Peace all
In may last article I refuted the hypothesis of four marriages which has become a plague on the Muslims. Thousands of Muslims have committed the sin of marrying more than one woman unintentionally/ignorantly, while believing Bukhari and co. and the available translations of the Quran.
Now I will present my understanding of the subject which is based on actual meaning of the words used in the verse and most importantly on logic. There are many words in Arabic which has multiple meanings and care must be taken to use the appropriate meaning of the word depending upon the subject / context of the verse. Help should also be taken from other verses of the Quran.
We have been reading the verse 43 for years but so far have not succeeded in finding out what is injustice to the orphans and why marriage is their solution and that too in pairs of two three and four. This is a unique case in the world where solution of injustice is marriage of orphans or MMA and unfortunately this solution has given the Muslims the luxury of four wives
The first verse of surah NISSA is addressed to mankind and from there on the subject of orphans begins and continues up to verse 10. All nine verses are focused on the orphans and not a single verse is related to the marriage of men. The nine verses explains mankind how to nurture the orphans, how to manage their properties, when to restore their properties to them, instructs them to test the ability of the orphans, warns mankind from devouring their wealth. So the nine verses are FOR the orphans and BY the men. In the midst of all these FOR the orphans, Allah suddenly reveals one verse FOR the men instructing them to marry up to four women if they fear injustice to orphans and that too in an ambiguous way. Is this not ridiculous? There is nothing in the nine verses, for men, to extract out of it for their enjoyment or any other thing that are advantageous for them, except guidelines and warning. But what a tragedy, instead of giving justice to the orphans, the male chauvinists are enjoying the COMPANIONSHIP of four WOMEN.
And if you fear that you may not do justice with the orphans then marry off / arrange marriages (for the orphans) that are agreeable to you among the matured females in / by twos AND threes AND fours. Then if you fear that you may not compensate (the twos and threes and fours matured female orphans), then one OR those your right hand possesses. That will be more suitable to avoid injustice/avoid deviating from the right course/avoid having a large family. 43
Allah has given the permission to the guardians to marry off ONLY matured female orphans in groups.
FEAR OF INJUSTICE
Definition of injustice Violation of right or of the rights of another an unjust act to treat or judge someone/yourself in an unfair way.
If a guardian violates the right of his orphans, will the guardian render justice to the orphans by marrying women in twos, threes and fours?
If a guardian treats his orphans unjustly, will the guardian render justice to the orphans by marrying women in twos, threes and fours?
If the guardian mixes his bad wealth with the good wealth of the orphans, will he render justice to the orphans by marrying women in twos threes and fours?
If a guardian devours the wealth of his orphans, will the guardian deliver justice to the orphans by marrying women in twos threes and fours?
You will agree with me that the guardian cannot render justice to the orphans, by marrying women in twos and threes and fours, unless the cause of the injustice to the orphans is addressed.
If I do injustice will Allah punish me or show me the ways to avoid it?
Has Allah ever showed men the ways to avoid injustice to their wives?
But in verse 43 Allah is showing mankind the way to avoid injustice. Had this injustice been punishable, then Allah would not have shown the way to the guardians to avoid it but would have punished them. Therefore this injustice is unintentional and the cause of this injustice is due to unavoidable circumstances, and was faced by the people of the prophet, is being faced by the present generation and will be faced by the future generation.
There are duties assigned for men and women by Allah. For example a father?s duty is to feed his children, so for children, feeding by father is their right. A mother suckles her children, so for children, suckling by mother is their right.
And test the orphans until they reach marriageable age. Then if you perceive in them sound judgement, release their property to them. And do not consume it excessively and quickly, that they will grow up. And whoever, , is self-sufficient should refrain ; and whoever is poor - let him take according to what is acceptable. Then when you release their property to them, bring witnesses upon them. And sufficient is Allah as Reckoner. 46
After restoring the property to the orphans what is the next duty of the guardians? The next duty of the guardians is to marry off the orphans. If the guardians devour the wealth of the orphans then they have committed a punishable crime and will be punished in the hereafter. If the guardians delay in restoring the property to the orphans after the orphans reached the age of marriage, then they are doing injustice to the orphans, but in this case also, justice cannot be delivered to the orphans by the guardians by marrying four women. If the guardians do not marry off the orphans after they reach the age of marriage and keep them at home without doing anything for their improvement, then they are doing injustice to the orphans.
To this world and the Hereafter. And they ask you about orphans. Say, "Improvement for them is best / setting right (their affairs) for them is best. And if you mix your affairs with theirs - they are your brothers. And Allah knows the corrupter from the amender. And if Allah had willed, He could have put you in difficulty. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise. 2220
As guardians, it is their duty to work for their improvement and they should not let the orphans, in whichever homes they are living, suffer because of their fault. The primary duty of the guardians in respect of the orphans is to provide, shelter, food, clothing and education according to their FINANCIAL CAPACITY. The secondary duty of the guardians is to marry off the orphans when they reach the age of marriage EXCEPT that they are studying or doing some courses or anything which are beneficial to them. If they are not doing anything after attaining the age of marriage then they should be married off. But those guardians who are financially weak and cannot afford to marry off the orphans singly will be doing injustice to the orphans by keeping them at homes idle and not doing anything for their improvement. To avoid injustice to the orphans in this respect Allah allowed the guardians to marry off the matured female orphans in groups of twos, and threes and fours so that the marriage expenses could be reduced considerably. Only female orphans are allowed for group marriage. MIN AN NISSA in the verse is an indication that only female orphans can be married off in groups and not male orphans. Please do not question me why Allah has not allowed male orphans to be married in groups.
Keeping the orphans at homes, idle, after they reach the age of marriage and doing nothing for their improvement, is an injustice to them. Even to your own daughters if you are not marrying off them at the right age, then you are doing injustice to them EXCEPT that you are helpless or forced by circumstances beyond your control or you are very poor.
Apart from helping the orphans it is obligatory for the believers to marry off the widows, male servants and housemaids and MMA (for MMA verse 43)
And MARRY OFF/ARRANGE MARRIAGES FOR the WIDOWS and the righteous among your MALE SERVANTS and among your FEMALE SERVANTS. If they should be POOR, Allah will enrich them from His bounty, and Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing. 2432
then marry off (the orphans) who are agreeable to you among the matured females (for group marriage)
The matured females should agree with the guardians on what issue?
There was no group system of marriage prevalent during the time of the prophet and all marriages were held in solitary. The group wedding is only possible when the orphan/s give their consent to the guardians otherwise there is no group wedding but solitary wedding. The guardians can?t force the orphans to make them agreeable to group wedding.
Then (after getting the nod from the matured female orphans for group marriage) if you fear that you may not compensate (the matured female orphans being married in groups)
And if you fear that you may not do justice to the orphans
And if you fear that you may not ?.. after there is a pause, so we should know the pointer of is in which direction? Is it in the direction of the orphans or the OTHER WOMEN? Common sense says that its direction is towards the orphans because the first FEAR was also directed to them. And moreover the subject is orphans and not the marriage of the believers.
The traditional translators say that the fear of dealing unfairly with/between two three or four women forces the guardians to reduce the number of other women to one or MMA
And you will never be able to be equal / deal equitably between WIVES 4129 (correct)
And you will never be able to be equal / deal equitably between WOMEN 4129 (wrong).
Women are common females therefore in no way men can deal equitably or unfairly BETWEEN THEM. It is ONLY BETWEEN WIVES men can deal equitably or unfairly and not with women. Therefore the traditional translation of dealing justly with the women is wrong.
A tennis player or any other sports player, sitting at home, cannot predict whether he will defeat his opponent or will be defeated by his opponent unless he has faced him earlier. Ask a bachelor whether he will do justice between four wives and his answer would be, ?I have not yet got married and I don?t have any married life experience and only after marrying four women I will be able to tell you my experience.? Even I am not sure whether I will do justice with two wives or not, if I get married today, only time will show me where I stand after second marriage. The injustice is not related to the fair treatment of wives after marriage. There is not even a single man on the face of this this earth who can say with confidence that he will deal BETWEEN his wives EQUITABLY or not without the practical experience. And who knows better than Allah that men can or cannot deal justly between wives.
What Allah has said in the Quran
And NEVER will you be able to DEAL JUSTLY between the wives, even if it is your ardent desire But turn not away altogether, so as to leave her (as it were) hanging (in the air). If ye come to a friendly understanding, and practise self-restraint, Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful 4129
There is a doubt on the wisdom of Allah when He allows men to marry four women, when He very well knows and already declared in the Quran that men cannot DEAL JUSLTLY between wives even if it is their ardent desire and moreover He has issued a command to the believers to DEAL JUSTLY.
Indeed, Allah ORDERS to DEAL JUSTLY and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded. (16 90)
How will Allah allow mankind to have four wives when He knows that mankind can never deal justly between wives? How will Allah override His Own command to deal justly between mankind? Will Allah allow His believers to touch the fire when He knows that they will burn their fingers in the fire? Will Allah allow men to touch the fire when He has already issued a command not to touch the fire? This is ridiculous.
Why COMPENSATE?
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The orphans are supposed to be married off singly but Allah gave the poor guardians a facility thereby they can marry off the matured female orphans in groups, but without the consent of the orphans it is not possible. Once the orphans, give their consent to the guardians then marriages could be held in groups, but again there is a fear for the guardians how much and how to compensate the groups which have given their consent to group wedding. The compensation to the orphans is in respect to their sacrifice for solitary marriage, thereby saving the guardians of the extra expenditure, had they married off them singly. The amount of compensation depends upon the guardians and their financial status and it is they, who will decide how much compensation they can give to the matured female orphans. After getting the nod of the matured female orphans for group marriage if they fear that they may not compensate the orphans of the maximum group, then they should reduce the group and ascertain that whether they are capable of compensating the reduced group or not and if not then they should further reduce the group and likewise to one. The one matured female, who will be married, will not receive any compensation because she will be married off singly.
But why MMA should be married off by the guardians?
that you may not deviate from the right course. / Thus it is more likely that ye will not do injustice / That is more suitable that you may not incline ./ that will be more suitable, to prevent you from doing injustice.
It is neither deviating from the right course, nor doing injustice to the orphans
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(the marrying of matured females in twos and threes and fours) that, will be more suitable /is the best way, to avoid having a large family/dependents.
As a guardian he has to marry off the orphans either singly or in groups and as a believer and sponsor of MMA by means of an oath, he has to marry off MMA.
The best way for the guardians, to avoid having large dependents, is to marry off the matured female orphans in groups as instructed by Allah.
The guardian should try his level best to marry off the matured female orphans and should not keep them waiting after they reach their age of marriage while nothing is being done for their improvement, EXCEPT that he is helpless or forced by circumstances beyond his control or is very poor.
SOME MORE VERSES OF ORPHANS DISTORTED BY THE TRANSLATORS.
And they request from you, , a ruling concerning women.. Say, "Allah gives you a ruling about them and what has been recited to you in the Book concerning the (WOMEN ORPHANS) matured female orphans to whom you do not give what is decreed for them - and you desire to MARRY them - and concerning the oppressed among children and that you maintain for orphans in justice." And whatever you do of good - indeed, Allah is ever Knowing of it 4127
Firstly, what was decreed for the matured female orphans in the book, prior to this verse? The polygamists have no answer because they never took this subject seriously. The only verse prior to this verse, revealed was 44, but unfortunately, the translators, loaded this verse also in the truck of MARRY and not MARRY OFF. The translators have left no opportunity and category/class of women for marrying purpose. They want to marry, every single, unmarried, orphans, widows, captives, slaves, housemaids, MMA etc. They do not have any list of women who shall be MARRIED OFF? Is this Islam?
And give unto (orphan) women their DOWRY willingly, and if of themselves they give up aught thereof unto you, then eat it in pleasure and profit 44
The WOMEN in the verse are not common women but matured female ORPHANS as this verse is a continuation of verse 42. The subject of Orphans concludes at 410
The translators distorted the meaning of SADUQAATHINNA as DOWRY in this particular verse. SADUQAAT also means NUPTIAL GIFT or MARRIAGE GIFT which should be given at the time of marriage WILLINGLY by the guardian, while marrying off the orphans singly, and not by the bridegroom. The gift depends upon the financial status of the guardian. And if from the gift, the MATURED FEMALE ORPHAN returns anything to the guardian then the guardian can take it happily. This verse is probably for the guardians who can manage to marry off the orphans singly
What is decreed for women?
And married women except those your right hands possess. the decree of Allah upon you. And lawful to you are beyond these, that you seek them with your property, desiring chastity, not unlawful sexual intercourse. So for whatever you enjoy from them, give them their due compensation as an obligation. And there is no blame upon you for what you mutually agree to beyond the obligation. Indeed, Allah is ever Knowing and Wise. (4 24)
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The decreed for women is UJUR and UJUR is a FARIDAH and not gift, therefore SADUQAAT is a gift from the guardian to the orphan bride. The bridegroom gives UJUR to the bride before consummation of the marriage while a guardian gives SADUQAAT to the female orphan at the time of the marriage.
If four wives are allowed by Allah then HE should not have revealed the following verse.
Why replacing wife?
But if you want to replace one wife with another and you have given one of them a great amount , do not take from it anything. Would you take it in injustice and manifest sin? 420
Why the word REPLACE and not marrying of second, third or fourth or on and on. Why no ADDITIONS to the existing wife but her REPLACEMENT. It is crystal clear that anyone who wants second wife then he should replace the first wife by means of divorce. Is it Allah commanding to replace any one of the two, three or four wives? Do all believers have more than two wives? Allah will not reveal a verse for a handful of male chauvinists.
MMA EXPOSES THE MYTH OF POLYGAMY
MMA is the most abused word in the Quran and regrettably no one has properly understood it. The traditional believe that that they are CAPTIVES / SLAVES and can be used for sex without marriage as the prophet used them. Modern thinkers after reading Quran meticulously have acknowledged that MMA cannot be used for sex purpose but only after NIKAH. But there is one, more important information about MMA of which the believers are unaware.
Or what your right hand possess
According to the traditional understanding a believer can marry two three or four or one believing woman or what his right hand possess.
Before accepting the above understanding of the traditional, let us know WHO and WHEN a believer can marry a MMA
And let those ABSTAIN / REFRAIN (from marriage) who find not marriage until Allah enriches them from His bounty. And those who seek a contract (for the eventual emancipation) FROM what is owned (by) your oath then let them write for them if you know there is within them goodness and give them from the wealth of Allah which He has given you. And do not compel YOUR YOUNG (MMA) (what your right hand possess) to prostitution, if they desire chastity, to seek the temporary interests of worldly life. And if someone should compel them, then indeed, Allah is , after their compulsion, Forgiving and Merciful. 2433
It is a clear cut command to those believers who are poor and do not have the means to marry (free believing woman, being unable to bear the marriage expenses OR/AND unable to pay the obligatory UJUR) should REFRAIN from the marriage UNTIL Allah enriches them from His Bounties.
And whoever among you has not the power to prolong the marrying of a free believing women then (let him marry) FROM what is owned/SPONSORED (by) your oath AMONG YOUR YOUNG believing WOMEN. Allah knows best your belief, you are from each other. Marry them with the permission of their people (their owners (by) oath) and give them their due compensation what is reasonable (and do not be) lustful and do not take them as secret lovers. But when they (become) free (from the bondage and are married) and if they commit unlawful sex, they shall be liable to half the punishment of a free woman. That is for those of you who fear fornication, but it is better for you to be patient. Allah is the Forgiver, the Most Merciful. (4 25)
Those believers who do not have the means to marry free believing women cannot marry until Allah enriches them from His bounties BUT those who do not have the power to prolong the marrying of the free believing women, (can?t remain chaste till that time) can marry from MMA among the YOUNG BELIEVING women but they have to take the permission of their people who are their owners/SPONSORS by their oaths. Since the MMA are owned / sponsored by means of an oath they need to first get released from the owner / sponsor through an agreement which can be verbal or written (And those who seek a contract (for the eventual emancipation) FROM what is owned (by) your oath then let them write for them if you know there is within them goodness and give them from the wealth of Allah which He has given you) and then the permission to marry the believer who has approached her/ sponsor for the same.
In 43 Allah has directly given the command to the guardians to marry the MMA in case the believer guardians fear of injustice to the orphans, but in the above verses the marriage to the MMA is conditional. A poor believer (bachelor) cannot marry a free believing woman until Allah enriches him and further if he does not have the power to wait and prolong the marrying of the free believing woman (the reason may be not remaining chaste until Allah enriches him) then he can marry MMA. Once a believer marries MMA then he cannot marry a free believing woman because his marriage with MMA was only because he could not marry the free believing woman. Only if he (justifiably) divorces the MMA then he can marry a free believing woman, Therefore 43 is not marrying other women but marrying off the matured female orphans.
By marrying an MMA will the common believer or a guardian believer render justice to the ORPHANS?
One more thing should be noted that the MMA who are poor and solitary women and are working in the homes, are not for sexual purpose but they are a liability of those people who have sponsored them by their oaths and it is their responsibility to marry off them and that is the reason Allah has commanded that if it is not possible for the guardians to marry off the matured female orphans in twos and threes and fours then he should marry off one matured female orphan or MMA (who should also be matured). In addition Allah has instructed the rich sponsors to give something to the MMA from the wealth which HE has given to him, at the time of their release (2433). Read more about MMA in my next article. \
READ, How Hadith has explained verse 43, (For entertainment purpose only)
(And if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with the orphan girls, then marry (other) women of your choice, two) Allah commands, when one of you is the caretaker of a female orphan and he fears that he might not give her a dowry that is suitable for women of her status, he should marry other women, who are plenty as Allah has not restricted him. Al-Bukhari recorded that `A'ishah said, "A man was taking care of a female orphan and he married her, although he did not desire to marry her. That girl's money was mixed with his, and he was keeping her portion from her. Afterwards, this Ayah was revealed about his case;
Where is the FEAR of INJUSTICE in the above explanation? Either you pay dowry and get married or forget it. For not marrying an orphan a guardian is allowed to marry four women? WHAT JUSTIFICATION IS THIS? What about those believers who do not have ORPHANS under their guardianship? Should they also marry up to four women?
Afterwards, this Ayah was revealed about his case; Does Allah needs incidents to happen to reveal His commandments?
(If you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly)'' Al-Bukhari recorded that Urwah bin Az-Zubayr said that he asked A'ishah about the meaning of the statement of Allah,
(If you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with the orphan girls.) She said, "O my nephew! This is about the orphan girl who lives with her guardian and shares his property. Her wealth and beauty may tempt him to marry her without giving her an adequate dowry which might have been given by another suitor. So, such guardians were forbidden to marry such orphan girls unless they treated them justly and gave them the most suitable dowry; otherwise they were ordered to marry woman besides them.'' `A'ishah further said, "After that verse, the people again asked the Messenger of Allah (about marriage with orphan girls), so Allah revealed the Ayah,
(They ask your instruction concerning the women..) 4127.'' She said, "Allah's statement in this Ayah,
(yet whom you desire to marry) 4127 refers to the guardian who does not desire to marry an orphan girl under his supervision because she is neither wealthy nor beautiful. The guardians were forbidden to marry their orphan girls possessing property and beauty without being just to them, as they generally refrain from marrying them (when they are neither beautiful nor wealthy).''
Have you ever come across a verse which says that the guardians cannot marry those orphans who are wealthy and beautiful unless they deal them justly?
(two or three, or four), means, marry as many women as you like, other than the orphan girls, two, three or four. We should mention that Allah's statement in another Ayah,
(Who made the angels messengers with wings, - two or three or four) 351, does not mean that other angels do not have more than four wings, as there are proofs that some angels do have more wings. Yet, men are prohibited from marrying more than four wives, as the Ayah decrees, since the Ayah specifies what men are allowed of wives, as Ibn Abbas and the majority of scholars stated. If it were allowed for them to have more than four wives, the Ayah would have mentioned it. Imam Ahmad recorded that Salim said that his father said that Ghilan bin Salamah Ath-Thaqafi had ten wives when he became Muslim, and the Prophet said to him, "Choose any four of them (and divorce the rest).'' During the reign of Umar, Ghilan divorced his remaining wives and divided his money between his children. When Umar heard news of this, he said to Ghilan, "I think that the devil has conveyed to your heart the news of your imminent death, from what the devil hears during his eavesdropping. It may as well be that you will not remain alive but for a little longer. By Allah! You will take back your wives and your money, or I will take possession of this all and will order that your grave be stoned as is the case with the grave of Abu Righal (from Thamud, who was saved from their fate because he was in the Sacred Area. But, when he left it, he was tormented like they were).'' Ash-Shafii, At-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Ad-Daraqutni and Al-Bayhaqi collected this Hadith up to the Prophet's statement, "Choose any four of them.'' Only Ahmad collected the full version of this Hadith. Therefore, had it been allowed for men to marry more than four women at the same time, the Prophet would have allowed Ghilan to keep more than four of his wives since they all embraced Islam with him. When the Prophet commanded him to keep just four of them and divorce the rest, this indicated that men are not allowed to keep more than four wives at a time under any circumstances. If this is the case concerning those who already had more than four wives upon embracing Islam, then this ruling applies even more so to marrying more than four.
Where does Allah say that you can keep maximum four wives? From where did the idiot Bukhari got this story?
(But if you fear that you will not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one or what your right hands possess.) The Ayah commands, if you fear that you will not be able to do justice between your wives by marrying more than one, then marry only one wife, or satisfy yourself with only female captives, for it is not obligatory to treat them equally, rather it is recommended. So if one does so, that is good, and if not, there is no harm on him. In another Ayah, Allah said,
for it is not obligatory to treat them equally
What more proof do the followers of Hadith need that the writers of hadith are anti Quran? Allah has ordered fair treatment between mankind but these idiots say it is not obligatory for the believers to treat the MMA equally.
How do these idiots know in advance that they will do injustice to the women? Are they magicians or god? What is SATISFY YOURSELF WITH ONE FEMALE CAPTIVES? In today?s world FEMALE CAPTIVES are not available then what should that chauvinist guardian do?
Why should the guardian opt for MMA when there are plenty of free believing women to marry?
I thank the Hadith writers for their fantastic, bullshit, idiotic, illogical, explanation of verse 43. Had these idiots not made effort to write Hadith we Muslims would have gone astray?
Thanks
Salamun Alaikum, Hafeez!
I think you may be "right", I'm not that strong in Arabic. So, how sure are you that your translation is the right one? There are many translations OF 43 and all translatons are "almost the same" and some may differ. But, yours is quite different! So, how sure are you? And can you really prove that your translation is THE RIGHT ONE??
To see all the translations of 43 an-Nisa` 43
And honestly, I don't know if your translation is right, Allahu 'Alam! But, it honestly made alot of sense! But, if you can prove that your translation is THE RIGHT ONE. I will believe in it!
Wassalam! ;D
