A Case for Banning Polygamy

#148

nazar hayat khan sahib

Are you some way related to Imran Khan? He also had the similar ``complains``.

Islam requires modesty from both men and women. Only one stray look is permissible but that one look should not last for more than few seconds.

anew # 147

(Additionally, hijab rules aim at protecting them from the gaze of other men)

There seems to be a lot of emphasis on preventing women from the gaze of men.

Why is it that men are not protected from the gaze of other women?

There is a unique value of haya in Islam. Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, said: ``Every religion has a distinct call. For Islam it is haya.`` [Ibn Majah]. Moreover, haya is a centerpiece of most of the actions that Iman calls for. It is the basic building block of Islamic morality. When it is lost everything is lost.

Based on such teachings, Islam brought about a moral revolution of unprecedented dimensions with haya as its cornerstone. The pre-Islamic Jahilya society of Arabia knew the word but did not understand its meaning. Nudity, the antithesis of haya, was not only common in every day life, it was even part of the most important religious ritual of tawaf (circumbulation of Ka`bah). So were all the other evils that flow from it. Islam exterminated all of those evils and changed the society in such a way that haya became one of its most cherished values.

Islam`s laws about hijab, its ban against free mixing of men and women, its teachings about gender-relations - all of these reflect a deep concern for haya.

For men and women who have not lost their haya, these come naturally. There is a moving story from the earlier Islamic period about a woman who learnt that her young son had been lost in a battle. She ran in a panic to confirm the news, but before that she took time to make sure that she covered herself fully in accordance with the newly revealed laws of hijab. She was asked how did she manage to do that in a time of great personal tragedy. She replied: ``I have lost my son, but I did not lose my haya.``

And for centuries afterwards Muslim societies did not lose their haya.When Muslim lands came under the western colonial rule about three centuries ago, they were faced with a civilization that was no different than the pre-Islamic Jahilya on the issue of haya. While it did not have better morality, it did have better guns. At the gunpoint of military and political domination, Muslim societies were made to loose their grip on haya on the collective scale. The powerful and attractive media became an important instrument in this war. First it was books, magazines and newspapers. Then radio. Now it is television. Together they projected ideas and images detrimental to haya. They made indecency attractive. The pace was increased tremendously by television, which has shown more firepower than all the previous media combined.

When historians write about the moral decline in Muslim societies in the twentieth century, they will probably underscore television in subverting the moral fabric of society.

We can get out of the morass by making haya as our number one concern in both individual as well as public lives. There is no Islamic life without Islamic morality. There is no Islamic morality without haya.

(Extracted from No Haya, No Life By Khalid Baig)

For those who have doubts about the autenticity on Hadiths (Prophet`s sayings/actions);

A Hadith can be categorized with regards to its authenticity into 5 types, 1) Sahih (authentic), 2) Hasan (sound), 3) Dha`eef (weak), 4) Dha`eef Jiddan (very weak), and 5) Mawdhoo (fabricated).

The first 2 types can be used as proofs for the different laws in Shari`ah. The third can be used (with a few conditions attached) to establish virtues for any specific deed or person. (This is accepted by the vast majority of the Muhadditheen).

There are three conditions for the permissibility of practicing upon a weak Hadith; a) It must not be very weak, b) It must be regarding something that has already been established to be a part of Deen, c) One should not have total conviction in its authenticity. The Ulama have stated that Istihbaab (preference) can be established from a weak Hadith. (al-Ajwibatul Fadhilah), and if one practices upon it, it is hoped that he will receive the reward mentioned therein.

No. 5 (fabrications) cannot be used for anything besides for the purpose of explaining to somebody it`s classification. It cannot be quoted in any lecture, book, etc. with the intention of inspiring people through its contents. Rasulullah said, `He who lies (about a speech) of mine should prepare his abode in the fire.` (Bukhari)

Hence, the Ulama have deduced that it is haram (forbidden) for one to quote any fabricated Hadith without explicitly mentioning its fabrication. As for number 4 (very weak, which is also referred to by the words, `very unreliable`), because of it being so weak, the Ulama have joined it to Mawdhoo (fabricated) Ahaadith. So, they share the same law as mentioned above. (For further reference, see Sharh Nukhbatul Firk of Hafiz ibn Hajar; Tadreeburraawiy of Hafiz Suyyooti and; Al-Ajwibatul Fadhilah of Maulana Abdul Hai Lucknawi)

The reason for some Ahadith being weak, some strong and some being classified as fabrications is due to the variation in the credibility of the narrators in each chain. The task of checking and verifying the status of each narrator of every Hadith one quotes is quite difficult. Only those that are equipped with the intricacies of the science of `Jarh wal Ta`deel` are eligible to do so. Others that know the Arabic language and have a brief understanding of Usool-ul-Hadith (principles of Hadith) are able to read and check how the Ulama of classical times have graded any particular Hadith, thereby relying on their classification of the status of a Hadith.

This is practically impossible for anyone who does not posses any of the above knowledge of science of `Jarh wal Ta`deel` or the Arabic language together with a brief understanding of Usool-ul-Hadith (sciences of Hadith). Hence, the layman as well as others, should first be cautious in whatever they attribute to Rasulullah as was the practice of many of the Sahaba, Radi-Allahu anhum, namely, Abdullah ibn Mas`ood, Radi-Allahu anhu, Anas ibn Maalik, Radi-Allahu anhu, and others. The Sahaba, Radi-Allahu anhum, used to turn pale when narrating Ahadith from Rasulullah for the fear of erring and effectively attributing something to Rasulullah which he did not mention. But, alas! Nowadays, we quote Hadith upon Hadith without this thought ever crossing our minds that possibly we have attributed one word to Rasulullah which he did not say!

As for the authentic books of ahadith, the list will never stop. However, some of these authentic books may contain ahadith whose reliability may vary from authentic to weak and so on. Hence, we will enlist those books regarding which the Ulama have stated that all or majority of their Ahadith are reliable and authentic and not undermined the other numerous authentic books of Ahadith.

Those books whose Ahaadith are all authentic: Sahih Bukhari, Adabul Mufrad (by Imaam Bukhari), Sahih Muslim, Muwatta Imaam Maalik, Sahih ibn Khuzaymah, Sahih ibn Hibbaan, al-Muntaqa by Imaam Jaaruwd, al-Mukhtaarah by Imaam Dhiyaa-ud-Deen Maqdisiy, Riyaadhul-saaliheen by Imaam Nawawiy, Fourty Ahaadith by Imaam Nawawiy, Hisn Haseen by Imaam Jazary, Part1 of Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh. Allah Ta`ala Knows Best

For those who want to understand the Islamic dress code and its justification and importance;

Most of the scientific establishment is still dominated by the followers of Mr. Darwin and Darwinism is a system of belief not science. Their beliefs keep them from dealing honestly with a simple fact: while all other animals have a skin that provides them protection against the elements, human beings don`t. Monkeys can live without clothing, human beings cannot.

The Qur`an answers the question. Our bodies did not develop our skin - so thin and fur free that it requires external covering for protection - because of some unexplained evolutionary accident. Our Creator designed it this way so we will always need clothing. He also put in us the sense of shame that forces us to cover ourselves. On the other hand, the first act of Satan was to cause Adam and Eve to expose themselves: ``So by deceit he brought about their fall: when they tasted of the tree, their shameful parts became manifest to them, and they began to sew together the leaves of the Garden over their bodies.`` [Al-A`raf 7:22]. This is the source of the tension we see. Two opposing forces. Good and evil.

With that background we can understand the importance of clothing. ``Oh Children of Adam! We have bestowed raiment upon you to cover your shame as well as to be an adornment to you. But the raiment of righteousness - that is the best.`` [Al-A`raf 7:26]. The address here is to all humanity, emphasizing thereby the universal human need to cover ourselves properly. The Qur`an then warns that Satan was not finished after his first attempt: ``Oh Children of Adam! Let not Satan seduce you in the same manner as he got your parents out of the Garden, stripping them of their raiment, to expose their shame.`` [Al-A`raf 7:27].

Once we realize the nature of the dress issue, it is natural that we should turn to our Creator to seek guidance for the proper dress code. Qur`an and Sunnah have provided ample guidance on the subject which can be summarized in four essential principles.

Our dress must cover our body adequately. Again we cannot determine what is adequate coverage on our own, as any witness to the misery of those who have tried it can readily ascertain. Shar`iah, as always, takes us out of this misery by defining it for us. For men, it is the middle part of the body from navel to knee. For women, it is the entire body except hands and face. These parts must never be exposed to any other person (except in case of genuine need e.g. medical treatment). In addition, the cloth must be neither see-through nor tight fitting.

Our dress should provide adornment. It should provide for decent appearance. Our appearance should not be an eyesore for decent human beings. For men, this extends the coverage requirements to include most of the body. For women, the essential requirement is that their dress should identify them as respectable ladies who would be honored not harassed. Additionally, hijab rules aim at protecting them from the gaze of other men.
Our dress should establish our Islamic identity. At the least it should not identify us as followers of another religion. But, additionally it should positively identify us as Muslims.
The design of our dress must avoid three deadly sins: show off, arrogance, and self indulgence. These are very serious diseases of the heart in their own right that we must avoid at all times. Our garments provide an easy opportunity to nurture them. Hence the need to be extra cautious. One Hadith states ``Eat what you feel like and wear what you feel like. But avoid two things: extravagance and arrogance.`` [Bukhari]. At the risk of stating the obvious one should be reminded that this Hadith establishes an overriding concern that limits our choices within the realm of what is considered halal. It does not do away with the distinction between halal and haram.

As one implication of this general requirement, men are also required not to wear their lower garments below the ankle. (Many well-meaning Muslims today have been persuaded that this is a petty issue. This misgiving can be put to rest in a hurry if we just refer to the Hadith of Jabir bin Sulaym, Radi-Allahu anhu, in Abu Dawood. He asked the Prophet, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam for some advice when leaving him after his very first meeting. Of the six pieces of advice given him one was: ``Never let your lower garment go below the ankles because that is arrogance. And Allah does not like arrogance.`` Another was ``Never belittle a good deed.``)

Islam has not prescribed a particular dress style, giving us ample room to accommodate our needs, circumstances and tastes. However, these principles are for everyone and forever. Any garment that accommodates these principles will be Islamic dress. This is Islamic formula to dress for success. Eternal success.

I will not comment on someone who becomes naked while arguing on some point and start using words as scoundrel and rascal for one who has difference of opinion.

fuzair- The women are advised in Islam to look like women and not copy men in appearance. There could be certian dresses which both can wear. A sweater, coat or shalwar kameez be few of those. But in my opinion they can wear any thing as long as it is covered and her body parts are not prominent. Islam stresses a different identity for Muslim men and women. This could be in appearance and all norms of the culture. It does not recommend wearing tight jeans, nickers, skirts or sleeveless shirts for women copying non-Muslims. The reason they are stopped from copying non-Muslims is that they have no sense of what is allowed by Quran and Sunnah. I hope it is clear to you now.

There was another gentleman questioning the Islam`s strict dress code for women and hiding of their adornement on the basis that this may close the fashion and cosmetic industry. It may not. She can still wear designer`s clothes and do her best make-up but just for pleasing her husband and not the public. I can`t recommend liquor for someone or start gambling so bars and casions can stay in business. Islam is a preventive medicine and make sure that all causes which develop a cancerous society are never born. It does not believe in a logic that if their is no disease then what will happen with pharmaceutical industry. That is why a Doçtor who migrated to Medina came to Prophet after six months complaining that he is not getting any patients.

Nobody should get mad on me for telling what Islam really wants. If someone thinks that he can`t practice Islam, he has all the liberty but he should refrain from proving it wrong. Islam has clear instruction to stop Usury(interest) but people try to make it `allowable` for not stopping it for apparent gain.

As the poet said``: khud badalte nahen Quran ko badal detey hein

If anyone contends with the Apostle even after guidance has been plainly conveyed to him and follows a path other than that becoming to men of faith We shall leave him in the path he has chosen and land him in Hell--what an evil refuge! (17.115)