Ali Eteraz On Polygamy

4 Responses to “Ali Eteraz On Polygamy”

1. Rihab on May 19th, 2007 8:12 pm

   ay??

   Polygamy is not a Quranic command. It is not allowed in the Quran and it is not prohibited in the Quran.

   Then the article goes on to quote the following verse:

   And if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with the orphans, marry [their mothers] that are lawful to you, two, three, four; but if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly [with them], then only one, or those which your right hands possess. That will be more suitable to prevent you from doing injustice. And give these women their dowers also the way dowers are given; but if they, of their own good pleasure, remit any part of it to you, take it and consume it gladly.

   If two, three or four wives are made lawful to you, then… having two, three, or four wives is permissable in Islam, which negates what the author started off with when he said “It is not allowed in the Quran and it is not prohibited”. If it made no mention of having two, three or four wives then that statement would be correct. In any case, the fact that the verse was “revealed” during wartime, does not mean it no longer applies nor that it was something that was specific to that time, and should be ignored for times after that. When Islam permitted something then chose to prohibit it later on, it clearly stated it, for example, in chapter 2 (i think) of the Quran, it tells believers to not approach prayer while drunk and to wait til they’ve sobered up - clearly indicating that drinking alcohol was permissable at the time that verse was “revealed”. However, at a later point in time, another verse was revealed in chapter 5 (i think) where drinking alcohol is described as the work of the devil, and so you should not engage in it…. So, to say that polygamy was simply put in place to take care of orphans, and won’t apply unless that were the case isn’t the complete truth, the prophet had 13 wives, and not all were widows.

   …. soooo…. basically, polygamy is permitted in Islam. As I said before in another comment here, faith is meant to be taken as is and not as person x wishes it to be. So ppl shouldn’t try to say smthg isn’t really there when it blatantly is.

2. Drima on May 19th, 2007 8:20 pm

   Interesting observation Rihab. Islam does permit polygamy but there are certain conditions. I think what Ali meant was that polygamy isn’t allowed in Islam freely. There are constraints and conditions which the man must comply with.

   As for your previous comment on the darb verse, I’ll get back to you since I disagree. But not now though, I’m sleepy and I need to go to bed. I’ve got another seminar to attend early morning.

   Good nite…

3. Rihab on May 19th, 2007 8:26 pm

   Right, and agreed. But to start off with polygamy is not permitted and it’s not prohibited, makes it sound as though the Quran is neutral on the issue of polygamy, which is misleading.

   Look forward to reading your comment on the wife beating post.

   Nighty…

4. halalhippie on May 21st, 2007 11:47 pm

   “while there were some legitimate reasons for polygamy to exist historically, those reasons are now outdated.”

   the above indicates that the environment in which the Qu’ran was revealed is *gasp* not there anymore.

   IF there’s a shortage of husbands due to war AND there is no government to care for widows THEN a man is obliged to support them. Makes perfect sense to this infidel. But times change.

   Slavery and marrying children is not acceptable in very many societies today. Killing ppl for changing religion is neither.

   As cultures develop and circumstances change, some of the commandmends become obsolete. To anyone but the most fundy Christian this is obvious. But I have a feeling this is not so in mainstream Islam.

   What say ye ?

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