Entwürfe minimieren und die Produktqualität steigern und die so gewonne Zeit in die Entwicklung vieler neuer Kollektionen investieren.“

Wer sich für dieses Thema interessiert, dem empfehle ich die Website der israelischen Firma Optitex dort gibt es mehrere Videos über virtuelles Modedesign.

Saudiarabischen Geistlichen ist der Augenschlitz zu groß

Was sich zu erst nach einem Scherz anhört, entpuppt sich leider als bitterer Ernst. Die BBC schreibt über den Geistlichen wie folgt:

Scheich Habadan ist ein ultra-konservativer Geistlicher, dem nachgesagt wird, er habe großen Einfluss auf die religiösen Saudis. Er beantwortete eine Reihe von Fragen über die muslimischen Satellitenkanal al-Majd.

Und im Rahmen dieser Fragestunde ließ sich Herr al-Habadan darüber aus warum zwei sichtbare Augen zu viel seien:

Scheich Muhammad al-Habadan sagte das das Zeigen beider Augen Frauen ermutige, Make-up zu benutzen um verführerisch auszusehen.

Er schlug deshalb vor, dass Frauen einen vollständigen Schleier oder Niqab tragen sollten der nur ein Auge zeigt.

Dieser Vorschlag ist reichlich absurd. Man stelle sich selbst ein solches Gewand vor und versuche dabei ernst zu bleiben.

Ich verabschiede mich bis zur nächsten Woche und wünsche ein schönes Wochenende.

P.S.: Wer an täglichen Neuigkeiten aus der Modebranche interessiert ist, ist herzlich eingeladen, mein Blog unter http://www.style-watch.com zu besuchen.

Their shipping is very slow. So if your are an impatient chica like me, then you will get frustrated. It took about a month and a half for me to get my stuff. I ordered the Saudi Overhead Abaya (50 bucks ya'll) and the Medium 3 Layer Flip Niqab. Was I pleased? Not really. The overhead abaya was too small! I am about 5'4 (yea, I'm tall-I know) and the dress did not even reach my ankles. So their size chart was wrong.

I ordered my niqab with no string and netting, and it came with both. I got hella angry, so I cut out the netting and string and it looked half way decent. I tried it on and was not a happy camper. The quality is not bad, but the eyeslits are too small for my liking. And the fliped fabric kept sliding into my eyes (the material for them is real slippery). The overall quality of the niqab is okay, but the overhead is not at all like the picture. It is a dull black made with starchy material.

Anyways, since I had already altered the niqab with my amateur cutting job, lol, I decided I wanted to return the abaya. Fat chance, cuz their site says no returns or exchanges due to ordering the wrong size. Anyways, I still have the overhead abaya and my cousin says she will take it, with her lucky 5'2 self!!

I like the niqab a little, I'll probably wear it one day inshAllah, but it's not the best. I spent eighty dollars total and I feel like the whole thing was a rip off. There are a couple of other abayas and niqabs I really want from E.O.B., but as you can probably guess, I'm a bit hesitant to do so.

Soo, now you have read moi opinion, and if you have ordered from them, please do share your experience (whether it's good or bad), with the rest of us! And now for my rating, I give this site 2 stars.

Saudi cleric Sheikh Mohammed al-Habadan has declared that a Muslim veil, or hijab, that covers all but the eyes encourages women to use eye make-up to look seductive, the BBC reported Friday.

Al-Habadan has called on Saudi women to wear a full veil, or niqab, which covers the entire face, including one eye.

The question of how much of her face a woman should cover is a controversial topic in many Muslim societies.

via Infidel Bloggers Alliance: Saudi Cleric Urges Muslim Women To Cover Up All But One Eye.

Hmm, yeah, why do they let them live in ultimate instance? Oh, yeah, women MUST produce children...

	O uso do Niqab foi considerado pouco recatado pelo religioso

O xeque Mohamed Al Habdan fez a afirmação durante um programa de TV por satélite da emissora Al Maid, que transmite para vários países do mundo árabe e já foi plataforma para o lançamento de outras fatwas.

LEIA + AQUI

FONTE: BBC

Hijab or ħijāb (حجاب, pronounced: [ħi.ˈdʒæːb]) is the Arabic term for "cover" (noun), based on the root حجب meaning "to veil, to cover (verb), to screen, to shelter".

In some Arabic-speaking countries and Western countries, the common meaning of hijab currently is of "modest dress for women," which most Islamic legal systems define as covering everything except the face and hands in public. Since the 1970s, hijab has emerged as a symbol of Islamic consciousness "and an affirmation of Islamic identity and morality" in opposition to "Western materialism, commercialism, and values."

Okay, so it's from Wikipedia, but it brings up some interesting points. Modesty, identity, morality in opposition of Western materialism, commercialism. Fair enough, then I saw this short fashion web pod about street styles and fashion trends in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

So I guess my first piece is about the contrast between middle eastern culture and western culture with the. It depicts a woman wearing a hijab. However, the hijab is patterned with the famous Burberry Check. While there are religious implications, I wanted to focus more on the ideas of materialism versus modesty.

The other thought I've been juggling with are muslim women who wear the niqab. The niqab is the veil that covers the face that is part of the hijab. I recently read a story about a muslim journalist who wanted to wear a niqab for day in London. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2006/oct/17/gender.religion Again, I think it's that dynamic between middle eastern and western cultures that intrigue me. I tend to believe western culture is more tolerant of differences (I should know better, but that is how I feel.) I can't really justify it. However, the journalist, Zaiba Malik, got nothing but babies crying, hate and fear. I started playing this scenario in my head. How would I react if I saw a woman in line voting for the presidential election (one of the most American, democratic, actions)?" Would I be gripped with fear or would there be a sense of empowerment believing that only this can happen in the United States? Would people scream "terrorist"?

It's a rough draft that I am still working on, but I'd appreciate your views and opinions on the subject and design? I'm trying to make her look less NINJA - so we'll see what kind of solution I can come to.

On another topic, I'm still stunned by Sarah Palin and not in a good way. However, in a surprising turn of events, she inspires and motivates me to WANT to vote just cause I sick of sitting and watching her wink at me. So I hope this inspires one other person out there to want to vote as well!

Links to buy: Abaya and Shayla, 3 Layer Flip Niqab, Gloves, Metallic Silver Sandals, Black and White Bowling-style Bag, Silver Bangles

Zaiba Malik, a muslim journalist at the Guardian, decided to wear a niqab-the full head covering you must have seen around-for a full day to find out for herself what it was like. The results were interesting indeed. Her own reaction was to be horrified, and that was just the start of things:

On the street it takes just seconds for me to discover that there are
different categories of stare. Elderly people stop dead in their tracks
and glare; women tend to wait until you have passed and then turn round
when they think you can't see; men just look out of the corners of
their eyes. And young children - well, they just stare, point and laugh.

She also discovered the down side of wearing the full veil when she went out for coffee with a friend:

I can't fathom a way to drink my cappuccino and when I become aware
that everybody in the coffee shop is wondering the same thing, I give
up and just gaze at it.

Even within a muslim area, she felt out of place. According to the article:

...I visit various parts of London with a large number of Muslims[...].
Not one woman is wearing the niqab. I see many with their hair covered,
but I can see their faces. Even in these areas I feel a minority within
a minority. Even in these areas other Muslims turn and look at me.

My own discussion about women wearing a niqab led me to a few conclusions of my own. Humans rely on the face for a lot of information about the other person. Small facial movements are an important part of non-verbal communication, and I suspect that people find that when women wear the niqab, it somehow almost dehumanizes them because we can't tell what emotion they might be feeling. As Zaiba says in her article:

I cannot tell how old she is, how much she weighs, whether she has a
kind or a sad face, whether she has long or short hair, whether she has
any distinctive facial features at all.

What do you feel about this? Do women who wear the full veil intimidate you? Make you wary? Or doesn't it bother you at all?

[Link: Zaiba Malik wears a niqab for a day and is shocked by the reaction of strangers]

Please don't anyone get on me about the cute lace undies in the collage - as if us muslimas don't wear haute lingerie *scoffs* lol!;-) Anyways, I hope you all like this look because it took me forever to put it together! Lol:-).

Links to buy: Overhead Abaya, Rose Sandals, Metallic Silver Handbag, 3 Layer Flip Niqab, White Jeans

De Saoudische sjeik Mohammed al-Habadan heeft vrouwen opgeroepen om een niqab (sluier die alleen de ogen vrijlaat) te dragen die slechts één oog laat zien. Hij deed zijn uitspraak tijdens een vraaggesprek op een islamtische satellietzender. Een niqab die ruimte laat voor twee ogen vormt volgens de geestelijke een aanmoediging voor vrouwen om de ogen op te maken en zo verleidelijk over te komen. (bron: De Standaard)

Voilà mijnheer de sjeik. U mag uw douchekapje komen afhalen en daarbij eens recht in onze driextwee ogen kijken. Wij hebben een extra groot model douchekap voorzien, zodanig dat u ze helemaal kan over uw hoofd trekken. Met één piepklein doorkijkgaatje.

Start with a simple black pleated abaya and add luxe accessories such as a large metallic shoulder bag, a lime green heel, diamond bracelet, a two layer flip niqab, and two scarves for layering. One solid peach, and the other a silk tropical printed scarf. A fiery coral-coloured ring to match, and mega-large sunglasses.

I think this look is gorgeous! You can buy the diamond drop abaya and shayla from here.

The fingerless gloves are oh-so-chic, paired with black and white pearl chanel earrings and bracelets. Green eyeshadow just seems to work, along with black and white heels and bright red lipstick. Complete the look with a black satin scarf, red ring, and a plain black flip niqab.

I really, really love this outfit! I've always loved the picture to the left and wondered how I could get a similar look for less. InshAllah this will be helpful for those of you who want to get this glam, off-the-catwalk look!:)

To get a similar abaya with lace sleeves, this black abaya is perfect. I'd personally add more black (and some purple/burgundy) lace to the sleeves. Then you have simple black and purple shaylas that can be layered, and purple square shades.

Start off with a pretty purple abaya set, and a purple half niqab set. You could either rock the niqab with the plain purple hijab it comes with, or you can wrap it with the striped pink and purple shayla instead. I added these cute pink heels to match the pink motorcycle handbag (which is Balenciaga inspired). And of course you have your make-up;). Finish off with a flower pin and a couple of cute rings and necklaces.