My Favorite Posts ..

Hi all,I just wanted to list out my favorite posts, just in case anybody would find them interesting and useful.Do go through them when you get time and keep sharing your thoughts .

Eazy Cooking!!

1. Its a Pizza-a stove-top Pizza!!
2. Tapiki ‘n’ Fish curry-the official food of kerala???
3. Roll it all the way into your mouth!!
4. Moringa/Drumstick Fry
5. Fish Thoran
6. Quick Vegetable Biryani
7. “Pizza Dosa” or “Dosa Pizza”??
8. Date ‘n’ Choco Fudge in 10 minutes
9. Sprouted Green Gram/Cherupayar Thoran

Womanly-thoughts

1. “Why do muslim women have to beg for their rights?”
2. Do feminists ruin families?
3. Why/why not should women dress modestly/provocatively?
4. How easy is it to undergo a divorce?
5. Feminism Tag..but Am I a feminist?
6. How do we program the baby machine to output baby boys alone?
7. How important is it for you,to remain faithful in your marriage?
8. Winning the war-through women..
9. How do I make his beard catch fire?
10. Why are women enemies to each other?

Islamic Thoughts

1. “No time to complain, time to be wise”
2. “Slay all infidels”..Wow,is Quran so violent???
3. “How do you, as Muslim, see me and others like me in the light of the teachings of the Qur’an?”
4. War ethics ‘n’ rules in Islam..
5. Am I,as a muslim,responsible for the acts of others muslims who interpret Quran wrongly & move around with bombs?
6. The drama of divorce over phone,email and SMS..
7. One Quran,but infinite interpretations..WHY?
8. Living Ramdan,the Islamic way..
9. “Muhammad was a pedophile..”
10. Quran asks men to beat their wife!!
11. Is this what Islamic polygamy is all about?
12. Muslims hate Jews??????????
13. Remembering Prophet Muhammad (and his multiple wives) on his birthday
14. Stoning to death-How and Why is it a part of Islam?
15. Fatwa Drama-Behind the curtain..
16. Worship in space!

World Around

1. Pragmatics between moral police and one’s freedom of expression
2. Why does Government push Hajj subsidy down the throats of Indian muslims?
3. Migrant issues – Qatar and Maharashtra,a comparison.
4. History of Israel-Palestein conflict -as and how lightly my small brain process it.
5. What went wrong with Pakistan as a nation?
6. Why isn’t this ‘terrorism’, but just ‘communal-issues’?
7. The unholy secrets and not-so-divine divinity of the church..
8. Who decides the fine line between absolute and relative freedom of expression?
9. What have you done so far,as to wipe out the menace of terrorism?

Random Rants

1. Disclaimer..
2. My lovely garden
3. Holding hands..for a lifetime.
4. How do I control my anger before it controls me..
5. Smile Pinki.. bringing smile to thousands of kids with cleft lips..
6. Tagged – Soft,Melodious and Soulful songs..
7. Tag-on various bits of my life…

Science

1. The Weight Of The Human Soul
2. Will your body decay if you RIP while in outer space?
3. How much water would it take to extinguish the sun?
4. “Diamond is forever”…Oh no…Its NOT…
5. Biting nails;Biting fungus and dirt!
6. Rate your fear of intimacy
7. How do blind people dream?

Good day to all..

Goodbye and Best wishes ..

Hi all…

 

With this post,my blogging life is coming to an end-atleast for a while. We are relocating to India.Earlier too we had made this decision,and I had a bye-bye post,but then things changed and we came back.But now,the final decision ahs been made and we will (InshaAllah) travel by 29^th of this month and oh well,the internet will be offline since day after tomorrow

 

The about me page has always been ‘Under Construction’.. There isn’t anything special ‘about me’. As many of you know,I come from India,Kerala .One of my reader asked me if I am 50 yrs old..lol,please don’t make me an old lady,I am just half of that.I am a software engineer by qualification,but currently a housewife or homemaker or stay at home mom or whatever the hell you call it. Once back in India,I hope to have a career or complete my MBA course which I had to drop half way. I am not a very religious person,but Islam-bashers helped to evoke interest in me to learn what Islam is all about,so I owe my current knowledge to them..Thanks

 

This is my 141-th post with Total views: 46,118 and Busiest day: 622 — Tuesday, February 24, 2009 .I always wanted to write about many issues as like Joint families , abortions, adoption,Sharia etc etc,but couldn’t. Maybe I would have made it if my blog had been under a psuedoname and at times,I couldn’t frame my own solid view. But well,I have enjoyed writing/ranting under my real name and I thank all of you for your participation and contribution and I am sure some of you will remmeber ‘Nimmy’ once in a while  I  write for comments and I have no shame admitting that. I shared my random and confused thoughts ,seeking your further input so that I could frame my opinion. And I must say that all of you have contributed in your own way and helped my in various aspects..I will remember everyone of you.I don’t want to list out a name as I fear that ,just in case I forget anybody’s name,it may hurt them. So, this is my virtual hug to all you out there (((hugs)))

 

I have many pending tags,by Cris,Vishesh and IHM ..I am sorry for not completing them,but I will remember the tags so that they will give me  a kick start- on that day on which I could resume blogging. I have tried to answer as many comments as possible,and I am sorry for the left out ones. Hardly have I choose to leave out the reply intentionally.Many a times,comments on older posts are the ones that I miss.I am really sorry and I appreciate and thank you again for all your nice words and inputs.

 

I hope atleast some of you might have learned or got a new insight,atleast a micron ,from my posts. This is a all-purpose blog that was a stupid one,later turned into a food blog and then evolved into a current affairs and religious stuff blog.I hope you enjoyed the journey **sob sob** lol,my rant is becoming crap and sentimental.I better stop before my keyboard gets drowned in my tears

 

IHM has a new post on personality test.I took the test and this is my result. You can take the test here.

 

 

 

—————————————————————-

ESFP Strengths

—————————————————————

• Enthusiastic and fun-loving, they make everything enjoyable
• Clever, witty, direct, and popular, people are drawn towards them
• Earthy and sensual
• Down to earth and practical, able to take care of daily needs
• Artistic and creative, they’re likely to have attractive homes
• Flexible and diverse, they “go with the flow” extremely well
• They can leave bad relationships, although it’s not easy
• Try to make the most of every moment
• Generous and warm-hearted

 

 

ESFP Weaknesses

 ——————————————————————

 

• May be frivolous and risky with money
• Tend to be materialistic
• Extreme dislike of criticism, likely to take things extremely personally
• Likely to ignore or escape conflict situations rather than face them
• Lifelong commitments may be a struggle for them – they take things one day at a time
• Don’t pay enough attention to their own needs
• Tendency to neglect their health, or even abuse their bodies

 

I think it is almost correct.But I can feel that I am changing.. **sigh** I hope I evolve into a better state and not the other way round..

 

I would like to know what do you think of me as a person

 

Good Day and Best Wishes to all you out there ..

 

 

 

Uniform Civil Code -choosing between devil and deep blue sea.

The last post on Muslim Divorce laws have evoked lot of discussion of Uniform Civil Code..I haven’t done much reading on this,so I am yet to form my own opinion.Enacting UCC is easier said than done,but I have no idea how it is practical in a country of excessive plurality of religions.I think gender-equal and secualr concepts emulated into personal laws will be more acceptable and more fesible in our current state of nation-atleast,it may serve as a first step towards reform.Otherwise,we and our coming generation will die ranting UCC and nothing is going to happen.

While I do my reading,I would like to share an article that echo my current thoughts.

Why I Support The Uniform Civil Code

Author: Tariq Ansari

Publication: Outlook

Date: July 29, 2003

URL: http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20030729&fname=ucc&sid=1

The Supreme Court has once again set the cat amongst the pigeons on the matter of a Common Civil Code. Gloating and breast beating has commenced on all sides of the politico-social spectrum. As an Indian Muslim I would like very much to be heard….

 

The Supreme Court has once again set the cat amongst the pigeons on the matter of a Common Civil Code. Gloating and breast beating has commenced on all sides of the politico- social spectrum. As an Indian Muslim I would like very much to be heard.

 

Let’s get some ridiculous myths out of the way first:

 

Myth 1: All Muslims are opposed to a Common Civil Code.

 

Clearly, this is not the case. I am one who is not, as are many others.

 

Myth 2: The Muslim Personal Law gives Muslims some great benefits that are being withheld from non-Muslims.

 

Nothing can be further from the truth. The personal law only gives Muslims the right to be governed by Shariah principles in the personal matters of marriage, inheritance, property rights and religious observance. Commercial and criminal law is the same for all Indians.

 

So why do I support a common law for all Indians in civil matters? For four very good reasons.

 

First, there are at least six schools of jurisprudence among Muslims, four among Sunnis and two among Shias. The Indian Muslim Personal Law is a curious amalgam of principles from different schools, but most particularly the Hanafi branch of Sunni legal belief.

 

While most Indian Muslims are from this sect, our so-called Muslim Personal Law does not cover large numbers of Muslims, who prefer their own interpretation of Shariah law. Therefore, this is hardly in conformity with pure Koranic practice, as the more extreme elements among the Muslim clergy would have us believe.

 

Second, I believe the most important demand that Muslims should make in secular India is that we are treated equally. That we have equal rights and opportunities as all other Indians and that the State will afford us the same protection of our rights and property as it would Hindus. I do not believe Muslims can make that demand when at the same time we want to be treated differently in matters of personal law. This is an irreconcilable inconsistency.

 

Third, at least half of all Muslims are badly served by the Muslim Personal Law. Triple talaq, no rights to maintenance (thank you, Rajiv Gandhi!) and subordinate rights of inheritance are all examples of how my Muslim sisters labour under an unfair and, dare I say it, unIslamic set of regulations. I have a daughter and if she should want to marry a Muslim it will be under the Special Marriages Act, thank you very much.

 

And lastly, this ridiculous Muslim Personal Law is a convenient stick for Hindu communalists to beat Muslims with. Giving us the right to be governed by our own personal law gives them the right to claim that we are some kind of privileged minority with a suspect commitment to the Indian Republic. Take away the law and deprive Pravin Togadia of the stick.

 

However, I would also like to raise two very specific and critical qualifications to my support of the Supreme Court mention. We cannot move towards a Common Civil Code without absolute clarity on these matters:

 

One, understand and do something about the fundamental reasons why Indian Muslims cling to their own Personal Law. Deep within the psyche of the Mussalman is a fear of disenfranchisement, of complete loss of identity and marginalisation within Indian society.

 

Two, every time you burn homes in Gujarat, every time you treat Urdu as an alien tongue, every time a Muslim boy loses a job opportunity thanks to discrimination and every time Mr Togadia hints darkly at ‘the enemy within,’ you compound the siege mentality.

 

When everything is taken away, goes the ghetto belief, let us cling tightly to what we are. The Muslim Personal Law, sadly, has become one of the symbols of identity, an identity under threat.

 

A Common Civil Code must imply that ALL citizens are covered under the same laws on civil and commercial matters.

 

Let us dismantle at the same time, special privileges under the Hindu Undivided Family provisions as also any special laws governing the personal affairs of Christians, Parsis, Jains, Buddhists, and Sikhs as well as other groups like the Nairs of Kerala who follow the principles of matrilineal descent.

 

Do away not only with Muslim Personal Law but also other laws on the statute books that grant legal sanctity to unique practices of the diverse communities of India.

 

As an Indian Muslim I wholeheartedly support the idea of a Common Civil Code. It is a fair and equitable Directive Principle of the Constitution of India. Let us, however, understand this matter in its entirety, away from the hysterical jubilation and frantic wailing of communalists on both sides.

 

One people. One law.

 

Yes, for sure!

 

Tariq Ansari is Managing Director, Mid Day Multimedia,

Mumbai

Yes,Uniform Civil Code may require muslims to give away their religious rulings and idendity,but what else can do done in a nation where Personal Law Board members are not ready make any reform even after 60+ years.. (oh,I forgot to give them due credit.They are smart enough to reform Sharia so that men can divorce vis SMS,phone and email..Apart from these sexist reform,I haven’t heard of nay reform that would benefit women who are still at mercy of men )If muslims are bothered about giving away the freedom of religion,they better reform their gender-biased laws,or else may shut up and do as the state enacts Article 44 of Indian Constitution ( Article 44 provides that the State shall endeavor to secure for all citizens a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India.)

The drama of divorce over phone,email and SMS..

Oh yeah,the Chand-Fiza love story(read high voltage drama) has made a breakthough by Chand ranting Talaq over Phone.. Earlier,there had been a report that the number of Phone-divorces and SMS- divorces are on an increase in India..Bravo Indian Muslim men,go ahead and divorce your wife..not as Allah told you,but as Mullah told you..

Duh,what a cliché- Phone/SMS divorce!! Aren’t the mullah’s smart enough to reform Sharia to suit their horny and chuvanistic needs?? But oh well,all you women stay away and don’t ask for any reform because if you do so,you are out of fold of Islam ,its just men who can add and subtract and divide and mutiply. Men can vomit words ‘Talaq talaq talaq’ and get away from women but a woman has to undergo a cumbersome and tiring procedures to get one,too much of justice and fairness uh?

Triple talaq is banned in almost all countries,even in those nations that have majority muslims and those that are branded ultra conservative and most of them have polygamy either prohibitted or highly contolled through legal and administrative procedures…But oh well,India is a free nation and ‘holy’ men in Muslim board are holier than the rest in almost all parts of the world and hence they are very particular that they stay smart than the rest. Allah has laid down clear cut rules and procedures for divorce,though Talaq is the most hated one and only to be resorted to as a last choice. But oh well, Indian mullahs don’t care much for Allah,actually,they are more smart than Allah,so they put up their own rules and imposed it on wormy-women like me. I wonder how many among muslims know that they are not following Allah’s Islam, but Mullah’s Islam..

I don’t want to ruin my mood and waste my time over such shitty people.But neither can I let go it just like that ,as it affects millions of women like me. Men who divorce through phone or SMS are better got ridden off ,as they are not worth anybody’s time and love and care. Is there a way I can get out of this CURRENT FORM of Sharia and be someone under common law? If even after 60 years,so called scholars can’t make it right,I don’t expect them to do it anytime . Shame on all you so called moderate or enlightened muslims.Shame on all you muslim men who watch and enjoy the show.May all of you burn in hell,always ,for not speaking up against injustice and for not trying to set things right in front of your eyes. Duh,on what grounds does this grevious matter end up as a fememnst one and that only Alla India Muslim Women Board is expected to talk about it? Don’t you have mother ,sister or a daughter?  If you has taken some effort to put such things right, you would have been admitted direct into heaven for jihad against injustice.. But oh well,you are not interested in reforming your own society,but is rather interested in pointing fingers ate teenage pregnancies and forcinations in America.. Live in fool’s paradise,until you make it to rotten hell…

Sorry for my crap rant,but I just can’t take it how hypocritical majority muslims are.. Now,for those who are interested, read below on how divorce is stipulated as per Allah’s words..And for all you champions of SMS/email divorce read the article that explains the legal (islamic) and moral aspects of this sort of divorce… “The Legal and Moral Dimensions of Talaq by SMS-A Critical reading..”

Divorce must be resorted to only in exceptional circumstances. The laws relating to divorce together with the relevant verses from the Quran are given below:

• Appoint an arbitrator

[4:35] If a couple fears separation, you shall appoint an arbitrator from his family and an arbitrator from her family; if they decide to reconcile, GOD will help them get together. GOD is Omniscient, Cognizant.

• Wait 4 months cooling off before divorce

 [2:226-227] Those who intend to divorce their wives shall wait four months (cooling off); if they change their minds and reconcile, then GOD is Forgiver, Merciful. If they go through with the divorce, then GOD is Hearer, Knower. If the estranged couple chooses separation they must go through with it equitably.

 There must be two equitable witnesses witness the divorce before GOD

[65:2] Once the interim is fulfilled, you may reconcile with them equitably, or go through with the separation equitably. You shall have two equitable witnesses witness the divorce before GOD. This is to enlighten those who believe in GOD and the Last Day. Anyone who reverences GOD, He will create an exit for him.

•  Divorced women to observe an interim period

[2:228] The divorced women shall wait three menstruations (before marrying another man). It is not lawful for them to conceal what GOD creates in their wombs, if they believe in GOD and the Last Day. (In case of pregnancy,) the husband’s wishes shall supersede the wife’s wishes, if he wants to remarry her. The women have rights, as well as obligations, equitably. Thus, the man’s wishes prevail (in case of pregnancy). GOD is Almighty, Most Wise.

 [65:4-5] As for the women who have reached menopause, if you have any doubts, their interim shall be three months. As for those who do not menstruate, and discover that they are pregnant, their interim ends upon giving birth. Anyone who reverences GOD, He makes everything easy for him. This is GOD’s command that He sends down to you. Anyone who reverences GOD, He remits his sins, and rewards him generously.

• Exception for observing interim period

[33:49] O you who believe, if you married believing women, then divorced them before having intercourse with them, they do not owe you any waiting interim (before marrying another man). You shall compensate them equitably, and let them go amicably.

After the fulfilment of the interim the divorced women is free to do whatever she wants Although the following verse is in context of widows, it appears to be applicable to a divorcees too.

You Shall Observe the Pre-Marriage Interims

[2:234] Those who die and leave wives, their widows shall wait four months and ten days (before they remarry). Once they fulfill their interim, you commit no error by letting them do whatever righteous matters they wish to do. GOD is fully Cognizant of everything you do.

[2:235] You commit no sin by announcing your engagement to the women, or keeping it secret. GOD knows that you will think about them. Do not meet them secretly, unless you have something righteous to discuss. Do not consummate the marriage until their interim is fulfilled. You should know that GOD knows your innermost thoughts, and observe Him. You should know that GOD is Forgiver, Clement.

•  Divorced women have to be provided for.

 This is probably one of the abused laws in the Quran. But God holds us responsible for our innermost thoughts. If one observes God’s laws then God makes it easy for him / her.

[65:7] The rich husband shall provide support in accordance with his means, and the poor shall provide according to the means that GOD bestowed upon him. GOD does not impose on any soul more than He has given it. GOD will provide ease after difficulty.

• Alimony For Widows and Divorcees

 [2:240] Those who die and leave wives, a will shall provide their wives with support for a year, provided they stay within the same household. If they leave, you commit no sin by letting them do whatever they wish, so long as righteousness is maintained. GOD is Almighty, Most Wise.

 [2:241] The divorcees also shall be provided for, equitably. This is a duty upon the righteous.

•  Compensation when marriage is not consummated

Breaking the Engagement

[2:236] You commit no error by divorcing the women before touching them, or before setting the dowry for them. In this case, you shall compensate them – the rich as he can afford and the poor as he can afford – an equitable compensation. This is a duty upon the righteous.

[2:237] If you divorce them before touching them, but after you had set the dowry for them, the compensation shall be half the dowry, unless they voluntarily forfeit their rights, or the party responsible for causing the divorce chooses to forfeit the dowry. To forfeit is closer to righteousness. You shall maintain the amicable relations among you. GOD is Seer of everything you do.

• Divorced women entitled to stay in the same house she stayed before divorce

Do Not Throw the Divorcees Out Onto the Streets

 [2:231] If you divorce the women, once they fulfill their interim (three menstruations), you shall allow them to live in the same home amicably, or let them leave amicably. Do not force them to stay against their will, as a revenge. Anyone who does this wrongs his own soul. Do not take GOD’s revelations in vain. Remember GOD’s blessings upon you, and that He sent down to you the scripture and wisdom to enlighten you. You shall observe GOD, and know that GOD is aware of all things.

[65:6] You shall allow them to live in the same home in which they lived with you, and do not make life so miserable for them that they leave on their own. If they are pregnant, you shall spend on them until they give birth. If they nurse the infant, you shall pay them for this service. You shall maintain the amicable relations among you. If you disagree, you may hire another woman to nurse the child.

• Divorce can be retracted twice:

In other words, if the couple reconciles after the first divorce and wish to be husband and wife again, they can re-marry. This is allowed for two divorce only. If the couple divorces third time they have to observe God’s commandment in 2:230 (quoted below.) God makes it not-so-easy for the couple to divorce. This law serves as a deterrent for those who want a divorce for the third time and they would be very careful to take this step.

[2:229] Divorce may be retracted twice. The divorced woman shall be allowed to live in the same home amicably, or leave it amicably. It is not lawful for the husband to take back anything he had given her. However, the couple may fear that they may transgress GOD’s law. If there is fear that they may transgress GOD’s law, they commit no error if the wife willingly gives back whatever she chooses. These are GOD’s laws; do not transgress them. Those who transgress GOD’s laws are the unjust.

[2:232] If you divorce the women, once they fulfill their interim, do not prevent them from remarrying their husbands, if they reconcile amicably. This shall be heeded by those among you who believe in GOD and the Last Day. This is purer for you, and more righteous. GOD knows, while you do not know.

 [2:230] If he divorces her (for the third time), it is unlawful for him to remarry her, unless she marries another man, then he divorces her. The first husband can then remarry her, so long as they observe GOD’s laws. These are GOD’s laws; He explains them for people who know

Also note the words “It is not lawful for the husband to take back anything he had given her.” in 2:229.

•  In case there is a baby during the interim:

 If during the observation of the interim period it is discovered that the divorced women is pregnant then as stated in 65:4 the interim ends upon giving birth. God has decreed the following law dealing with the infant:

[2:233] Divorced mothers shall nurse their infants two full years, if the father so wishes. The father shall provide the mother’s food and clothing equitably. No one shall be burdened beyond his ability. No mother shall be harmed on account of her infant, nor shall the father be harmed because of his infant. (If the father dies), his inheritor shall assume these responsibilities. If the infant’s parents mutually agree to part, after due consultation, they commit no error by doing so. You commit no error by hiring nursing mothers, so long as you pay them equitably. You shall observe GOD, and know that GOD is Seer of everything you do.

• Under what conditions can a woman divorce her husband.?

 Whichever party chooses for divorce must obey the laws as aforesaid. Normally divorce is mutually decided by the couple. If the aforesaid laws are observed, there could be a situation where either of the spouse may not give their consent but if the arbitrators from both the families decide that divorce is the best solution for the estranged couple then they would, nevertheless go through divorce. The divorce laws are applicable to both man and woman (4:35 and 2:237 indicate this) except that there are certain additional laws which a divorced woman has to observe.

 The following seem to be the only conditions where a believing women leaves her husband without observing the above laws. In fact, I think in this case even a formal divorce is not required under Quran. However if the law of the land requires a formal divorce then one must follow suit.

 [60:10] O you who believe, when believing women (abandon the enemy and) ask for asylum with you, you shall test them. GOD is fully aware of their belief. Once you establish that they are believers, you shall not return them to the disbelievers. They are not lawful to remain married to them, nor shall the disbelievers be allowed to marry them. Give back the dowries that the disbelievers have paid. You commit no error by marrying them, so long as you pay them their due dowries. Do not keep disbelieving wives (if they wish to join the enemy). You may ask them for the dowry you had paid, and they may ask for what they paid. This is GOD’s rule; He rules among you. GOD is Omniscient, Most Wise.

 

See how men has twisted the whole system and made it ultra sexist..Is there a way out? It is for the enlightened muslims to answer this question..

 

 

 

p.s : The only good outcome of the whole love story episode is that some sleeping borad members have started discussing this matter..

Chand-Fiza talaq: Ulema now talk of screening

I  didn’t compile the whole part so well..In fact it is taken from a website,but I am not providing the link as there are some wrong information too in the site. Internet is filled with different forms of facts,that it is hard to relaise which is right  and which is wrong. The verses above can be easily verified by using a Quran translation as the verse number is provided and it is completet accurate..

Remembering Prophet Muhammad on his birthday

Today,its Prophet Muhmmad’s birth date. I don’t celebrate Prophet’s birthday,but I would recall his teaching of peace and tolerance. Some Muslims say that celebrating one’s birthday is haram..Oh well, I find nothing wrong in finding happiness in small small things in life. Also, birthdays can be used to have a look back at the days gone and for making plans for coming days. Many scholars are of this opinion/ruling.

 

Islam supports the celebration of birthdays if it is an expression of gratitude to Allah for His bounties, sustenance and blessings in man’s life, as long as that celebration does not include anything that may displease Allah, the Almighty.There is nothing wrong if we try to make them(kids) feel happy on that day as long as we are using lawful things. In Islam, birthdays are not considered `eid (a festival) like `Eidul-Fitr or `Eidul-Adha, because `eids have conditions and guidelines such as not being allowed to fast during the days of Eid. Therefore, birthdays are simply occasions of a person’s date of birth and are a matter of culture. If a person wants to commemorate his/her date of birth, then he/she may do so, especially if he/she takes the opportunity to reflect on the past and pledge to be better during the following year. However, to make the birthday an important occasion is not recommended or encouraged. Permissibility is the original ruling in this case, as there is no evidence of prohibition.[read more]

On this occasion,I would like to draw your attention to an article,dealing with a ‘hot’ topic –Prophets’ marriages .Today,not many are interested in other vast virues of Prophet ,so I thought of talking about this area of interest to you.I am a least informed person,but if you have any questions,I will try to find answers for them..Read below…

 

When the Nigerian journalist Isioma Daniel wrote that Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, would want to take one of the body-flaunting beauties in the Miss World pageant as his wife, Isioma was, besides exhibiting insensitivity, factually incorrect.

 

Muhammad’s 12 wives, although not all married to him at the same time, were modest, courageous, independent, outspoken, righteous, patient and loyal.They were not known for their physical beauty –certainly not the kind that is flaunted in public.All of Muhammad’s wives chose to remain devoted to him out of their own free will. The Quran recounts this choice: “O Prophet, tell your wives: ‘If you want the worldly life and its attraction, then come on! I’ll let you enjoy them and dismiss you in a handsome fashion.’ “[33:28].For this noble choice, they were afforded the generous title of mother of the believers, exemplars of Muslim womanhood.

 

Why did Muhammad marry 12 women? John Esposito, in Islam: The Straight Path , writes, “As was customary for Arab chiefs, many were political marriages to cement alliances. Others were marriages to the widows of his companions who had fallen in combat and were in need of protection.”

 

Muhammad was far ahead of his time by marrying Khadija, a widow and an independent business owner 15 years older than he was, as his first wife. This monogamous relationship, which lasted nearly 25 years,until Khadija’s death, was contrary to the then-Jewish, Christian and Arab traditions that allowed for unlimited wives.

 

Perhaps even more eye-opening was the fact that Muhammad took Sawda as his second wife when she was a 65-year-old widow. This marriage came as a great surprise to Muhammad’s contemporaries, who usually took wives for their wealth or beauty, rarely out of compassion and affording security to women.In fact, all but one of Muhammad’s wives were widows, and many of them were over the age of 40 when they married him.

 

Two of Muhammad’s marriages have come under particular attack from those who never lose an opportunity to promote Islamophobia, much like the idolaters of Muhammad’s time. Even in their enmity, the Meccans of Muhammad’s time never accused him of moral ineptitude.The current charge that Muhammad took his third wife, Aisha, when she was a minor is based on apocryphal traditions. The preponderance of evidence suggests that Aisha was between 16 and 19 years old when she married Muhammad.

 

Another marriage that has raised current scrutiny is his seventh wife, Zaynab. This marriage, as with most of Muhammad’s actions, was done to instruct the nascent Muslim community by setting personal examples.At issue was the relationship of an adopted child to his new parents.Modern Westerners may disagree, but Islam’s position is that adopted children are not equivalent in legal or biological status to children out of natural birth.To illustrate this, God commanded Muhammad to marry the wife of his adopted son following their divorce.

 

 

While Muhammad was Caesar and pope in one, he had none of their worldly possessions. In fact a mini-revolt erupted among Muhammad’s wives not due to jealousy (as one might have expected) but complaints about their lack of worldly possessions.

 

Muhammad’s daytime was spent fulfilling his prophetic mission of teaching. His nights were spent in long solitary prayers. This lifestyle was scarcely conducive to sexual perversion as suggested in many misinformed quarters.Authentic traditions tell us that Muhammad used to stand in prayer during much of each night. In the process, his feet would swell up. Aisha asked him about his extreme efforts to please God even though God had given him the good news of admittance into Paradise. Muhammad’s answer was befitting a prophet: “Shouldn’t I be a grateful servant?”

 

To avoid the kind of excesses that we saw in Nigeria,both Muslims and non-Muslims need to know the traditions of the other more thoroughly. Perhaps one place to start is with the figure of Muhammad.Karen Armstrong says, “Muhammad was a man who faced an absolutely hopeless situation. . . .Single-handedly in a space of 23 years he brought peace and a new hope to Arabia and a new beacon for the world.”

 

 

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Good day  and Advance Holi wishes to all of you..

 

 

 

Article source : http://www.islamawareness.net/Muhammed/wives.html