Welcome Friends: Ahlan wa sahlan!
COMMENTS:
1. Verse 19 is addressed to Those Who Attained Faith in general, telling them that is not ‘halaal/unbound/permissible’ for them to inherit women under duress; the verse does not say ‘wives’ as Asad writes, but rather ‘women’ as Yusuf Ali explains. This verse is seen in two ways, either indicating that Those Who Attained Faith are forbidden to hold onto their wives under duress (when women seek to be free) so as to inherit them later on, or, that it is forbidden to treat women like chattel, part of an inheritance to be inherited.
The rest of the verse asks listeners not to reclaim the gifts they’d given the women unless they come into evident ‘faahisha/sexual atrocity.’ Here the ‘faahisha’ is ‘mubayyinah;’ her adultery is evident and can be proven. The last part of verse 19 is something worth remembering:
“….Perchance you may dislike something, then God renders in it great good (for you).” How true.
فَعَسَىٰ أَن تَكْرَهُوا شَيْئًا وَيَجْعَلَ اللَّـهُ فِيهِ خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا
Verse 20 continues, specifying here a spousal relationship that comes to an end with a man ‘replacing’ one wife with another (literally: exchanging one wife in place of another), in which case he should not take back any gifts he had given her. Some might find the word ‘exchange’ offensive, but it does go to show that to marry someone else, a man is giving up the wife he already has so as to take another in her stead!
Verse 21 is very important in that it mentions the Solemn ‘Covenant’ (ميثاقاً غليظاً) that Marriage is, an institution sanctified by God and not to be taken lightly. (Read ‘The Marriage Union: Sanctity and Fulfillment’)
2. Verse 22 tells us of a ‘faahisha’ and an odious practice which took place before Revelation, when men used to marry the wives of their own fathers. This is not to be done from now on, but is a matter of the past if done prior to Revelation or conversion.
Verse 23 lists the women who are ‘hurrimat’ made inviolable to marry, mentioning birth-mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, nieces, nursing-mothers and their daughters (who become one’s sisters), mothers-in-law, daughters of women with whom one has consummated a marriage, and daughters-in-law married to one’s sons. The verse finally mentions the combining of two women who happen to be sisters (being married to them both at the same time), saying that if such a combination had already been done, it is a matter of the past if prior to Revelation or conversion, and God is Most Forgiving, Unceasingly Merciful.
3. Verse 24 says that (also forbidden for men to marry) are the ‘muHSanaat’ (taken to mean here the already married women), except ‘..those whom your right hands possess/ those whom you rightfully possess (through wedlock)’ Ali/Asad.[1]
Ali says in his note that ‘maa malakat aymaanukum’ refers to women taken as war-captives, but he goes on to say in his original notes that these women would belong to the community and may be considered ‘yours’ in that sense. He also says, “The slave condition is now out of date, in the true spirit of Islam.”
Asad says in his note, “As for the expression mā malakat aymānukum (“those whom your right hands possess,” i.e., “those whom you rightfully possess”), it is often taken to mean female slaves captured in a war in God’s cause..”
Perhaps this statement could also refer to the mothers of the orphans who -if you recall- come as an addition to your household (see Blog Post Day 39).
This verse has been explained in more than one way, but مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُم literally means ‘…….that which (not whom) your rights possess/that which your pledges retain.’ Although the word ‘hand/yad’ isn’t mentioned, it has been understood as such by most, similar to other verses such as وَمَا تِلْكَ بِيَمِينِكَ يَا مُوسَىٰ ﴿طه: 20:17﴾ where Moses is asked, “And what is that in your right (hand) O Moses?”
Here the women’s dower is considered a ‘fareedha’ (for definition see last posting).
It is interesting to note that ‘muHSan’ is a woman literally ‘fortified,’ either by both her own chastity and self-determination (freedom) combined, or by being in wedlock. In this verse it is taken to mean that she is fortified by wedlock, and in the next verse she is fortified by her own freedom, ie. self-fortified![2]
3. Verse 25 indicates that those who cannot afford to marry from the ‘muHSanaat’ self-fortified free women, could marry Faithful girls from their community (who ‘belong’ to someone), as long as they do it with permission from the girls’ families, NOT in fornication or in secret. Here the word ‘Faithful’ isn’t a God-given earned title, but rather, indicates that ‘faithful’ is how the suitable marriageable girls should come across, which might or might not be true, for God Alone Knows who deserves that title. Hence the interjected statement, “And God (Alone) Knows about your faith.’
During times of slavery, an unmarried slave-girl was contrary to a ‘muHSanah.’
Perhaps the most enlightening part of this verse today is its ending, which indicates that if such ‘non-fortified’ girls become wives and commit a ‘faahisha/pervasive sexual atrocity/adultery,’ they would get half the suffering of ‘self-fortified’ free women. THIS IS A CRUCIAL DETAIL to remember because Suratul Noor, 24:2, allots 100 lashes for ‘self-fortified’ free women who are proven by 4 witnesses to be adulteresses. That would mean that these girls, if they commit adultery, would get 50 lashes.
Read M. Asad’s notes 30-34.
5. Verse 26 begins by telling us God’s purpose in sending us all these verses:
Yusuf Ali:
“God does wish to make clear to you and to show you the ordinances of those before you and He does wish to turn to you (in Mercy) and God is All-Knowing, Wise.”
Muhammad Asad’s note 35 tells us: “This is an allusion to the genuine religious teachings of the past, which aimed at bringing about a harmony between man’s physical nature and the demands of his spirit…”
Enough said!
Tomorrow’s Reading is from HQ4:27-37.Peace unto all!
[1] يمن: فاليَمين: يَمين اليَدِ. [و] يقال: اليَمِين: القُوَّة… واليُمْن: البَرَكة، وهو ميمونٌ. واليمين: الحَلِف، وكلُّ ذلك من اليد اليُمْنى. وكذلك اليَمَنُ، وهو بلدٌ. يقال: رجلٌ يَمانٍ، وسيفٌ يَمانٍ. وسمِّي الحَلِف يميناً لأنَّ المتحالِفَينِ كأنَّ أحدَهما يَصْفِقُ بيمينه على يمينِ صاحبه.
[2] Check end of webpage for English
معجم المقاييس: حَصُنَ: الْحِفْظُ وَالْحِيَاطَةُ وَالْحِرْزُ. فَالْحِصْنُ مَعْرُوفٌ، وَالْحَاصِنُ وَالْحَصَانُ: الْمَرْأَةُ الْمُتَعَفِّفَةُ الْحَاصِنَةُ فَرْجَهَا. وَالْفِعْلُ مِنْ هَذَا حَصُنَ. قَالَ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى ثَعْلَبٌ: كُلُّ امْرَأَةٍ عَفِيفَةٍ فَهِيَ مُحْصَنَةٌ وَمُحْصِنَةٌ، وَكُلُّ امْرَأَةٍ مُتَزَوِّجَةٍ فَهِيَ مُحْصَنَةٌ لَا غَيْرَ. قَالَ: وَيُقَالُ لِكُلِّ مَمْنُوعٍ مُحْصَنٍ، وَذَكَرَ نَاسٌ أَنَّ الْقُفْلَ يُسَمَّى مُحْصَنًا. وَيُقَالُ أَحْصَنَ الرَّجُلُ فَهُوَ مُحْصَنٌ.
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