Re: First wife’s permission
Peace Theorist,
Hence you are not a Muslim and the points you raised seems fairly but I suggest you to ask from a qulified scholars who can answer you in details with more positive way. I would like to answer to you first Para at post # 51. Hope this will help others members too who raised same points but slightly in different way.
Allah SWT said in Holy Quran Chapter 2 verse 228 " Divorced women remain in waiting for three periods, and it is not lawful for them to conceal what Allah has created in their wombs if they believe in Allah and the Last Day. And their husbands have more right to take them back in this [period] if they want reconciliation. And due to the wives is similar to what is expected of them, according to what is reasonable**. **But the men have a degree over them [in responsibility and authority]. And Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise ."
The difference in economic position between the sexes makes the man’s rights and liabilities a little greater than the woman’s, subject to this, the sexes are on terms of equality in law, and in certain matters the weaker sex is entitled to special protection.
Moreover Allah SWT said in Chapter 4 verse 34: “Men are in charge of women by [right of] what Allah has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth. Sorighteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband’s] absence what Allah would have them guard. But those [wives] from whom you fear arrogance - [first] advise them; [then if they persist], forsake them in bed; and [finally], strike them. But if they obey you [once more], seek no means against them. Indeed, Allah is ever Exalted and Grand.”
This verse refers to the duty of the man to maintain the woman, and to a certain difference in nature between the sexes. In this verse an arabic word “Qawwam”, means one who stands firm in another’s business (the husband’s interest) in his absence, as Allah SWT has protected them. If we take the rendering as in the text, the meaning is: the good wife is obeident and harmonious in her husband’s presence, and in his absence guards his reputation and property and her own virtue, as ordained by Allah SWT. If we take the rendering as in the note, we reach the same result in a different way; the good wife, in her husband’s absence, remembering how Allah SWT has given her a sheltered position, does everything to justify that position by guarding her own virtue and his reputation and property.
In my previous post, I already quoted and wrote details of the verse 3 Chapter 4. We are all here to seek knowledge. My knowledge is less and i’m not here to win this debate nor i think anyone else trying to win this debate tactically playing with his/her words.
And those verses are what I have a problem with. Men are not in charge of women and men do not have a degree over women. If this is enforced in our society, a woman as an independent individual will never flourish and that is exactly what I see when i look at the Muslim world. It is these"God given" rights that hold women back and men are able to walk all over them.
All these conditions are invalid when a woman is able to support herself since she doesn’t need to answer to anybody. Then try bringing another wife over her, I can’t imagine any independent woman not having a problem with it.