Many people are already aware of the message and lessons of Ramadan and its relation with Islam bias against those who are weak, poor and destitute. Fasting is known as a contemplation of a Muslim effort to come to feel ‘the atmosphere of hunger and deficiencies’, which coupled with the orders issued alms, alms and feeding advice for those who break the fast. All this is expected to become a medium of education of every Muslim, to reflect on how far she had to guarantee the certainty of protection for those who are poor, weak and poor. In this case, Household Workers (PRT), or most people here still call it a Maid, is a weak including community groups who require the assurance of protection of rights and guarantee freedom from all forms of violence. Here, Worship fasting could be a reflection of the media to ensure a fair relationship between the domestic workers and employers who hire them.
In this case, some statements Companions of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH. have confirmed the correlation between fasting and improved relations with the PRT (al-Khadim). Jabir bin Abdillah ra. for example, as narrated by Ibn Abi Syaibah in Kitab al-Musannaf never convey the message, “If you fast, then let your ears too fast, your eyes and your tongue too fast, than to tell lies and unlawful acts and keep yourself from hurting action your maid” . Similar statement also conveyed by Son Ali bin Abi Talib ra., Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah, as narrated by Ibn Abi Dunya (Abu Bakr Abdullah ibn Muhammad al-Baghdadi, 208-281 H) in His book “Fadhail Ramadan.” Muhammad al-Hanafiyyah said, “Let (during Ramadan) fasting also your ears, your eyes, your tongue on the side of your body too fast. Do not equate the day when you do not fast the day when you fast, and keep yourself from hurting your maid action.”
More assertive than that, Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-Ash ra., States that, “abuse a PRT is a form of denial of the Holy City of Mecca honor.” These statements like this, most likely inspired by the lectures and the education he get from the Prophet Muhammad., In addition to their deep impression of the Prophet. in the treatment of domestic workers.
Example of the Prophet.
There are many statements, attitudes and behavior of the Prophet. who started the moral turning point of humanity, including those for pro-explicitly those working in the domestic sector as domestic workers. The most fundamental changes is when the Holy Prophet. teachs the friends not to call the slave is in their possession, and who mostly work in domestic service, with calls “my servant”. Likewise the servants are told not to call their employers to call “my lord”.
Abu Hurairah ra. narrated that the Prophet Muhammad. said, “Do not use the call” O my servant “, because you are all servants of God. But the call on” O my little son (ghulamiy) or young child (fataya) “(Narrated by Muslim). In the history of Imam Bukhari mentioned, Prophet. said, “Do not be ordered (with call): feed your master (rabbaka), in ensuring ablution water to drink give your master or your master, but use” a respected “(Sayyidi) or” my love “(mawlaya). Do not also use the call “my servant”, but the call to the “young child” or “my little boy.” (Narrated by Bukhari)
At the time many people of the world civilization and still preserve the inequality relation between master and slave, even legitimize violence addressed to them, the Holy Prophet. have laid a fundamental change to prohibit calls “O slave,” or otherwise he was forbidden to call “O my lord.” Of course, change the call is not to stop the calls alone. It is expected that there will be a shift in perspective and behavior that reflects the call. In some testament Prophet., Employers are required to treat “the servants” with good, polite, leaving the practice of violence against them, forgive their mistakes as often as possible, even getting used to sit and eat with them.
Prophet. himself has set an example early, how to act and behave with his maid. Imam al-Bukhari in the book “al-Adab al-Mufrid”, narrates that the Prophet Muhammad PBUH. when he first came to Medina, was offered by Abu Talhah ra. to serve a person in everyday life of Prophet. Namely, Anas bin Malik. who was still young. Anas bin Malik., then told how periods of service to the Prophet PBUH., “I became a servant of the Prophet. For ten years, by Allah, he never says bad at all to me, never complained about me or blame ( service) me “.
In the book ‘Sahih Ibn Hibban’, mentioned that the Prophet. said, “Any relief that you give to your servant, is the reward, which were listed in your charitable deeds.” More assertive again, the Prophet expressed bias against those working in domestic service sector, with the statement that “their sins will be forgiven by God Almighty.” because of their work. In religious language, any positive and good deeds, will always be associated with ‘forgiveness’ or ‘reward’ from God Almighty.
Imam ath-Thabrani in the book “Al-Mu’jam al-Kabir” and “al-Awsath”, narrates a hadith which states that the Prophet said, “God will forgive the sins of a domestic worker, seventy times in one day.” This is almost similar to the expression, where the Prophet Muhammad PBUH. himself had asked for forgiveness and be forgiven by Allah swt. in one day, forgiveness seventy times. Means, the Prophet degree of forgiveness has been put ‘the servants’ with ‘degrees forgiveness’ self Majesty the Prophet himself.
In narrated by Abu Dawud and Turmudzi, the statement ‘forgiveness’ is delivered because there are people who seem upset with the maid in his home. He came to the Messenger of Allah., and expressed his frustration because of the domestic workers often make mistakes and sin. Companion Abdullah bin Umar ra., Narrated that there was someone who came to the Messenger of Allah. and said, “O Messenger of Allah, how many times I have to forgive my servant? Prophet did not say anything to hear this question. Then he repeated the question,” O Messenger of Allah, how many times I have to forgive my servant? Then Rasullullah answer. “Please forgive him, in a day for seven hundred times.” (Narrated by Abu Dawood and Turmudzi)
Text hadith, if associated with ath-Thabrani text, implying that the forgiveness of Allah swt. against domestic workers, it is closely linked with efforts to bias and awards should be given to domestic workers their employers, a way to understand their hard work and forgive their shortcomings and mistakes. Employers are not only required to give their domestic awards, but also empathy for those who work tireless in providing services to the family of the employer. In some texts of other traditions, the Prophet Muhammad PBUH. even suggested that the employer used to eat and sit together with their servants. Or at least, feeding from the same food eaten by the employers.
In the book of Sahih al-Bukhari, there is a statement of the Prophet. that, “If a domestic worker came to bring food to you, then invite him sat down to eat with you, or (if not) give him the food, at least one or two bribes”. Imam ash-San’ani in His book “Subulussalam”, when commenting on the text of this Hadith states, Ibn al-Mundhir scholars narrated from that, “Required to feed from the same type of food eaten by employers, who are in the area dwelling, as well as side dishes and clothes. It is advisable, an employer just to give you the best of the servant, and the best is exactly the same to those of employers. “
Translating the Example of the Prophet
These statements above, clearly implying how the Prophet Muhammad. has introduced a major change in the Arab community in seeing and treating those who work as domestic workers. Prophet has changed the ‘name calling’, prohibiting unjust actions to them and introduce how should an employer be able to sit and eat together with their domestic workers. Of course, this teaching is a change that is not easily acceptable to anyone at the time.
For a feudal society and paternal, a shift in perspective and behaviour against domestic workers, of course, is not easy and may experience quite large social and cultural barriers. Therefore, we can see a call even if the Prophet. accepted Muslim community, behavior change that occurred was limited to the individual good of humanity as the messages delivered another Prophet. Of course, the good behavior of the individual should be appreciated, because it will be the first pillar of the social good. However, when control of the goodness of individuals is very weak, then the possibility of domestic workers are still open and domestic workers will experience violence because they are in vulnerable relationships particularly.
For that, we need a change of social institutions that provide security and certainty of those working in sectors “which is considered low by the people” in order to protect his rights as been toold by Prophet. We need to translate a will-a will is in our educational system that liberate and equalize-, the legal system that provides security and protection, and social culture that rewards on every job that provides benefits to society, which made anyone for anyt. Included in this matters is Domestic Workers.
We should be grateful, Indonesia has made a leap of culture, which may not be another Muslim countries, when daring to change the term “Maid” to “Household Workers.” This is almost similar to the example of the Prophet. when making a change call ‘slave’ to ‘young people’. The term “Domestic Workers” can not just stop at the term, but also dignity, respect and rights. They are employees as other workers, who are entitled to all that become vested. They are not supporting the free and casual depending on the employer.
As a cultural process, it may still need long time to raise awareness of equality of the working relationship between domestic workers and employers who hire them. This awareness was a focus of ensuring the protection of the rights of those affected by the imbalance of this relation. One of the media to grow the awareness is education and religious understanding. Therefore, in this case, religious leaders or religious institution is required to play significant roles to accelerate change in the pattern of public awareness in respect for and protection of the rights of domestic workers. Initial demands for certainty of protection are guaranteed by policies issued by the state or the laws that were enacted.
In some ways, we should be grateful when the results of our education has changed a little more public awareness that while this used to work in the household sector. Area of Gunung Kidul in Yogyakarta for example, once known as a supplier of domestic workers, is currently quite difficult to find women who are willing so alone (without conditions) to work as domestic workers. Many of them have started to demand and ask questions about salary, the willingness of the washing machine tools, iron, vacuum cleaner or the other. This exciting development in terms of awareness, of course, the rights of workers or prospective workers, even if the organization Clumps Tjoet Njak Dien (RTND) which is engaged in advocacy of domestic workers are still recorded high violence experienced by domestic workers in Yogyakarta.
Such awareness also needs to be balanced with the awareness of employers, or prospective employers to look at them as equals, as human beings and the dignity of workers, as people of other workers. State and policy makers to be the most responsible, for pushing through the tools, institutions and infrastructure that is owned for an accelerated social and legal systems for certainty and guarantee the protection of domestic workers, as well as equality relations that told by Prophet. (And Allaah knows best).
