The example of Muhammad's domestic life
“Verily in the messenger of Allah ye have a good example for him who looketh unto Allah and the Last Day, and remembereth Allah much.” (The Koran, Surah 33.021)
In some ways Muhammad is to Islam what Jesus is to Christianity. He is the ultimate example of dealing with the other in marriage. Let’s take a look at Muhammad’s example. In the first study we noted the type of example Jesus provided. Let’s see in practice what it means to follow Muhammad.
- "The Messenger of God married me in Shawwal in the tenth year after of his prophethood, three years before the Migration as I was six years old. I was nine years old when he consummated the marriage with me." [Tabaqat, 8:58; Abu Dawud, Nikah 34; Ansab al-ashraf, 1:410; Usd al-ghaba, 5:501]
- "Ayesha said "I have not seen anyone suffering as much as the believing women. Look! Her skin is greener than her clothes!"" [Sahih Bukhari. Volume 7, Book 72, Number 715.] **The reference to “green skin” is the bruising that follows the beatings in Muhammad’s household.
- "-He [Mohammad] struck me [Ayesha] on the chest which caused me pain, and then said: Did you think that Allah and His Apostle would deal unjustly with you?" [Sahih Muslim, Book 4, Number 2127] ***Notice that even his “favorite” bride was subjected to the physical reprimands of a child, only the blows were not those of a spanking…. She describes a punch in the chest, then Muhammad defends his actions.
But here is Muhammad's "safeguard" for women. . .
- The Prophet said, "None of you should flog his wife as he flogs a slave and then have sexual intercourse with her in the last part of the day." [Volume 7, Book 62, Number 132: Narrated 'Abdullah bin Zam'a:]
Muhammad intimidates one of his elderly wives (Sawdah bint Zam'ah) into giving up her wifely rights in favor of Aisha. (The younger wife mentioned above.)Note this seemingly confusing passage from the Koran’s Surah on women (4).
004.128 If a woman feareth ill treatment from her husband, or desertion, it is no sin for them twain if they make terms of peace between themselves. Peace is better. But greed hath been made present in the minds (of men). If ye do good and keep from evil, lo! Allah is ever Informed of what ye do.
004.129 Ye will not be able to deal equally between (your) wives, however much ye wish (to do so). But turn not altogether away (from one), leaving her as in suspense. If ye do good and keep from evil, lo! Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.
004.130 But if they separate, Allah will compensate each out of His abundance. Allah is ever All-Embracing, All-Knowing.
In the background Sawd has become old. She was once one of this favorites and had been with him for a long time. His original wife, Kadijah, is dead. Muhammad finds that he is no longer sexually attracted to her. Because of her age and obvious inabililty to compete with the younger girls of the harem, Muhammad is about to divorce her. She cooks up a deal. She will let Aisha have Sawd’s prescribed night with Muhammad if Muhammad won’t divorce her in her old age. Muhammad takes the offer and gets another of his special revelations from Allah to justify it. “It is no sin for them twain if they make terms of peace.” i.e. If the older woman trades her right to a husband to a younger woman in order to retain a roof over her head in her old age.
Aisha considered Sawd’s desperate bargain an act of love rather the hopeless acceptance of futility. Aisha’s thoughts were preserved in the Hadith:
"'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported: Never did I find any woman more loving to me than Sauda bint Zam'a. I wished I could be exactly like her who was passionate. As she became old, she had made over her day (which she had to spend) with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) to 'A'isha. She said: I have made over my day with you to 'A'isha. So Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) allotted two days to 'A'isha, her own day (when it was her turn) and that of Sauda." [Book 008, Number 3451]
It is interesting that Aisha didn’t take it the same way when women kept throwing themselves at Muhammad. Note her very different reaction when Allah gave Muhammad similar “convenient” revelations.
'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported: I felt jealous of the women who offered themselves to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and said: "Then when Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, revealed this:" You may defer any one of them you wish, and take to yourself any you wish; and if you desire any you have set aside (no sin is chargeable to you)" (xxxiii. 51), I ('A'isha.) said: It seems to me that your Lord hastens to satisfy your desire.” [Book 008, Number 3453:]
Ouch! Muhammad gets a revelation from Allah that he can have most any woman he wants… Aisha notes that this sounds mighty convenient!
Read Malachi 2:13-17. We’ll have more to say on this Old Testament passage.
Would it be fair to say that this specific behavior is directly forbidden to the followers of Jehovah? ________________
Malachi was written in approximately 400 BC Muhammad ruled in the 600’s ad. Did Muhammad improve or weaken the security of women in their old age? _________________ What specific things within Islam must an older woman be prepared to give up? ___________________ To those worshipping Jehovah, If a husband deals thus with his older wife, what will he give up?________________Muhammad takes his son’s wife because Zeyd (his son) is done with her!This mentality of using women then tossing them when you are tired of them is a fundamental assumption of Islam. It is inconsistent with the concept of the eternity of woman hood and her being the first gift to mankind by a loving creator… but it is the underlying assumption of Islam.
Consider another Koran exerp:
033.036 And it becometh not a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His messenger have decided an affair (for them), that they should (after that) claim any say in their affair; and whoso is rebellious to Allah and His messenger, he verily goeth astray in error manifest.
033.037 And when thou _adist unto him on whom Allah hath conferred favour and thou hast conferred favour: Keep thy wife to thyself, and fear Allah. And thou didst hide in thy mind that which Allah was to bring to light, and thou didst fear mankind whereas Allah hath a better right that thou shouldst fear Him. So when Zeyd had performed that necessary formality (of divorce) from her, We gave her unto thee in marriage, so that (henceforth) there may be no sin for believers in respect of wives of their adopted sons, when the latter have performed the necessary formality (of release) from them. The commandment of Allah must be fulfilled.
033.038 There is no reproach for the Prophet in that which Allah maketh his due. That was Allah’s way with those who passed away of old – and the commandment of Allah is certain destiny
Note that Zeyd (Muhammad’s adopted son) had no say in this matter vs 36. After a necessary formality (some translations are a little more crass, “after he is done with her”) vs 37, Muhammad was “given” Zeyd’s wife, by Allah (Not Zeyd)! There is no reproach allowed by Allah vs 38.
Note that for this section I have largely dropped bible comparisons. The reason is because there really aren’t any! Among God’s people, women ceased to be viewed as property before the end of the Old Testament. Jesus, through the New Testament, moved the world forward in a massive way.
"You husbands in the same way, live with {your wives} in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered." (1 Peter 3:7)Men and women are “fellow heirs” in the New Testament. The whole idea of handing women around on a whim is unfathomable to the Christian mind.
I Corinthians 5 is the closest New Testament example we have to the above Islamic behavior:
“1. It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife.
2. You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.
3. For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present.
4. In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus,
5. {I have decided} to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”
Those coming out of Paganism had a case of a fellow living with his father’s wife, rather than an adoptive father taking his son’s wife. As you can see, the whole matter is condemned.
I Corinthians 6:
"9. Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,
10. nor thieves, nor {the} covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.
11. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God."
Within Christianity, fornication is fornication. At the end of the day, it will still be fornication…
*NEXT: Part 3... read a survey of the inherent right to “rape” slaves and the
inherent incompetence of women as taught by Muhammad. *
inherent incompetence of women as taught by Muhammad. *
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Jerry Blount
