Islam a practical religion

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Why more marriages allowed in Islam (polygamy)?

First of all, it is important for us to keep in mind that Islam came to establish two very important fundamentals for human beings: 1) Rights 2) Limits. Everyone and everything has certain rights given to it by the Creator and Sustainer of the universe (Allah). At the same time, each creation has its own limitations established by Allah. First Right - Allah has the right to be worshipped without making partners from what He has created. Direct worship to Him, alone. Second Right - Prophet's right to be followed according to his treaching and commandments. Third Right - Parents rights to be honored and cared for, with special emphasis on the mother first. Fourth Right - Wives and Husbands have rights on each other.

Conditions 1,400 Years Ago Now let us do some basic research here. We begin by looking into the condition of the women in various societies at the time 1,400 years ago when Allah revealed the Quran to Muhammad, peace be upon him. Pagan Arabs - Burying Girls Alive During that time the pagan Arab men used to bury their newborn daughters alive in the sand, out of shame for having something so low and disgusting like a girl instead of a son. Women were treated horribly and with utter disgust. Men could marry as many as they liked and very often they owned women like cattle or sheep. There were no laws to protect the women and they had no rights at all. Christians - Arguing If Women Had Souls Christians at that time were holding council meetings to determine whether or not a woman even had a soul. The church blamed "Eve" the mother of all humans after Adam, peace be upon him, for the "original sin" and damned her and her seed for what she had done.

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Priests - Best Men - Forbidden Marriage - To Any Women Priests, bishops, cardnels and even the Pope are the very best of the Catholic men within the church. Yet the church still forbids their clergymen the chance for marriage and families. This unnatural situation has caused very serious ramifications throughout the society around the world. Nuns - Best Women - No Marriage - No Children Nuns are the very best of the Catholic women. They cover themselves in proper attire much the same way as the Muslim women. Yet, they are never allowed to marry or have children throughout their lives. This unnatural condition has caused untold number of disgraceful and disgusting practices within the very church itself. If Only Bad People Have Children - What About Tomorrow? We must ask the question, "If the very best of the men and the very best of the women are not allowed to marry or have children - does this mean only the worst of the people are the ones allowed to reproduce and populate the world?" - And where will that leave us tomorrow? Jews - Blame Women and Curse Women The Jews blamed women for the "original sin" and as such they were treated with disgust. A woman's monthly cycle was considered by the Old Testament of the Bible to be a "curse from God" for her inequities. Her child bearing pains were also a 'punishment from God' for her bringing man down from heaven. Islam - No Blame On Women For Evil Islam does not blame Eve for Adam's sin. Each of them accepted their own mistake and repented to Allah, and asked Allah to forgive them and Allah did forgive them. Now before going any further, please read surah An Nisa (chapter 4 in the Quran) all the way through, in order to better understand what is actually being said about women, men and marriage. Read Quran Now let us think about the verses. Do you believe that Allah Knows what He created and He has revealed the perfect 'deen'? Do you know the condition of the people at the time the order came to restrict the number of wives? (Restricted to be only four) Now read the verse about having more than one wife, very carefully. [4:3]

Islam a practical religion What does it say? And what do you understand from it?

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Now read the ayah (verse) that forbids men to marry women who are already married. [4:24]. Now read from An Nisa (Chapter 4) about the role of men and women. [4:34]

Man Supports And Protects Women Do you understand that one must take on the role of supporter, protector, provider, custodian and servant to the family (man's role)? Woman Gives Birth - Raises Children One must take on the role of carrying the child and delivering it and then feeding it and raising it to become a true servant of Allah (woman's role). Not Equal - But Treated Fairly In Justice Men and women are not the same nor are they "equal" as some folks would have us believe. Whatever is on one side of an 'equals' sign must be exactly the same as what is on the other side without any difference in value, only in the way that it is expressed. How then could we say that a man, who is unable to conceive or give birth and then breast feed a baby is the equal to a woman who can? Equal In Faith And Actions They are equal in their beliefs and good deeds of course. But still they are not the same as each other. Each one must fulfill their role as humans. Children's Rights Protected Islam is also very much about rights. Children also have rights in Islam. When a man dies his wealth is left to his family. How could the court know who to give the wealth of a man, if he was one of several husbands to a woman? How would a child know who his father was? No society ever supported the concept of a woman being married to two or more men at the same time. Women's Right - Best Treatment Almost every society supported the concept of a man having more than one woman. Yet, they did not limit the number nor did they provide the protection and maintenance that Islam insists on for each one. Islam came to set things straight. Women were given rights. Men were strictly ordered to treat their women with the very best of treatment.

Islam a practical religion Limit - Number in Marriage

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When the verse was revealed the companions of Muhammad, peace be upon him, did not run out with the attitude that they were going to get four wives all of a sudden. Some of them already had much more than that and these men had to divorce their wives, if they had more than four. So this was not an order to go out and get four wives. It was an order to begin limitations. And the first limitation was; No more than four. Limit - Equal Maintenance and Treatment Second, the limitation of equal treatment for all of them. How could a man keep more than one wife unless he was exceedingly wealthy and/or exceedingly strong and virile? Next, the limitation very clearly states; ".. but if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly (with them) then only one ..." Muslims Today - Most Monogamous Step by step, the men of Islam have come to be known today as the most monogamous of all men on earth (we only have one wife). Check for yourself and see. In the majority of all the Muslim homes on earth, a man gets married once, to one woman and then he stays married to her until the death of either himself or his wife. Woman's Right To Choose Any Husband She Likes Even If He Is Already Married One very important point that is often overlooked by modern society is the right that Islam gave to the women that it does not give to the man. A man is limited to marry only from the woman who is not already married. Obviously, this provides rights for the children and provides for them from inheritance from the father. But Islam also permits the women to marry a man who is already married to protect her in a society where the number of women outnumbers the population of men. Additionally, the woman has a large selection of men to choose from. In fact, she has the right to choose from any man in the community as long as he does not already have four wives. She also has the opportunity to see how the other wife was being treated and go into a marriage knowing exactly what to expect from her husband. After all, he must treat her in the same way as he is treating the other wife. Women Need Husbands - Allah Provided the Answer The prophet, peace be upon him, predicted that in the Last Days the women would outnumber the men to a great extent. Today we are seeing this become a reality all over the world. Allah has already provided for us for this occasion. After all, He is the One who makes it all happen and He already knew that many women would come into Islam in these days. He also knew many of the Muslim men would be killed or die at an early age, just as it is happening these days. These women all need husbands. Allah has given us the solution to all of life's problems.

Islam a practical religion Women's Right to Vote - 1,400 Years Ago

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We might add that Islam also gave the women full status as citizens over 1,400 years ago by giving her to right to speak and vote the same as anyone else. American women had to take their cause to the streets with "Women's Suffrage" and were not granted the right to vote until just ninety years ago.

Women Keep Their Identity - And Their Names Additionally, Islam protected women's rights to keep their identity and they were not considered property of some man. As such, they were no longer forced to change their last names to be that of their husbands. This is still the practice of Muslim women today just as it was fourteen hundred years ago. Women Keep Their Property And Earnings - Men Must Share Yet, at the same time the western society is so concerned about the way Islam demands that a couple be married, the man actually must work instead of the woman; the woman owns her own property without giving anything for the support of the house or the child; a child has the right to his or her own mother raising them instead of a baby sitter or day care; father must support his children; divorce is hated; and marriage is sanctified. West Can't Tolerate Man And Woman - In Marriage It is strange isn't it, a society like America, has no problem accepting sex without marriage; homosexuality; same sex marriages; sex without responsibility; children without fathers; and divorces are more common place than the measles or chicken pox. Yet, there is no tolerance for marriage between a man and a woman if it is not on their terms. What Needs to Be Re-evaluated? Compare the two for yourself and see which one needs correction.

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Prophet Marriages
When prophet's married Khadija (r.a) at the age of 25, she was twice widowed and 40 years old. Until his first wife Khadija (ra) was alive; he never took a second wife. People falsely accuse the Prophet (pbuh) of being hypersexual, because he had eleven wives. If you take a note of his marital life, only two of his marriages one with Khadija (ra), and the other, with Aishah (ra) were marriages in the normal course. All his other marriages were contracted as a necessity and were based on various considerations. All the conditions of types of marriages as demonstrated by the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) reflect the wisdom behind his marriages as discussed in coming pages. It is to be highly noted that after prophets emigration to Medinah, the enemies of mission increased their assault from all sides. The Battles of Badr, Uhud and Allies (Trench) were fought near or around Medinah. In these battles until the year 627 CE, the non-believers with encouragement from Jews and other Arabian tribes attacked the Prophet and Muslim community. The Muslims while defending their city and religion lost many men, which resulted in many widowed Muslim women and numerous orphaned children. Additionally, in Arabia, no one could carry on the work of reform and upliftment unless he belonged to, or was related to some specific and respectable tribe. Thus, in the interest of his mission, the Prophet (pbuh) needed inter-tribal relationships. Therefore, in these hard circumstances, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) married several women during 53rd 59th year of his life, with an objective to: 1) Support the widowed women and their children 2) Benefit his mission from matrimonial/political alliance 3) Demonstrate the Muslims of that time and future generations about the type of marriages that can be allowed under Islam. However, it could also be noted that he did not contract any marriage in the last three years of his life (i.e. 60th 63rd year of his life), following the revelation limiting the number of wives up to a maximum of four. This is the first time in the history of revealed scriptures that a limit on the number of wives was imposed and the terms of conduct were specified. The Prophet was instructed not to divorce any of his wives after this revelation [Qur'an 33:52]. All of the ladies he took as wives were either widowed or divorced, except Aishah.

His Age

Marital Timeline

Hijri Years

Gregorian Years (AD)

Prophet born on 570 CE

Bachelor Life Married at the age of 25

Bachelor life for 24 years

MARITAL TIMELINE OF PROPHET MOHAMMED (PBUH)

Important Events
Start of Prophethood migrate to madina Battle of Badr Battle of uhud Battle of Trench Conquest of Makkah

With Wife Khadija (r.a.) Death of Khadija (r.a.) 620 CE With other Wives For another 7 years

Married with one wife for 26 years

13 Years magnified on next page

Prophet Death 620 CE

Death of Prophet

53 52 51 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 42 41 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

570 571 572 573 574 575 576 577 578 579 580 581 582 583 584 585 586 587 588 589 590 591 592 593 594 595 596 597 598 599 600 601 602 603 604 605 606 607 608 609 610 611 612 613 614 615 616 617 618 619 620 621 622 623 624 625 626 627 628 629 630 631 632

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63

After the death of Khadija (r.a.), Prophet took various wives, when his age was between 53 - 59, for various reasons mentioned below

Period of 13 years after the death of Khadija (r.a.)

Note that:
* Prophet did not run to marry immideatly after the death of Khadija (r.a.)

51

52

53

54

55

56

57

58

59

60

61

62

63

His Age

620

621

622

623

624

625

626

627

628

629

630

631

Gregorian Years (CE) Hijri Years

632

* Prophet married widowed Sawdah (r.a.) after the death of his first wife Khadija (r.a.) on the grounds to support her * Prophet married to A'ishah (r.a.) to foster the ties with his close campanion in his hard times when he had few followers. Note the period of his migration to Madina. * Note the lost battle of Uhud and thereafter various political/matrimonial alliances. * Note No marriage was done after revelation from Quran to restrict the max marriages to 4 and also the period of victory of Makkah.

10

Conquest of Makkah

Migrate to Madina

Important Events

Won

Lost

Victory

His Age 53 - 56

Wives (r.a.) Sawdah Aishah Juwayreeyah Maymunah Umm Habibah Safiyyah Hafsah Zaynab Zaynab Mary

Probable Reason of Marriage Support to widow (See Note 1 on last pages of document) Matrimonial alliance with his close companion in time when he had little supporters (see note 2) Matrimonial alliance with bitter ememy clan (see note 3) Matrimonial alliance with bitter ememy clan (see note 4) Matrimonial alliance with another bitter ememy clan (see note 5) Matrimonial alliance with jews (see note 6) Matrimonial alliance with his close companion to strengthen the ties (see note 7) Support to divorced (See Note 8) Support to widow (See Note 9) Political alliance with egypt's christian king (see note 10)

56 - 59

Death of Prophet

Battle of Trench

Battle of uhud

Battle of Badr

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Aishah (r.a.) age at the time of marriage

First of all, it is important to know: Before engaging to Prophet, Aishah was already engaged to a non Muslim man named Jober Ibn Al-Moteam Ibn Oday. Back then, the people of Mecca did not object to Aishah 's engagement to Jober because she was physically big enough and tall enough to be considered for marriage. It was Aishah 's parents who married her to the Prophet. No Muslim or even pagan objected to the marriage because marriage in young age was widely practiced. One of the reasons no one objected was to the marriage was short life span of the people in Arabia. They used to live between 40 to 60 years maximum. So it was only normal and natural for girls to be married off at ages 9 or 10 or similar. It is important to know that girls during the Biblical and Islamic days used to be married off at young ages when they either had their first periods, or their physical sign start showing off. In other words, when they turn into "women", then they get married off. Even today in many third-world non-Muslim and Muslim countries marriage at younger age is prevalent, couple of example are shown in coming pages.

What Bible & Talmud tells about their Prophets?

According to Christian resources, Mary was 12-14 when she had Jesus. According to the Priest of Saint Mary's Catholic Church when she first was arranged with Joseph she was between 7 to 9 years old and was only 13 when she married Joseph. Her husband Josephs age is believed to be around 36 that time There are proofs from the Jews' Holiest Book, the Talmud, that girls were married off before at the age of 3 In Exodus 21:10, a man can marry an infinite amount of women without any limits to how many he can marry. In 2 Samuel 5:13; 1 Chronicles 3:1-9, 14:3, King David had six wives and numerous concubines. In 1 Kings 11:3, King Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines. In 2 Chronicles 11:21, King Solomon's son Rehoboam had 18 wives and 60 concubines.

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All Muslim scholars agree 100% that Prophet Muhammad and Aishah were engaged for 2 years before marriage. However, some say that she was 7 when she got engaged, and 9 when she got married. Others say that she was 9 when she got engaged and 11 when she got married. I personally think that it makes more logical sense to say that she was 9 when she got engaged to Prophet Muhammad and 11 when she got married, because if she were 7 when she got engaged to the Prophet, then how old was she when she first got engaged to Jober? I don't think she was big enough and mature enough to get engaged with Jober before the age of 7. I don't think her parents would have allowed it. If indeed the marriage of Aishah was something, which was despicable even at that time and in that culture, this fact would never have been recorded for posterity and all efforts to conceal or cloud it would have been undertaken. But the fact that this hadith had reached us after it was recorded centuries ago and to all the Muslim generations in between proved that the marriage was culturally and morally acceptable and the fact is also that the Muslim community at that time remained unshaken in its faith in his Prophethood and the message which he had brought bear testimony to this assertion. If we look at the life of Aishah, she was without doubt one of the foremost scholars of Islam. It is even said that she had attained in her lifetime the position of Mufti - someone capable of giving religious rulings - a position very few Muslims will ever occupy. She was seeked by many, both men and women, who hungered for knowledge and they came to her from all directions, Yemen, Bahrain, Syria. History does not know of any woman who was approached by so many for such a noble purpose.. If indeed she had became a victim of sexual abuse she would in most probability be devastated emotionally, psychologically, mentally and perhaps even physically but the achievements she had made in her life after the death of the Prophet proved that she was a woman who was in complete control of her faculties, becoming one of the intellectual giants of Islam. And the fact that she had spoken so dearly of the Prophet was indicative of the innocence of the marriage and of the impeccable character of her husband because given the trust enjoyed by her by the virtue of her relationship with him, she could have unleashed a vengeful attack against him by attributing to him words or deeds of horrendous nature if indeed she was a victim of his supposed lust, destroying both the Prophet and Islam Some people argue that but still, she is considered a child in our standards today. Lot of the things we do today are not right in the eyes of many. Our "standards" today mean nothing to what took place 1400 years ago. Today, anyone under 18 years old is considered a "child", a baby still under his mom and dad's care. Back then on the other hand, people who reached the age of 18 were considered wise and very mature.

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There is a famous Islamic figure called "Osama bin Zayd (or Zaid)". This man was once a leader or one of the leaders of the Muslims who met the Roman Christians. He defeated them. He was only 16 to 18 years old. Mughal King Babur writes in his autobiography Baburnama: "In the month of Ramzan of the year 899 (June 1494 AD) and in the 12th year of my age, I became the Padshah(king) in the country of Farghana." When Philip led an attack on Byzantium in 340 BC, Alexander, aged 16, was left in command of Macedonia. On the afternoon of June 10 - 11, 323 BC, Alexander died of a mysterious illness at the age of 33. The gypsy, or romany people, of Indian descent who now for the most part occupy eastern Europe, arrange their children in marriage. They arrange the children at the age of 9 to be engaged for 3 or 4 years before they are married. The only ground for divorce in their culture is failure to conceive a child within a year of marriage. Also, compared to Europeans, the average life span of the Romany is around 45, compared with those life spans in the 60's and 70's, so when their children are married, their lives are about 1/3rd over.

So the point is, Aishah, peace be upon her, might look as child to you, but 14 centuries back then she certainly was considered as "woman" who was qualified for marriage

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A 12-year old Christian girl getting married in Romania:

The following article was taken from: http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/09/30/romanian.gypsy.ap/index.html Purpose: To show the reader that even today, and even among the Christian societies, little girls are given away for marriage at a very young age. So condemning Prophet Muhammad's Marriage from Aisha, which happened 1500 years ago is ridiculous, because not only today little girls get married, but it is strongly believed among Jews and Roman Catholics that Mary was between 12 to 14 when she got pregnant with Jesus.

Activists condemn Gypsy girl's arranged wedding in Romania

Tuesday, September 30, 2003 Posted: 3:58 PM EDT (1958 GMT)
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) -- Human rights activists and Romanians on Tuesday condemned the arranged marriage of a 12-year-old Gypsy girl, saying it was illegal and a violation of human rights.

Birita Mihai, 15, and Ana Maria Cioaba, 12, walk into a church during their controversial wedding.

Ana Maria Cioaba, 12, was married off Saturday to Birita Mihai, 15. The reluctant bride once stormed out of the church during the service and later told reporters she did not consider herself to be married. The marriage -- which made the front pages of many Romanian newspapers -- had been arranged by the girl's father, Florin Cioaba, a self-declared Gypsy king. The forced marriage was a human rights violation, said Mark Percival, the leader of the Romanian Think Tank, a group that fights for democratic reforms in Romania. "I totally condemn this marriage. It is against European Union legislation. It is violation of the right to marriage because they are being forced into a marriage they don't want," Percival said Tuesday. Romania hopes to join the EU in 2007. "Romanian authorities ought to take appropriate action to prevent this violation of human rights," he said.

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Romanian law allows 16-year-olds to get married if they have parental consent. People 18 or older can marry as they choose. Romania is generally tolerant of the traditions of Roma, as Gypsies also are known, including the custom of marrying children. Marriages involving children aren't consider legal, and many Roma never marry legally. "They are messing with the life of a human being. Maybe that girl wanted something else out of life -- not to marry before she was 13," said Valentin Militaru, a 23-yearold computer specialist from Bucharest. The marriage was unlawful because "it is instigation to illegal sex between minors," said Nicolae Stefanescu-Draganesti, the president of the League for Human Rights. Sex involving people younger than 16 is considered statutory rape in Romania. Baroness Emma Nicholson, the European Union envoy to Romania, called on authorities to separate the couple. But Dana Cherendea, an adviser to Florin Cioaba, said the rebellious bride had begun to "resign herself to her fate." "They spent the (wedding) night together. It was the deal," Cherendea said by telephone. The girl and her father were set to appear Tuesday evening on Romanian television in a bid to defend the marriage, she added. "Nobody asked her whether she wanted it," Cherendea said. "It is part of a tradition for Gypsies, and the marriage shows that traditions are respected. "It is not the one you want, it's the one you get."

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A 9-year old Thai girl gave birth:

The following picture and article from the news item of the New Straits Times, 10/3/2001.

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In our world today, we still have people especially in the third world countries, marry very young girls. Why should we call someone who married a 9-year old girl 1400 years ago a child molester, when we still practice it today? The girl above even gave birth at the age of 9! And should we also call Aisha's (our Prophet's wife) parents child molesters too, since they agreed by their own will and choice to marry their daughter to our Prophet, and they were proud of it too?

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India Child-Marriage Laws Ignored

RAJGARH, India, May 13, 2005

11-year-old Rekha, left, stands with her groom Bheeram Singh, 16, after their marriage in Rajgarh,India. (AP) http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/05/13/world/main695062.shtml Ignoring laws that ban child marriages, hundreds of children, some as young as seven years old, were married this week in a centuries-old custom across central and western India. Held to coincide with "Akkha Teej," a summer festival believed to be auspicious for weddings, the marriages took place mostly in small towns and villages, where the laws have little effect and officials could do little more than record the names of the children being married. Hundreds of children were married this week in Rajgarh, about 65 miles northwest of Bhopal, the capital of the central state of Madhya Pradesh. "The law to stop child marriage is not powerful enough," Girija Mewada, a police constable posted at a Hindu temple in Rajgarh, said Wednesday, as she noted down the names of young couples who went to the temple for wedding blessings. India law prohibits marriage for women younger than 18 and men under age 21, and parents who break the law nearly all such marriages are arranged by parents can be jailed for up to three months. But while the practice is dying out among urban, educated people, child marriages remain common in rural areas. There, it is seen as being beneficial for both families: The bride's parents don't have to support her for very long, and the groom's family gains an unpaid servant, often treated as virtual slave, who usually brings a dowry. The children remain in their parents' houses, though, until the girl reaches puberty, after which she is brought to the groom's home with great ceremony and the marriage is consummated.

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Was Muhammad a pedophile?

Okay, lets have a look at the psyche of a typical pedophile, and see how much of it fits Muhammad shall we? Quoted text is taken from Understanding the Pedophile Psyche, courtesy of the Police Federation of England & Wales: http://www.polfed.org/magazine/08_2001/80_2001_paedophile.htm "Low self esteem. Many pedophiles, although by no means all, do not have a great sense of capacity for adopting a sexual demeanor towards adults or those of their own age or older. They feel unhappy and fearful at the prospect of sexual behaviour with adults and hence turn to children due to the fact that they are unable to have the strength of personality to seek adults for sexual demeanor. When considering treatment therefore it is important to establish and develop a higher sense of selfesteem in such individuals." As well as being married to Aisha, he was also married to many other women during his life. He wasn't certainly suffering from low self-esteem. Therefore, this does not apply to Muhammad. "Lack of impulse control. Many pedophiles find it extremely difficult to deal with the impulsive nature which inclines them towards sexual behaviour to children. They simply cannot control their need for engaging children in sexual practices. They might be said to suffer from an obsessive-compulsive condition. Here again treatment would involve developing better impulse control and of course redirecting the sexual inclinations." As has been mentioned before, Muhammad waited for at least two years before consummating the marriage. Therefore, this point of 'lack of self control' does not apply to Muhammad. Also, fasting during Ramadan requires abstention from sexual relations. Why would Muhammad practise this if he had no self-control? "Denial. Many pedophiles deny there is anything wrong with having sexual relations with children and many will in due course paradoxically deny having carried out such practices should they be confronted. It is vital to change the attitudes of such individuals much as in the lack of empathy with their victim." Muhammad never once denied having sex with his wife. Also note the use of the term 'victim'. Aisha could not be described as a victim. Therefore, this does not apply to Muhammad. "History of previous pedophile activity. Many pedophiles have carried out minor or major acts of pedophile behaviour in the past and this has led to habit as well as the obsessive-compulsive nature of the act towards children. It is vital here to promote alternative habits i.e. in attitudes and demeanor of sexual behaviour with adults."

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Muhammad has no history of pedophile activity whatsoever. Also, as I pointed out, all of Muhammad's other wives were adult, and there is no evidence of him being obsessed with children. Therefore, this doesn't apply to Muhammad. "Poor family relationships - many pedophiles have come from families that are in chaos or are lacking in stability. This has led them to view sexual behaviour with children rather than adults as acceptable especially if this has been practised upon them by a member of the family in the past. Although it is difficult to reverse what has happened in the past through discussion or attitude changes it is vital that insight must be gained by the individual into how his/her pedophile activity originated and was developed through the family dynamics." Although he was orphaned at a young age, Muhammad was always very close to all his family members, and advocated that whosoever cuts the bond of kith and kin, he/she would be denied paradise. Therefore, this does not apply to Muhammad. "Low IQ - there are pedophiles who have low intelligence but by no means all are in this category. Where this is the case appropriate therapeutic efforts must be made to develop understanding of what they are doing wrong and what they must do to change." Despite being illiterate, Muhammad had a reputation for being a very bright young boy, an excellent trader, and an extremely wise man. Therefore, this point does not apply to Muhammad. "Loneliness, depression and relationship needs - this particular trait is associated with low self-esteem and lack of empathy with the victim. Many pedophiles are lonely individuals who live on their own and have found it difficult to establish relationships with adults, especially for sexual purposes. Some suffer from psychological problems and even psychotic illnesses. Here intensive treatment and monitoring is in order." Muhammad wasn't suffering from depression when he married Aisha. Also, low selfesteem, loneliness, and difficulty to establish relations could not be attributed to Muhammad. "Having been themselves sexually abused - many pedophiles have themselves been sexually abused in the past by adults. They merely imitate what they experienced and continue their activity considering it as appropriate since it was done to them." This certainly isn't true. Therefore, it is quite demonstrated that, despite the fact Muhammad married a nine-year old girl, he could NOT be considered a pedophile.

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What Prophet said in his last sermon about Women?

(This Sermon was delivered on the Ninth Day of Dhul Hijjah 10 A.H in the Uranah Valley of mount Arafat )

"O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I don't know whether, after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you carefully and TAKE THIS WORDS TO THOSE WHO COULD NOT BE PRESENT HERE TODAY. O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your LORD, and that HE will indeed reckon your deeds. ALLAH has forbidden you to take usury (Interest), therefore all interest obligation shall henceforth be waived... Beware of Satan, for your safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things. O People, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have right over you. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers. And it is your right that they do not make friends with any one of whom you do not approve, as well as never to commit adultery. O People, listen to me in earnest, whorship ALLAH, say your five daily prayers (Salah), fast during the month of Ramadhan, and give your wealth in Zakat. Perform Hajj if you can afford to. You know that every Muslim is the brother of another Muslim. YOU ARE ALL EQUAL. NOBODY HAS SUPERIORITY OVER OTHER EXCEPT BY PIETY AND GOOD ACTION. Remember, one day you will appear before ALLAH and answer for your deeds. So beware, do not astray from the path of righteousness after I am gone. O People, NO PROPHET OR APOSTLE WILL COME AFTER ME AND NO NEW FAITH WILL BE BORN. Reason well, therefore, O People, and understand my words which I convey to you. I leave behind me two things, the QUR'AN and my example, the SUNNAH and if you follow these you will never go astray. All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me direcly. BE MY WITNESS O ALLAH THAT I HAVE CONVEYED YOUR MESSAGE TO YOUR PEOPLE."

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Rights Islam gave to women 14 centuries back!!!

Prophets first wife (Khadija) was actually his boss, and was probably earning far greater money than he! And he had no problem with that. Prophet said that a daughter was as special and deserved as much (or more) respect as a son. Prophet gave women special rights all of which were not seen before either in Arabia or elsewhere.

Banned female infanticide, The right to manage their finances, The right to attend the mosque, The right to work and earn and keep their money, The right not to work and not to contribute their money to the family, The right to own property / land, The right to receive inheritances, The right to choose their marriage partners, The right to veto a marriage proposal, The right to keep their keep her maiden name (surnames), The right to seek divorce, The right to serve as witnesses in court, The right to participate in politics and the right to vote, The right to receive a dowry and the right to keep it forever from her husband, The right to fight alongside men on the battlefield.

Islam a practical religion Notes:

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Note 1: After khadija (r.a.) death, the Prophet married a widowed Muslim woman, Sawdah (ra) who was fifty years old. Note 2: He contracted marriage to Aishah, the daughter of his dear companion Abu Bakr in order to foster ties of relationships. She joined the Prophet in Medinah, completing the marriage contract. Sawdah and Aishah (ra) were the only wives until he was fifty-six years old. Note 3: She belonged to the Banu Mustaliq clan, which was very powerful. The entire clan was a bitter enemy of Islam from the start, and they were finally suppressed by military action. When the Prophet (pbuh) married Juwayreeyah (ra), the Muslims released all their prisoners, saying that they could not keep the prophets relatives in bondage. It was due to this marriage that the whole clan of Banu Mustaliq accepted Islam and became peaceful and obedient to the laws of the new Islaamic state Note 4: She also came from a very powerful and recalcitrant clan from Najd and was the sister of the wife of the chief of the clan in those days. It was this clan which had brutally murdered seventy members of an Islaamic missionary deputation. The Prophets (pbuh) marriage with Maymunah (ra) changed the whole atmosphere and Najd accepted Madinahs authority under the leadership of the Prophet (pbuh). Note 5: She was the daughter of the Quraysh chief, Abu Sufyan. It was after the Prophets (pbuh) marriage to Umm Habibah, that Abu Sufyan never fought against the Prophet (pbuh). This marriage was largely responsible for the conquest of Makkah. Furthermore, Umm Habibah was first married to a certain Ubaydullah and emigrated with him to Abyssinia, where Ubaydullah became a Christian and a drunkard. Excessive consumption of wine killed him since it was a double shock to her that her husband had become a Christian and later died, she was badly in need of solace. Note 6: She was the daughter of a very prominent Jewish chief, Huyyah ibn Aktab. In consideration of her family status, she could not be merged into an ordinary household. So the Prophet (pbuh) himself married her. After this marriage, the Jews did not dare to revive their opposition to the Prophet (pbuh) and his mission. Note 7: In the case of Hafsah (ra), it was the Prophets (pbuh) desire to bind in relationship with those of his great companions (sahabah) who were his advisers and who were trained for future leadership. He had married Abu Bakrs (ra) daughter, married two of his own daughters to Uthman (ra) and one to Ali (ra). Umar (ra) could not be kept outside this wide circle of relationship. By marrying Umars daughter Hafsah (ra), the Prophet (pbuh) forged a strong bond of relationship within the Islamic movement thus strengthening the pillars of the ummah. Note 8: The Prophet (pbuh) had married his first cousin, Zaynab (ra), to his freed slave, Zayd ibn Haritha (ra), whom he had adopted as his son. This marriage of Zaynab (ra) with Zayd (ra) was intended to break the family and social barriers, but the marriage did not prove to be successful and ended in divorce. When the Prophet

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(pbuh) saw that Zaynab (ra) was left alone, he felt his responsibility in the matter. He also had to break another convention, according to which an adopted son became a real son. This difficult problem was solved by the Prophets (pbuh) marriage to Zaynab (ra) (as mentioned in the Quran, in Surah Ahzab, chapter no 33 verse 37) to annul that pre-Islamic conception and promulgate an Islamic law instead. Note 9: Another lady Zaynab (ra), Umm al Masakin (mother of the poor and helpless), daughter of Khuzayma ibn Al-Haith, belonged to the Hawazin clan. Her husband was killed in the battle of Uhud. To rescue her from widowhood, the Prophet (pbuh) took her as his wife. Note 10: After the revelation of the verse in Surah Ahzab, chapter 33 verse 52, the Prophet (pbuh) only married Mary the Copt who was a slave girl sent as a present by the Christian Muqauqas of Egypt. Since the Christian Chieftain of Egypt sent Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) a slave girl as a present, he did not refuse it, as a refusal would have disturbed the political alliance. However, he could not keep her as a slave girl, since Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) preached that slaves should be freed. Therefore by marrying her, he elevated her status from a slave to a honourable wife.