8. REASONS FOR SENDING DOWN THE QUR’ᾹN IN STAGES (3)

8. REASONS FOR SENDING DOWN THE QUR’ᾹN IN STAGES (3)

 Other reasons for sending down the Qur’an in stages are as follows:

4. To adapt to emerging events and issues. The Qur’an was revealed to solve problems emerging from new events. Allah said:

وَنَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ تِبْيَانًا لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً

وَبُشْرَى لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ (النحل: 89)

… And We have sent down to you the Book as

an exposition of everything, a guidance a mercy, and

glad tidings for those who submitted themselves

(to Allah as Muslims) (Q. 16:89)

a.     Some un-Islamic Arab’s traditions and practices were abolished, such as adoption and ẓihār. In Islam adoption is merely being a foster parent, and there is no blood relationship with him. The child remains the son or daughter of his or her biological parents. This issue has been dealt with in my khutbah in Selected Khutab Book 4, under the topic “The Institution of Marriage in Jeopardy.”

With regard to ẓihār Khawlah bint Tha‘labah complained to the Prophet that her husband Aws ibn al-Ṣāmit said to herأَنْتِ عَلَيَّ كَظَهْرِأُمِّيْ  (“you are to me like my mother’s back”), a pre-Islamic form of divorce consisting in the words of repudiation called ẓihār. Then revelation came to explain the invalidity of this kind of divorce and the penalty for the offender in the following verses:

قَدْ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ قَوْلَ الَّتِي تُجَادِلُكَ فِي زَوْجِهَا وَتَشْتَكِي إِلَى اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ يَسْمَعُ تَحَاوُرَكُمَا

إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ بَصِيرٌ. الَّذِينَ يُظَاهِرُونَ مِنْكُمْ مِنْ نِسَائِهِمْ مَا هُنَّ أُمَّهَاتِهِمْ إِنْ أُمَّهَاتُهُمْ إِلَّا

 اللَّائِي وَلَدْنَهُمْ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَيَقُولُونَ مُنْكَرًا مِنَ الْقَوْلِ وَزُورًا وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَعَفُوٌّ غَفُورٌ. وَالَّذِينَ

 يُظَاهِرُونَ مِنْ نِسَائِهِمْ ثُمَّ يَعُودُونَ لِمَا قَالُوا فَتَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ يَتَمَاسَّا ذَلِكُمْ

تُوعَظُونَ بِهِ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ. فَمَنْ لَمْ يَجِدْ فَصِيَامُ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ مِنْ قَبْلِ

 أَنْ يَتَمَاسَّا فَمَنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَإِطْعَامُ سِتِّينَ مِسْكِينًا ذَلِكَ لِتُؤْمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ

وَتِلْكَ حُدُودُ اللَّهِ وَلِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ (المجادلة:1-4)

Indeed, Allah has heard the statement of her that

 disputes with you (O Muhammad) concerning her husband,

 and complains to Allah. Allah hears the argument between

 you both. Verily, Allah is All-Hearer, All-Seer. Those among

 you who make their wives unlawful to them by ẓihār, they

 cannot be their mother. None can be their mothers except

 those who gave them birth. And verily, they utter an  ill word

and a lie. And verily, Allah is Oft-Pardoning, Oft-Forgiving.

And those who make unlawful to them their wives by ẓihār

 and wish to free themselves from what they uttered, then

 (the penalty of this case is) the freeing a slave before they

touch each other.  That is an admonition to you so that you

 may not repeat such an ill thing). And Allah is Well-Acquainted

with what you do. And he who finds not (the money for freeing

 a slave) must fast two successive months before they  both

 touch each other.  And he who is unable to do so, should feed

 sixty miskīn (needy persons). That is in order that you may

 have perfect  Faith in Allah and His  Messenger. These are

 the limits set by Allah. And for the disbelievers,

is a painful torment. (Q. 58 :1-4).

            So, the penalty of it, before they touch each other as husband and wife, is to free a slave, or if he can’t or no more slave to free, then fast two successive months if he can, and if not, feed sixty poor people.

b.    Emerging issues such as the distribution of the spoils of war. After the battle Badr that took place on Friday 17 Ramadan 2 AH/17 March, 624 CE, groups Muslim army disputed about the distribution of the spoils of war. Some of them pursued the enemy inflicting utter defeat and casualties; another group came collected the spoils of war; and another group surrounded the Prophet to protect him from any surprise attack against him. They did not know how to distribute them fairly. Sa‘d ibn Mālik who participated in the battlefield came to the Prophet with a sword and said: “O Allah’s Messenger, Allah has brought comfort to me today over the idolaters, so grant me this sword. He said, ‘This sword is neither yours nor mine; put it down.’ So I put it down, but said to myself, ‘The Prophet might give this sword to another man who did not fight as fiercely as I did.’ Then the Prophet came to me, and said, ‘O Sa‘d, you have asked me the sword, and it was not mine. Now it has become mine, and it is for you.’ The he cited the following verse:

يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْأَنْفَالِ قُلِ الْأَنْفَالُ لِلَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَصْلِحُوا

ذَاتَ بَيْنِكُمْ وَأَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ (الأنفال:1)

They asked you (O Muhammad) about the spoils of war.

Say: the spoils are for Allah and the Messenger.” So fear

Allah and adjust all matters of difference among you,

and obey Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad)

if you are believers.(Q. 8:1)

(Reported by Aḥmad. Abū Dā’ūd, al-Tirmidhī,

al-Nasā’ī and al-Bayhaqī)

This means, in the beginning, the whole spoils of war were for Allah who gave them to the Prophet at his disposal.

Then another revelation was revealed as follows:

وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا غَنِمْتُمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ فَأَنَّ لِلَّهِ خُمُسَهُ وَلِلرَّسُولِ وَلِذِي الْقُرْبَى

وَالْيَتَامَى وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ آمَنْتُمْ بِاللهِ وَمَا أَنْزَلْنَا عَلَى عَبْدِنَا يَوْمَ

الْفُرْقَانِ يَوْمَ الْتَقَى الْجَمْعَانِ وَاللهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ (الأنفال:41)

And know that whatever of war booty that you may

gain, verily, one-fifth of it is assigned to Allah, and to the

the Messenger, and to the near relatives (of the Messenger),

the orphans, the poor, and the wayfarer, if you have believed

in Allah and in that which We sent down to Our servant on

the Day of Criterion, the Day when the two forces  met;

and Allah is able to do all  things. (Q. 8.:41)

As everything belongs to Allah, His share in the spoils of war is intended for the Prophet. The four-fifth of the spoils of was divided among the fighters, and the remaining one-fifth was divided among the Muslims: the Prophet’s near relatives (as they were not allowed to receive ṣadaqah. i.e., charity(, the orphans, the poor, and the wayfarer. The ṣaḥābah (companions of the Prophet) were very happy, especially ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib, who received from the share an old camel mare, when he had nothing, while he was engaged with Fāṭimah, the Prophet’s youngest daughter.

That was in the early period of Islam. Nowadays, as Muslim soldiers receive salaries, military equipment and trainings, even pensions for them and their families from their respective governments, this regulation  is no longer applied, dormant and probably forever.

c.     People ask the Prophet many questions, and Allah gives the answer. The Prophet s.a.w. kept warning the pagan Quraysh tribe in Makkah about the coming of the Hour, and when they asked when it would happen, Allah revealed to him the following verses:

يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ السَّاعَةِ أَيَّانَ مُرْسَاهَا. فِيمَ أَنْتَ مِنْ ذِكْرَاهَا. إِلَى رَبِّكَ

 مُنْتَهَاهَا. إِنَّمَا أَنْتَ مُنْذِرُ مَنْ يَخْشَاهَا. كَأَنَّهُمْ يَوْمَ يَرَوْنَهَا لَمْ يَلْبَثُوا إِلَّا

 عَشِيَّةً أَوْ ضُحَاهَا (النازعات:42-46)

 They ask you (O Muhammad) about the Hour – when

 will be its appointed time? You have no knowledge to say

  anything about it. To your Lord belongs (the knowledge

 of) the term thereof. You (Muhammad) are only a warner

 for those who fear it. The Day they see it (it will be as if

 they had not tarried (in this world)  except an

afternoon or a morning. (Q. 79:42),

          In the following verse Allah told the Prophet the answer to their question:

يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ السَّاعَةِ أَيَّانَ مُرْسَاهَا قُلْ إِنَّمَا عِلْمُهَا عِنْدَ رَبِّي لَا يُجَلِّيهَا لِوَقْتِهَا

إِلَّا هُوَثَقُلَتْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ لَا تَأْتِيكُمْ إِلَّا بَغْتَةً يَسْأَلُونَكَ كَأَنَّكَ حَفِيٌّ

عَنْهَا قُلْ إِنَّمَا عِلْمُهَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ (الأعراف: 187)

They ask you about the Hour (Day of Resurrection)” “When

will be its appointed time?” Say: “The knowledge thereof is

with my Lord (Alone). None can reveal its time but He. Heavy

is its burden through the heaven and the earth. It shall not

come upon you except all of a sudden.” They ask you as if

you have a good knowledge of it. Say: “The knowledge

there of is with Allah (Alone), but most of

mankind know not.” (Q. 7:187)

        The famous Qur’an commentator al-Ṭabarī (d. 310/923) said that people asked the Prophet about the crescents, being hidden, then appeared and then change of their condition with increase and decrease in size, unlike the sun which never decreases or increases in size. This question does not need scientific explanation which is beyond their understanding. The Prophet was not an astronomer to teach astronomy, but a Prophet to guide people to the right path. Allah said:

يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْأَهِلَّةِ قُلْ هِيَ مَوَاقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَالْحَجِّ (البقرة:189)

They ask you (O Muhammad) about the crescents.

 Say, “These are signs to mark fixed periods of time

 for mankind and for the pilgrimage…” (Q. 2:189)

So, the change of the crescents is to make them mark their acts of worship, the ‘iddah (the period of time a divorced woman or a widow is required to wait before remarrying) of their women, time for paying their debt and rent,  for fasting and breaking their fast, and the time of their ḥajj (pilgrimage to Makkah).

The expression ... ... قُل  يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ(“They ask you about…say …”) is mentioned in five verses, namely, about the crescents (Q. 2:189), about fighting the Sacred months (Q. 2:217),  about alcohol (Q. 2:219), about the Day of Resurrection (Q. 7:189), and about the spoils of war (Q. 8:1). One verse, namely, Q. 79:42  about time of the Hour , as mentioned earlier, is without asking the Prophet to give them the answer with قُل (“say”), but Allah Himself told the Prophet not to bother, because nobody except Allah knows when it will happen. Four verses use the conjunction وَ  (“and) in  وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنْ ...  “And they ask you about…), namely:  concerning the orphans (Q. 2:220),  what they ought to spend  (Q. 2:219), concerning menstruation (Q. 2:222), concerning the spirit (Q. 17:85), and about Dhu ’l-Qarnayn (Q. 18:83).

One verse starts with وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ... فَقُلْ ...  (“And they ask you… then say…) which is concerning the mountains on the Doomsday, as follows:

وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْجِبَالِ فَقُلْ يَنْسِفُهَا رَبِّي نَسْفًا (طه:105)

And they ask you about the mountains. (Then) Say:

 My Lord will carry them from the roots (Q. 20:105).

When the following verse was revealed,

وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ (غافر:60)

And your Lord says: “Call upon Me,

 I will answer you …” (Q. 40:60)

people wished to know when they should call upon Him. Others asked the Prophet how they should call upon Him. Then the following verse was revealed:

وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ

فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ (البقرة:186)

And when My servant ask you (O Muhammad)

 concerning Me, then surely I am  near;  I answer the

 prayer of the suppliant when he calls on Me. So they

 should answer My call and believe in Me, that  

they may walk in the right way  (Q. 2:186)

In this verse when they ask the Prophet about Allah, He Himself answered them directly, without saying قُلْ )(say) to the Prophet, that no matter how and where they pray and call upon Him, He is near and hear their prayers and supplication.

d.    Some Qur’anic verses say about the enemy of Islam, especially the hypocrites and their distinctive feature, such as the following verses:

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَقُولُ آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَبِالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَمَا هُمْ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ. يُخَادِعُونَ

اللَّهَ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَمَا يَخْدَعُونَ إِلَّا أَنْفُسَهُمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ. فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ مَرَضٌ

فَزَادَهُمُ اللَّهُ مَرَضًا وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْذِبُونَ. وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لَا تُفْسِدُوا

 فِي الْأَرْضِ قَالُوا إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُصْلِحُونَ. أَلَا إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ الْمُفْسِدُونَ وَلَكِنْ لَا

يَشْعُرُونَ. وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ آمِنُوا كَمَا آمَنَ النَّاسُ قَالُوا أَنُؤمِنُ كَمَا آمَنَ السُّفَهَاءُ

 أَلَا إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ السُّفَهَاءُ وَلَكِنْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ. وَإِذَا لَقُوا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا قَالُوا آمَنَّا

وَإِذَا خَلَوْا إِلَى شَيَاطِينِهِمْ قَالُوا إِنَّا مَعَكُمْ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُسْتَهْزِئُونَ. اللَّهُ

يَسْتَهْزِئُ  بِهِمْ وَيَمُدُّهُمْ فِي طُغْيَانِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ. أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ

اشْتَرَوُا  الضَّلَالَةَ  بِالْهُدَى فَمَا رَبِحَتْ تِجَارَتُهُمْ

 وَمَا كَانُوا مُهْتَدِينَ (البقرة:8-16)

And there are some people who say: We believe

 in Allah and the last day; and they are not at all

 believers. They desire to deceive Allah and those who

 believe, and they deceive only themselves and they do

 not perceive. There is a disease in their hearts, so Allah

 added to their disease and they shall have a painful

 chastisement because they used to tell lies. And when

 it is said to them, Do not make mischief in the land,

 they say: We are but peace-makers. Now surely they

 themselves are the mischief makers, but they do not

 perceive. And when it is said to them: Believe as the

 people believe they say: Shall we believe as the fools

 believe? Now, surely they themselves are the fools,

 but they do not know. And when they meet those

 who believe, they say: We believe; and when they

are alone with their Satans, they say: Surely,

 we are with you, we were only mocking.

Allah shall pay them back their mockery,

and He leaves them alone in their

 inordinacy, blindly wandering on.

(Q. 2:8-16)

                   The hypocrites are the most dangerous enemy of the Muslims, as they have to be treated like Muslims, but Muslims have to be very careful not to be stabbed from behind, as they are enemies in disguise. There is a chapter in the Qur’an called Sūrat al-Munāfiqῡn dealing with the hypocrites of Madinah and its leader, ‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy. I have also dealt with this topic in my khutbah, on Selected Khuṭab, vol. 1 under the topic “Abdullah Bin Ubayy”.

 

‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy and his followers had slandered ‘Ᾱ’ishah. After waiting for over one month Allah revealed Q. 23:11-13  to clear ‘Ᾱ’ishah of the slander of the hypocrites,  and to prove her innocence, as dealt with in the previous khuṭbah dated 13 September 2013.

These are some examples of questions and problems answered and solved by the Qur’an in due course. (CIVIC 31.01. 140)

المصادر:

المكتبة الشاملة

تفسير الطبري

تفسير تفسير إبن كثير

http://akhawat.islamway.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=29634

http://ejabat.google.com/ejabat/thread?tid=04eff66438299537

7. REASONS FOR SENDING DOWN THE QUR’ᾹN IN STAGES (2)

 

7. REASONS FOR SENDING DOWN THE QUR’ᾹN IN STAGES (2)

Other reasons for sending down the Qur’an in stages are as follows:

3. To gradually implement the Sharī‘ah (Islamic law). There were many Arab traditions contrary to Islam which were difficult to abandon, and should be abolished gradually, such as the following:

a. Drinking alcohol. It was abolished in three stages:

    More harm in drinking alcohol than benefit, in the verse:

يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْسِرِ قُلْ فِيهِمَا إِثْمٌ كَبِيرٌ وَمَنَافِعُ لِلنَّاسِ

وَإِثْمُهُمَا أَكْبَرُ مِنْ نَفْعِهِمَا …(البقرة: 219)

They ask you (O Muhammad) concerning alcoholic

drink and gambling. Say, “In them is a great sin, and

 (some) benefits for men, but the sin of them is

greater than their benefit… (Q. 2:219)

   Prohibition of approaching prayer while one is being drunk, as in the verse,

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَقْرَبُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَأَنْتُمْ سُكَارَى حَتَّى

 تَعْلَمُوا مَا تَقُولُونَ …(النساء:43)

O you who believe! Approach not the prayer while

 you are in a drunken state until you know

 (the meaning) of what you utter…(Q. 4:43)

       Drinking alcohol became fully and explicitly prohibited, as in the verse,

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّمَا الْخَمْرُ وَالْمَيْسِرُ وَالْأَنْصَابُ وَالْأَزْلَامُ رِجْسٌ

مِنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ فَاجْتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ (المائدة:90)

 O you who believe! Intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic

 drinks, and gambling, and slaughtered animals for stone

 altars, and arrows for seeking luck or decision are an abomination of Satan’s handiwork. So avoid (all of)

 that (abomination) in order that you

may be successful. (Q. 5:90)

b. Introducing the law of inheritance. Before and the early period of Islam women could not have inheritance, they themselves were even objects of inheritance and parts of the possession of men. Then the Qur’an gave them share in the inheritance, as in the verse:

لِلرِّجَالِ نَصِيبٌ مِمَّا تَرَكَ الْوَالِدَانِ وَالْأَقْرَبُونَ وَلِلنِّسَاءِ نَصِيبٌ مِمَّا تَرَكَ

 الْوَالِدَانِ وَالْأَقْرَبُونَ مِمَّا قَلَّ مِنْهُ أَوْ كَثُرَ نَصِيبًا مَفْرُوضًا (النساء:7)  

Men shall have a share in what parents and kinsfolk

 leave behind, and women shall have  a share in what

 parents and kinsfolk leave behind. (Q. 4:7)

It is commonly known that female relatives get half of the share of male relative of the deceased. Allah says in the Qur’ān:

يُوصِيكُمُ اللَّهُ فِي أَوْلَادِكُمْ لِلذَّكَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ الْأُنْثَيَيْنِ ... (النساء:11)

Allah commands you as regards your children’s

 (inheritance): to the male,  a portion equal

 to that of two females; …(Q. 4:11)

This seems to be unfair for people who misunderstand Islam. The share of inheritance is based on closeness to the deceased and the responsibility of maintaining his and the younger generation. As a wife, she and her children’s maintenance is her husband’s responsibility as a provider, although she is rich.  As a mother, it is the responsibility of her son; as a daughter, her father; as a sister, her brother. Women in Islam, according to Islamic law, are well-protected by her male relatives.

The fact that women inherit less than men in Islam, is only part of the truth, and not the whole truth. They can inherit as much as men, if the deceased left children, the mother and the father received each one-sixth of the inheritance. Allah says:

... وَلِأَبَوَيْهِ لِكُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا السُّدُسُ مِمَّا تَرَكَ إِنْ كَانَ لَهُ وَلَدٌ (النساء:11)

 …; for parents, a sixth share of inheritance to

each if the deceased left children.  (Q. 4:11)

The brothers and sisters of the deceased from the same mother will also inherit equal portions.

              Women can inherit more than men. If a woman has three half-brothers of the same father, she gets half of the inheritance of the father, and the remaining half is distributed equally among the three half-brothers.

              Women can inherit the whole inheritance. If she dies leaving a husband, a full-sister and a brother by her father, the husband and the full-sister each will get half, and the half-brother will get nothing.

c. Establishment of Islamic marriage institution. The number of wives is limited to four. Allah says in the Qur’ān,

وَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلَّا تُقْسِطُوا فِي الْيَتَامَى فَانْكِحُوا مَا طَابَ لَكُمْ مِنَ

النِّسَاءِ مَثْنَى وَثُلَاثَ وَرُبَاعَ فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا فَوَاحِدَةً أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ

أَيْمَانُكُمْ ذَلِكَ أَدْنَى أَلَّا تَعُولُوا (النساء:3)

 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 or three, or four; but if you fear that you shall

 not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one or

 (the slave) that your right hands possess. This is nearer

 to prevent your from doing injustice (Q. 4:3)

              ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr asked his aunt ‘Ᾱ’shah the meaning of the above verse. She said,

”O my nephew! This is about the orphan girl

 who lives with her guardian and shares his property.

 Her wealth and beauty tempt him to marry her without

giving her and 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.”

(Recorded by Bukhari)

              Ghīlān ibn Salamah al-Thaqafī had ten wives when he became Muslim, and the Prophet s.a.w. said to him, “Choose any four of them (and divorce the rest).” (Recorded by Ahmad)

          But 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. (تفسير ابن كثير)

وَلَنْ تَسْتَطِيعُوا أَنْ تَعْدِلُوا بَيْنَ النِّسَاءِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتُمْ فَلَا تَمِيلُوا

 كُلَّ الْمَيْلِ  فَتَذَرُوهَا كَالْمُعَلَّقَةِ وَإِنْ تُصْلِحُوا وَتَتَّقُوا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ

غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا (النساء:129)

You will never be able to do perfect justice

 between wives even if it is your ardent desire, so

 do not incline too much (to one of them be giving her

 more of your time and provision) so as to leave (the other) hanging (i.e., neither divorced or married). And if you

 do justice, and do all that is right and fear Allah

(by keeping away from all that is wrong), then

 Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most

 Merciful. (Q. 4:129)

              It is totally wrong to say that polygamy is prohibited in Islam because Allah said that “if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one (wife)” and “you will never be able to do perfect justice  between wives even if it is your ardent desire.” The verse continues with “do not incline too much to one of them and leave the other as if she is neither married nor divorced.” You cannot love your wives equally, just like you cannot love your children equally, but you can treat them equally. Early commentators of the Qur’an say that it is the matter of love and intimacy which cannot be dealt justly. Moreover, polygamy is the only legal Islamic solution for solving the problem of having too many women compared to men. It would be better for her to be a second wife than to live all her life alone without any chance of having babies.

              For those who practice polygamy with injustice, the Prophet said:

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: مَنْ كَانَتْ لَهُ امْرَأَتَانِ

فَمَالَ إِلَى إِحْدَاهُمَا، جَاءَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، وَشِقُّهُ مَائِلٌ  (رواه أبو داؤد و الدارمي)

Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet s.a.w. said,

“Whoever has two wives and leans to one of them, he

will be raised in the Hereafter with half of his

 body bending down.”

 (Reported by Abū Dā’ūd and al-Dārimī)

            The Qur’an also regulates whom a Muslim is allowed and not allowed to marry. Allah said:        

وَلَا تَنْكِحُوا مَا نَكَحَ آبَاؤُكُمْ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ إِلَّا مَا قَدْ سَلَفَ إِنَّهُ كَانَ

فَاحِشَةً وَمَقْتًا وَسَاءَ سَبِيلًا . حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمْ أُمَّهَاتُكُمْ وَبَنَاتُكُمْ وَأَخَوَاتُكُمْ

وَعَمَّاتُكُمْ وَخَالَاتُكُمْ وَبَنَاتُ الْأَخِ وَبَنَاتُ الْأُخْتِ وَأُمَّهَاتُكُمُ اللَّاتِي أَرْضَعْنَكُمْ

وَأَخَوَاتُكُمْ مِنَ الرَّضَاعَةِ وَأُمَّهَاتُ نِسَائِكُمْ وَرَبَائِبُكُمُ اللَّاتِي فِي حُجُورِكُمْ

مِنْ نِسَائِكُمُ اللَّاتِي دَخَلْتُمْ بِهِنَّ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُونُوا دَخَلْتُمْ بِهِنَّ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ

 وَحَلَائِلُ أَبْنَائِكُمُ الَّذِينَ مِنْ أَصْلَابِكُمْ وَأَنْ تَجْمَعُوا بَيْنَ الْأُخْتَيْنِ إِلَّا مَا قَدْ

سَلَفَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا.  وَالْمُحْصَنَاتُ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ إِلَّا مَا مَلَكَتْ

أَيْمَانُكُمْ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَأُحِلَّ لَكُمْ مَا وَرَاءَ ذَلِكُمْ أَنْ تَبْتَغُوا

بِأَمْوَالِكُمْ مُحْصِنِينَ غَيْرَ مُسَافِحِينَ... (النساء:22-24)

And marry no women whom your fathers married;

 except what has already passed; indeed it was shameful

 and most hateful, and an evil way. Forbidden to you (for marriage) are: your mothers, your daughters, your sisters,

 your father’s sisters, your mother’s sisters, your brother’s daughters, your sister’s daughters, your foster mothers who gave you suck, your foster milk suckling sisters, your wives’ mothers, your step-daughters under your guardianship, born

 of your wives to whom you have gone in, but there is no sin on you if you have not gone in them (to marry their daughters),

 the wives of your sons who (spring) from your own loins, and

 two sisters in wedlock at the same time, except for what has already passed; verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.  Also (forbidden are) women already married, except those (slaves) whom your right hands possess.  Thus has Allah ordained for you. All others are lawful, provided you seek

 (them in marriage) with dowry from your property,

 desiring chastity, not committing illegal

sexual intercourse… (Q. 4:222-24)

             When the Quraysh idolaters talked about the marriage of the Prophet to Zaynab bin Jaḥsh, the divorced wife of his adopted son Zayid ibn Ḥārithah, the above verse was revealed to indicate that Zayd was not the Prophet’s son of his loins (but just an adopted son), and it was revealed,

   ...وَمَا جَعَلَ أَدْعِيَاءَكُمْ أَبْنَاءَكُمْ  [سورة الأحزاب:4)

… nor has He made your adopted

 sons your real sons.. (Q. 33:4)

   مَا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَا أَحَدٍ مِنْ رِجَالِكُمْ ...  (الأحزاب: 40)

Muhammad is not the father of any

 of your men… (Q. 33:40)

              Although it is mentioned only the prohibition of marrying a woman and her sister at a time, the Prophet as a law-maker prohibited also from marrying a woman with her aunt at a time.

d. Regulating ḥālāl (permitted) and ḥarām (prohibited) food. The Makkan idolaters ate carrion claiming that it was Allah’s slaughter. Allah prohibited it, and many other things, as in the following verse:

حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةُ وَالدَّمُ وَلَحْمُ الْخِنْزِيرِ وَمَا أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ بِهِ

 وَالْمُنْخَنِقَةُ  وَالْمَوْقُوذَةُ وَالْمُتَرَدِّيَةُ وَالنَّطِيحَةُ وَمَا أَكَلَ السَّبُعُ إِلَّا مَا

ذَكَّيْتُمْ وَمَا ذُبِحَ عَلَى النُّصُبِ  ... (المائدة:3)

Forbidden to you (for food) are: dead animals

[not slaughtered], blood, the flesh of swine, and that

  which Allah’s Name has not been mentioned while

 slaughtering (that which has been slaughtered as

a sacrifice  for others than Allah or idols) and that

which has been killed by strangling or a violent

 blow, or by a headlong fall, or by the goring of

 horns, and that which has been (partly) eaten

 by a wild animal, unless you are able to

slaughter it (before its death), and that

 which is sacrificed (slaughtered)

 on stone-altars...(Q. 5:3)

              There are other things prohibited through the sayings of the Prophet, such as the flesh of predators, carnivorous (flesh eating animals), such as: lions, haws, etc.

              Things permitted to eat as food are as follows:

الْيَوْمَ أُحِلَّ لَكُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتُ وَطَعَامُ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ

حِلٌّ لَكُمْ وَطَعَامُكُمْ حِلٌّ لَهُمْ ...(المائدة:5)

Made lawful to you this day are pleasant things [all

 kinds of ḥalāl (lawful) foods which Allah has made lawful.

The food (slaughtered cattle, eatable animals) of the

 people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) is lawful

 to you and yours is lawful to them... (Q. 5:5)

                    These are some examples of the gradual introduction of Islamic laws through revelation sent down in stages to the heart of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. (CIVIC, 24.01. 2014)

[TO BE CONTINUED]

Bibliography:

المكتبة الشاملة

تفسير الطبري

تفسير إبن كثير

http://www.onislam.net/english/ask-about-islam/society-and-family/status-of-women/167166-islamic-inheritance-laws-inherently-unjust.html

http://www.kantakji.com/fiqh/files/mawareeth/4015.pdf