TELAAH BUKU ARGUMENTASI KESETARAAN GENDER PERSPEKTIF AL-QURâAN KARYA NASARUDDIN UMAR - Janah, Nasitotul (Sawwa: Jurnal Studi Gender, 2017)
Nasarudin Umar is an Indonesian Muslim scholar who has concerns on the issue of gender relations. He contributes many reflective thoughts, including the book entitled Argumentasi Kesetaraan Gender Perspektif al-Qurâan. This research is motivated by his intellectual anxiety toward Quranic texts that are often used as a tool of legitimacy and justification by patriarchalism. This notion has gender biased and misogynous thought in which puts women as the second actor in ritual and social contexts. On the other hand, Nasarudin assumes that gender inequality does not come from the character of religion itself but it refers to the understanding of religious thought that has been influenced by social construction. In addition, he argues that there is still ambiguity of the Quran interÂpretation on whether gender is a nature or a dynamic nurture (social construction). To understand the authenticity of Quranic perspectives, Nasarudin conducted a research on the Quran verses that discuss male and female relationships by applying thematic analysis (called Tafsir Maudlui) with various approaches such as semantic-linguistic, normative-theological and socio-historical. The result showed that the Quran does not expressly support the two gender paradigms of either nature or nurture. It only accommoÂdates certain elements within the two theories that are in line with the universal principles of Islam. Generally, the Quran recognizes the distinction between men and women but the distinction does not benefit one party while marginalizes the other. The distinction is needed precisely to support the harmonious and balanced, safe, and peaceful life and full of virtue._________________________________________________________Nasarudin Umar adalah cendekiawan muslim Indonesia yang meÂmiliki concern terhadap persoalan relasi gender. Ia banyak memÂberikan kontribusi pemikiran-pemikiran reflektif, diantaranya Buku Argumentasi Kesetaraan Gender Perspektif Alqurâan. Penelitian ini dilatarbelakangi kegelisahan intelektualnya karena teks-teks al-Qurâan sering dipakai sebagai alat legitimasi dan justifikasi paham patriarkhism yang bias gender dan sarat misoginis yang menempatÂkan perempuan sebagai the second dalam konteks ritual maupun sosial. Nasarudin berasumsi bahwa ketidakadilan gender bukanlah bersumber dari watak agama itu sendiri namun berasal dari peÂmahaman dan pemikiran keagamaan yang dipengaruhi oleh konÂstruksi social. Menurutnya, masih terjadi ambiguitas penafsiran al-Qurâan tentang apakah gender itu bersifat nature (kodrati) ataukah bersifat nuture (konstruksi social) yang dinamis. Untuk memahami autentisitas perspektif al-Qurâan, Nasarudin melakukan penelitian terhadap ayat-ayat al-Qurâan yang membahas tetang relasi laki-laki dan perempuan dengan menggunakan analisis tematik (tafsir maudhui) dengan berbagai pendekatan seperti semantic-linguistik, normatif-teologis maupun sosio historis. HasilÂnya, al-Qurâan tidak secara tegas menyatakan dukungan terhadap kedua paradigma gender baik nature maupun nurture. Al-Qurâan hanya mengÂakoÂmodir unsur-unsur tertentu yang terdapat dalam dua teori yang sejalan dengan prinsip-prinsip universal Islam. Secara umum al-Qurâan mengakui adanya perbedaan (distinction) antara laki-laki dan perempuan tetapi perbedaan itu tidak mengÂuntungkan salah satu pihak dan memarjinalkan pihak yang lain. PerÂÂbedaan itu diperlukan justru untuk mendukung obsesi al-Qurâan tentang keÂhidupÂan harmonis, seimbang, aman, tenteram serta penuh kebajikan.