IslamiCity.org Homepage
Forum Home Forum Home > Religion - Islam > Islam for non-Muslims
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Mohammad & Wives  What is Islam What is Islam  Donate Donate
  FAQ FAQ  Quran Search Quran Search  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Mohammad & Wives

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  123 5>
Author
Message
senekerk View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar
Joined: 08 December 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 161
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote senekerk Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Mohammad & Wives
    Posted: 18 January 2007 at 8:43am

Bismillahi Ah-Rahman, Al-Rahim

Assalaam alaikum

I am over half way through Martin Lings Mohammad.  I am troubled by the many times in which the prophet (pbuh) seemed to marry the most beautiful girl of his conquests and had revelations telling him it was alright. That seems a little ironic to me.  Perhaps it is my western mind that finds the idea of more than one wife troubling. would someone please help me understand this. thank you in advance

 

Kay
Back to Top
rami View Drop Down
Moderator Group
Moderator Group
Avatar
Male
Joined: 01 March 2000
Status: Offline
Points: 2549
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote rami Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 January 2007 at 10:54am
Bi ismillahir rahmanir raheem

assalamu alaikum

I think you should read the passages carefully sister,

with the exception of Aisha all his wives where not virgins, either older women, divorced or widowers whom he only approached after revelation.

In Islamic culture/religion after the first wife Muslim men would generally marry widowed or divorced women to look after them, try to imagine a widowed or divorced women living in conditions 1400 years ago.

Muslim men do not just see outward beauty when describing a women which i think is how you are understanding the passages, combine what you know with what our prophet said about women and how men should treat them and you will gain a holistic understanding of how he viewed women.

He (God) it is who did create you from a single soul and therefrom did create his mate, that he might dwell with her (in love)...(Qur'an 7:189)

The Prophet Muhammad. (P) said:

The best of you is the best to his family and I am the best among you to my family.

The most perfect believers are the best in conduct and best of you are those who are best to their wives. (Ibn-Hanbal, No. 7396)


Rasul Allah (sallah llahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "Whoever knows himself, knows his Lord" and whoever knows his Lord has been given His gnosis and nearness.
Back to Top
senekerk View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar
Joined: 08 December 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 161
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote senekerk Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 January 2007 at 11:11am
perhaps then it is the author who seems to make an issue out of the beauty of the wives.  I did overlook the fact that the wives were widowed or divorced.  I know from what i have read that the qur'an speaks about how widowed and divorced women should be taken care of. Thank you for reminding me.
Kay
Back to Top
rami View Drop Down
Moderator Group
Moderator Group
Avatar
Male
Joined: 01 March 2000
Status: Offline
Points: 2549
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote rami Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 January 2007 at 11:09pm
Bi ismillahir rahmanir raheem

That may be allahu alam, i no longer have my copy of the book so i cant check up on it but remember that these women wore the veil and where modest and careful not to show there outward beauty.

Any comments on the full measure of there beauty would have been made after the fact and come from other women who knew them personally as Muslim men do not talk about there wives or women in general espetialy to other men, as people of our times do. The author would have combined a number of different accounts about these women from diferent sources and circumstances while he was researching the book and then amalgamated them into narrative form. This is the beauty of this book as you are not reading it as a chronological order of facts which other works do.

this work brings the historical figures to life which is something "the sealed nectar" another popular biography does not do or at least its English translation anyway.
Rasul Allah (sallah llahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "Whoever knows himself, knows his Lord" and whoever knows his Lord has been given His gnosis and nearness.
Back to Top
DavidC View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior  Member
Avatar
Male Christian
Joined: 20 September 2001
Location: Florida USA
Status: Offline
Points: 2474
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DavidC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 January 2007 at 2:00am
Hi Kay,

Remember Lings is drawing 100% from Hadith.  This has some obvious advantages, but you also get a few problems.

Different hadith are sometimes conflated, context is lost and Lings cannot go in and add too much explanation or commentary. He has picked out the most relevant hadiths and roughly arranged them for us, but does not go much further.

In any case, there seems little doubt Muhammad was a moral exemplar for his time and culture.
Christian; Wesleyan M.Div.
Back to Top
Sign*Reader View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior  Member
Avatar

Joined: 02 November 2005
Status: Offline
Points: 3352
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sign*Reader Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 January 2007 at 11:29pm
Salaam Kay:
I had recommended the Br. Ling's acclaimed book for it's beautiful language and unique narrative loved by all I have come across.

Your point on his marriages should never be compared with the current western norm. Need a comparison look up the Prophets of the OT.

What is page  # you have the issue with the author and we can discuss the appropriate detail for your edification.

Rami and David's responses were just superb scholarship.
Kismet Domino: Faith/Courage/Liberty/Abundance/Selfishness/Immorality/Apathy/Bondage or extinction.
Back to Top
senekerk View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar
Joined: 08 December 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 161
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote senekerk Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 January 2007 at 5:00pm

Originally posted by Sign*Reader Sign*Reader wrote:

Salaam Kay:
I had recommended the Br. Ling's acclaimed book for it's beautiful language and unique narrative loved by all I have come across.

Your point on his marriages should never be compared with the current western norm. Need a comparison look up the Prophets of the OT.

What is page  # you have the issue with the author and we can discuss the appropriate detail for your edification.

Rami and David's responses were just superb scholarship.


In respect to what has been written, I am focusing on a trival word-beauty- pg 168- Hafsa bint Umar described as beautiful and accomplished.

pg 213-Umm Salama described as a great beauty

pg 219 Zaynab bint Jash described as beautiful amd the Prophet(pbuh) was amazed by her beauty.

Pg 250 Juwaryirya, a captive- described as woman of great lovliness and beauty

pg 279 Safiyya bint Huyayy Captured in battle, described as beautiful-caused jealousy among other wives

pg 286-287 Maria al Qibitiyy- slave?? Prophet (pbuh) marveled at her beauty reavelation on banning.

I can see where some people would exploit the use of this word and cast doubt on the Prophet (pbuh) and his motives.  When i did a search for wives of Muhammad I got a list with motives and most were charity or political to cement relations with others. I don't really have a problem with more than one wife, but that word beautiful kept jumping out at me. 

 

 

Kay
Back to Top
peacemaker View Drop Down
Moderator Group
Moderator Group
Avatar
Male
Joined: 29 December 2005
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 3057
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote peacemaker Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 January 2007 at 5:53am

Senekerk:

Please ask your questions in Islam for non-Muslim section. This thread will be moved there.

Peace

Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?
Qur'an 55:13
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  123 5>
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.03
Copyright ©2001-2019 Web Wiz Ltd.