Interpretation and Cultural Implementation of the Qur’ānic Jilbāb Verses: A Living Qur’ān Study in Pesantren

Ana Rahmawati; Darnoto; Nursodik; Ahmad  Zaenuri; M. Mukhsin  Jamil; Akhmad Arif  Junaidi

doi:10.32350/jitc.161.05

Ana Rahmawati Faculty of Education and Teacher Training, UNISNU Jepara Indonesia and UIN Walisongo Semarang, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0009-0006-8560-5966
Darnoto Faculty of Education and Teacher Training, UNISNU Jepara, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3784-9345
Nursodik Faculty of Sharia, IAIN Sultan Amai Gorontalo, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0009-0006-5052-5632
Ahmad Zaenuri Faculty of Islamic Studies, IAIN Sultan Amai Gorontalo, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5957-8494
M. Mukhsin Jamil Postgraduate Programs, Universitas Islam Negeri Walisongo Semarang, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9206-165X
Akhmad Arif Junaidi Postgraduate Programs, Universitas Islam Negeri Walisongo Semarang, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2223-8469

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32350/jitc.161.05

Keywords: jilbāb syar’i, pesantren, Qur’ānic exegesis on the veil

Abstract

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The current study aimed to explore how Qur’ānic interpretations of veiling are transformed into institutional rules and embodied disciplinary practices within an Indonesian pesantren. Focusing on the jilbāb sharʿī as a regulated form of dress defined through requirements of length, looseness, fabric thickness, and bodily coverage, the study argued that veiling in pesantren is not simply a matter of individual piety or direct textual obedience, rather it is shaped by the interaction between Qur’ānic interpretation, Hadith authority, and institutional regulation. The study drew on three months of ethnographic fieldwork in a female pesantren in Central Java. Data was collected through participant observation, in-depth interviews with 52 participants (santriwati, teachers, and female supervisors), and analysis of institutional documents. The analysis examined how Q.S. al-Aḥzāb (33):59 and Q.S. al-Nūr (24):31 are interpreted in largely literal ways and translated into detailed dress codes that organize everyday religious life. Using the theoretical perspectives of Judith Butler, Saba Mahmood, and Pierre Bourdieu, this study showed that adherence to the jilbāb sharʿī serves multiple functions. It operates both as a practice of ethical self-formation and a source of symbolic value within the pesantren’s moral hierarchy. Ethnographic findings further revealed that santriwati respond to these regulations in diverse ways, ranging from deep internalization to strategic compliance. The study concluded that the jilbāb sharʿī is best understood as a negotiated and institutionally shaped religious practice rather than a fixed Islamic symbol.

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