Islam Under Scrutiny by Ex-Muslims

Islamic Women's Day

The world just celebrated the 8th of March 2005 as the International Women's' day (IWD). The print and the electronic media remembered this day by publishing a plethora of articles, essays, features, news reports-and what not. In a few newspaper reports I also noted some Muslim women demonstrating in Kuwait, Turkey and Bangladesh demanding some basic human rights that are denied to them by their male-dominated Muslim societies.  

I was wondering how come this time around the Islamists did not come up with a pure Islamic version of International Women's day? After all, you will surely notice that whenever the civilized world invents, discovers or declares some events that benefit the humanity the Islamists must, within a short period of time, devise an Islamic edition of it. This they do to demonstrate openly the absolute superiority of Islam over anything that the corrupt infidel world had thought to be beneficial to the human race irrespective of color, creed, religion or gender. This Islamic tactic is a clever political ploy by the Islamists around the world to mark the clear division between a fanatic Islamic World and the rest of humanity (the crooked infidel World). Thus, we have Universal Declaration of Islamic Human Rights (1990) in retaliation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by UN in 1940. The other good examples are: Red Crescent Society (in Islamic Paradises) in lieu of The International Red Cross, Islamic Psychology, Islamic Chemistry, Islamic Engineering, Islamic Refrigerators, Islamic Cola, Islamic Cell Phones, Islamic Paradise, Islamic Hell, Islamic Toilet, Islamic Tank, Islamic Bomb, Islamic Jets, Islamic Common Market-.and so on. You just name an item or idea and you are bound to find a clever Islamic version of it. Such is the craze and zealotry of the Islamists.  

So, what about Islamic Women's day?  Is there going to be such a day exclusively reserved for all the Muslimahs (female Muslims) living in all the Islamic Paradises? I can bet my bottom dollar that within a few years (possibly within the next 5 years or so) the Islamists will declare another day (not the 8th of March-it is infidel's calendar, so haram)-possibly a date commensurate with the celebration of the killing of infidels by some woman Jihadi suicide bomber (of course, the calendar to be followed will be Arabic-the Allah's calendar, no doubt) as the Islamic Women's Day..  

What do you think the Muslimahs, living in Islamic Paradises, will celebrate on this day of the Islamic Women's day?  

 Below, I have compiled some of the outstanding features of Islam which are exclusively applicable to all Muslimahs. These 'marvelous' features of Islam have been collected from the most authentic Islamic sources, viz. the Qur'an, the Hadis, the Sharia and Imam Ghazali, whose book, 'Ihya Uloom Ed-Din' is considered next to the Holy Qur'an. This list, of course, is not comprehensive. If you have time to skim through the vast ocean of Islamic of literatures you will surely discover many such incredible 'golden ' treatments of Muslimahs in Islamic societies. Please peruse this list and decide whether the entire feminine gender of the world should follow the Islamic world or not.  

[Note: To read the complete verses from the Qur'an and the excerpts from al-Hadis, you may click at the links provided in the reference. For those citations not available in the Internet I have quoted them in full from the book/s listed in the references.]  

Here is the compiled list of the 'golden' rights and provisions for all the Muslimahs in the Islamic World  

The right to be treated as diseased and as sex toys  

The Qur'an
Menstruation is a disease; can't have sex during a woman's period; after the period is over have sex in any manner, at any time and at any place; God loves those who are pure and clean...2:222  

Sahih Bukhari
Menstruation is a defect in women, for they cannot fast and pray during their periods...3.31.172


The right to be used as a sowing field

The Qur'an
Wives are tilths: sow in them in whatever manner you like...2:223  


The right to enjoy another husband after the third divorce from the previous husband (hilla marriage)

The Qur'an
If the divorce is pronounced three times then it becomes a final divorce and reconciliation is not possible without the former wife going through a hilla marriage; the wife must be married to another man and then he must divorce her, then only the woman is free to marry back her former husband again; these are God's laws-2:230  

Sahih Bukhari
An irrevocably divorced woman must marry another man (hila marriage) and have sexual intercourse with him before she can re-marry her former husband-8.73.107

The second husband must have sex for the woman to get a divorce to marry her first husband (hilla marriage)...7.63.187

The right to engage in Islamic prostitution through Mut'a marriage

The Qur'an
Give a dowry for deriving a benefit (sexual pleasure) from a woman and you can vary it mutually (mut'a marriage)- 4:24 

Sahih Bukhari
Muhammad granted permission for contract/temporary marriage with women-8.3246, 3247, 3248  

Sahih Muslim
A cloak was sufficient for a contract temporary marriage; Muhammad later asked that the women under contract temporary marriages should be let off (similar to prostitution)-8.3252, 8.3253, 3258  

The right to be treated as impure as a drunkard  

The Qur'an
You can't go to a mosque intoxicated or after having touched a woman... 4:43  

The right to be treated as unreliable and untrustworthy  

The Qur'an
Do not break your pledge similar to a woman who undoes her thread after she had spun it strong (i.e., women are not reliable, they easily break their pledges)-16:92

To uphold the inalienable superiority of men over women and the right to be beaten by husbands-no questions asked

The Qur'an
Men are protectors and maintainers of women; women must be devoutly obedient, if not then beat them... 4:34  

God asked Job to beat his wife with a green branch; he was a true believer-38:44  

Sunaan Abu Dawud
A man will not be asked as to why he beat his wife...11.2142

A woman who complains about the beatings she receives from her husband is not the best woman...11.2141  

Abdur Rahman I Doi, the recognized authority on Sharia, in his book, 'Women in Society'writes:  
A refractory wife has no legal right to object to her husband exercising his disciplinary authority. Islamic law, in common with most other systems of law, recognizes the husband's right to discipline his wife for disobedience.
(Prof. Abdur Rahman I. Doi Professor and Director, Center for Islamic Legal Studies, Ahmadu Bello University,  Zaira, Nigeria.   *

To uphold the right of a husband to have four wives at any time and any number of sex-slaves for all times; in case of objection by any wife the husband can beat her

The Qur'an
For men four free women wives (some say nine) at a time and any number of slave girls is permitted...4:3

Sunaan Abu Dawud
Umar told a man to beat his wife because she suckled a slave-girl with whom he used to have sex-30.2.13  

To uphold the right of husband to have sex with infidel women prisoner and sex-slaves

The Qur'an
Sex with captive women and slave women is permitted-23:5-6

Sex with wives, captives, slaves O.K....70:29-30  

The right to be treated as a dog, a pig, a monkey or an ass  

Sahih Bukhari
A prayer is annulled by a passing woman, a dog and a monkey; Aisha complained that Muhammad had made women dogs...1.9.490, 493,498

Aisha complained that women are equal to dogs...1.9.498  

Sahih Muslim
Aisha complained that Muhammad's followers made women like dogs and asses-4.1039  

Sunaan Abu Dawud
Women, slaves and camels are same; must seek Allah's refuge from all these...11.2155

A menstruating woman and a dog cuts off a prayer...2.0703  

Mishkat-ul-Masabih
An ass, a pig, a Jew, a Magian and a woman annuls a prayer-(volume 2, p.114, Hadis number 789)  

'Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: When anyone of you prays without a sutra, an ass, a pig, or a Jew, a Magian, and a woman make the prayer void (if they pass in front of him), it is enough for him, if these pass at a distance of a stone's throw from him.'

The right of ordinary women to be treated as crows  

Ghazali
The Prophet said : The example of a religious woman among general is that of a crow with white belly among the crows.-(volume 2, p.34)

The right of a Muslimah to be stupid and to become servants  

Sahih Bukhari
Majority of women are in hell because they are deficient in intelligence...1.6.301  

Ghazali
They (women, servants) are evil and posses little intelligence-(volume 2, p.34)
 

Muslim women forfeit their right to travel alone  

Sahih Bukhari
A woman should not travel alone for more than three days except without her Mahram...2.20.192, 193

A woman cannot travel without her husband or Dhi-Mahram, no man can visit her....3.29.85

A man is not permitted to be alone with a woman; a woman cannot travel alone-4.52.250  

Abdur Rahman I Doi, the recognized authority on Sharia, in his book 'Women in Society', writes:  
A husband has the legal right to restrict his wife's freedom of movement. He may prevent her from leaving her home without his permission unless there is a necessity or legitimate reason for her to do otherwise. However, it is his religious obligation to be compassionate and not to unreasonably restrict her freedom of movement. If there arises a conflict between this right of the husband and the rights of the wife's parents to visit her and be visited by her, the husband's right prevails in the wider interest of the family. Yet the Shari'ah recommends that he be considerate enough to waive his rights to avoid shame within the family.
(Prof. Abdur Rahman I. Doi Professor and Director, Center for Islamic Legal Studies, Ahmadu Bello University,  Zaira, Nigeria.   *

Women must keep their sexual organs ready at all times for the husband to enjoy them unhindered at any time-night or day  

Sahih Bukhari
The angels curse a woman for refusing to have sex with her husband-4.54.460

Marriage gives a man the right to enjoy a woman's private parts...7.62.81  

Sahih Muslim
Allah gets displeased with the woman who does not immediately respond when her husband demands sex from her-8.3367, 3368           

Ghazali
A wife should not refuse her husband if he wants to enjoy her body. If the wife of a man dies while he is pleased with her she will enter paradise. If a man wants sex his wife must comply with him even she is on the back of a camel. A woman cannot keep optional fast without her husband's permission. If she does God will not accept her fast-(volume 2, p.43)  

Women have the right to breast-feed an unrelated bearded man to make him haram

Sahih Muslim
A woman can suckle a grown up bearded man so that she becomes haram for him (i.e. she cannot get married to him)-8.3424, 3425, 3426, 3427, 3428  

Women are slaves (prisoners) and men are their masters (owners)  

Ghazali
Women are prisoners in a man's hand. Men have taken them as trusts from God and God has made their sexual parts lawful for men-(volume 2, p.33)  

Hedaya
A woman is a servant and the husband is the person served---(p.47)  

"Case of marriage on a condition of service from the husband.-IF -----it is not lawful that a woman should be in a situation to exact the service of her husband who is a freeman, as this would amount to a reversal of their appointed stations, for one of the requisites of marriage is, that the woman be as a servant, and the man as the person served; but if the service of the husband to the wife were to constitute her dower, it would follow that the husband is the servant and the wife as the served: and this being a violation of the requisites of marriage, is therefore illegal; but it is otherwise with the service stipulated to be performed by another free person, with that person's consent, as this offers no violence to the requisites of the contract; and so also in the case of service of a slave, because the service performed by a slave to his wife is, in fact, performed to his master, by whose consent it is that he undertakes it; and the same with the case of tending flocks, because this is a service of a permanent nature, and admitted to be performed for wives, and therefore, does not violate the requisites of marriage; for the service of the husband to his wife, as a dower, is prohibited only as it may be degrading to the former; but the tending of flocks is not a degrading office."

Islamic marriage is about sex for money (prostitution)  

Sunaan Abu Dawud
A woman becomes lawful if you give her a dower of two handfuls of flour or dates; a contract or temporary marriage can be done for a handful of grains...11.2105  

Teaching twenty verses of the Qur'an is enough as a dower to marry a woman-2.11.2106  

"Sahl b. Sa'd al-Sa'idi said: A woman came to the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) and said: Apostle of Allah, I have offered myself to you. When she stood for a long time, a man got up and said: Apostle of Allah, marry her to me if you have no need of her. The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) asked: Have you anything to give her as dower? He replied: I have nothing but this lower garment of mine. The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: if you give your lower garment, you will sit while you have no lower garment. So look for something else. He said: I do not find anything. He said: Look something even though it should be an iron ring. The man sought it but found nothing. The apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Do you know anything from the Qur'an? He said: Yes, I know surah so and so and surah so and so, which he named. The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: I have given you her in marriage for the part of the Qur'an which you know."  

Malik's Muwatta
The bride-price is the money that you pay to have sex with your woman; the bride-price is obligatory-28.4.12  

Sunaan Abu Dawud
If you marry a pregnant woman then her vagina is lawful if you pay the dowry, after she gives birth, flog her; the child becomes your slave...11.2126  

Hedaya
Full dower is the payment for the delivery of woman's person. Booza meaning Genitalia arvum Mulieris--- (p.44)  

"The wife entitled to her whole dower upon the consummation of the marriage or the death of the husband.-IF a person specify a dower of ten or more Dirms, and should afterwards consummate his marriage, or be removed by death, his wife, in either case, has a claim to the whole of the dower specified, because, by consummation, the delivery of the return for the dower, namely the Booza, or woman's person,* is established, and therein is confirmed the right to the consideration, namely, the dower; and, on the other hand, by the decease of the husband the marriage is rendered complete by its completion, and consequently is so with respect to all its effects. (* Literally, Genitale arvum Mulieris)"  

Maintenance of a wife is the custody for the purpose of enjoyment---(p.141)  

A wife has the right to decorate her husband when he goes out to have sex with his other wives  

Sahih Bukhari
Aisha used to scent Muhammad to have sexual intercourse with his other wives...1.5.270  

A woman should never be selected or elected as a ruler  

Sahih Bukhari
People ruled by a woman will never be successful...5.59.709  

Ghazali
Muhammad said, "No nation prospers over which a woman rules."-(volume 2, p.34)  

Muslim women uphold the right of Islamic Jihadists to rape infidel captive women right in front of their vanquished husbands  

The Qur'an
You can have sex with captive (wives of enemy) women even when their husbands are alive (i.e., sexual intercourse with married captive women is allowed)- 4:24  

Sahih Muslim
Muhammad allowed the horny Jihadists to rape the women captives--coitus interruption or not, what Allah has decreed will happen-8.3371, 3373, 3374, 3377  

Sunaan Abu Dawud
In the battle of Hunayn the Muslim Jihadists wanted to have sex with the captive women in front of their husbands; so Allah sent down 4:24 that allowed them to have sex with captives of war-2.11.2150  

'Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said: The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) sent a military expedition to awtas on the occasion of the battle of Hunain. They met their enemy and fought with them. They defeated them and took them captives. Some of the Companions of the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) were reluctant to have intercourse with the female captives in the presence of their husbands who were unbelievers. So Allah, the Exalted, sent down the Qur'anic verse "And married women (are forbidden) unto you save those (captives) whom your right hands possess." That is to say, they are lawful for them when they complete their waiting period.'  

If a woman wishes to get rid of her tyrannical husband she must refund the 'sex money' (Mahr) she received from him during marriage

Sahih Muslim
A woman must return the Mahr if she wants a divorce from her husband-7.63.197, 198, 199  

Sunaan Abu Dawud
A man can take back dower if the woman divorces him...12.2220  

Malik's Muwatta
If a woman separates from her husband then she must return all that she got from him-29.10.32  

Women have the right to undergo cliterodectomy (female circumcision or FGM) 

Sunaan Abu Dawud
Female circumcision-do not cut severely as that is better for a woman and more desirable for a husband-41.5251

Women are slaves and infidels-they are not fit to join the moral police force

Ghazali
A woman, a slave and an unbeliever is not fit to be a moral police...(volume 2, p.186)  

A husband has the right to have sex with his wife by force (the right to rape)

Hedaya
You can enjoy a wife by force---(p.141)  

"But not if she be refractory.-IF a wife be disobedient or refractory and go abroad without her husband's consent, she is not entitled to any support from him, until she return and make submission, because the rejection of the matrimonial restraint in this instance originates with her; but when she returns home, she is then subject to it, for which reason she again becomes entitled to her support as before. It is otherwise where a woman, residing in the house of her husband, refuses to admit him to the conjugal embrace, as she is entitled to maintenance, notwithstanding her opposition, because being then in his power, he may, if he please, enjoy her by force.(*Dirms have varied in their value at different times, from twenty to twenty-five passing current for a Deenar. The sum here mentioned is from about eighteen to twenty-two pounds sterling)"  

Women are cheap-you can have sex with a woman by simply teaching her how to recite a few verses from the Qur'an

Sahih Bukhari
You can marry a woman by teaching her to recite the Quran-6.61.547, 548

Ghazali
The best woman is she who is beautiful and whose dower is little-(volume 2, p.31)  

Barren women should be confined at homes-they are fit only to be in the house-prison

Ghazali
Muhammad said: A prison in the corner of a house is better than a childless woman-(volume 2, p.24)  

Sunaan Abu Dawud
A house, a horse and a woman is an evil omen; a mat in a house is better than a barren woman-3.29.3911  

"Sa'd b. Malik reported the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) as saying: There no hamah, no infection and no evil omens; if there is anything an evil omen, it is a house, a horse and a woman."  

Quoting 'Awn al-Ma'bud, IV, 28, Professor Ahmad Hasan, the translator of Sunaan Abu Dawud writes, "-.the evil omen of a woman is her barrenness and the evil omen of a horse is its not going for fighting in the path of Allah." (foot note 3333, p.1099)  

A woman has no say when her husband decides to add more wives in his harem; she can't even ask her husband to divorce her

Sahih Bukhari
A woman should not ask a man to divorce his current wife to marry her, instead she should happily accept to be his another wife-8.77.598  

Women are devils; they are as dirty and filthy as private parts are

Sahih Muslim
A woman advances and retires in the shape of a devil; so when one of you sees a woman, he should come to his wife and have intercourse with her-8.3240, 3242

Ghazali
If you see a woman in front she is a devil. After seeing such a woman hurry to your wife because your wife also becomes a devil; have sex with your wife-(volume 2, p.26)  

"Hazrat Jaber reported that once the Prophet looked to a certain woman. He soon went to his wife Zainab and performed his necessity. After that he came out and said: If a woman comes in front, she comes as a devil. If one of you sees a woman who please him, let him come to his wife as what is near that woman is also near his wife."  

Muhammad said, "A woman is like a private part. When she comes out the devil holds her high. A woman has ten private parts. When she gets married her husband covers one private part; when she dies the grave covers other nine private parts"-(volume 2, p.43)

Fear the company of women-they bring bad luck

Sahih Bukhari
Women, house and horses are evil omens...7.62.30, 31, 32

The evil omens are: the horse, the women and the house...4.52.110, 111  

Malik's Muwatta
A woman, a horse and a house bring bad luck-54.8.21, 22  

Sahih Muslim
Women are more harmful to men than anything else-36.6603, 6604  

Ghazali
Muhammad said, "There will remain no greater danger for the people after my death than women. Fear the world of women."-(volume 3, p.86)  

Muhammad said," A woman is the string of the devil."-(volume 3, p.87)  

Women have very little intelligence-their own testimony is inadmissible in rape cases; in other matters their testimony is half to that of a man

Qur'an
Confinement till death for lewdness by women four believing male witnesses are required to prove a woman's innocence... 4:15

Write the contract; women witness is half of men...2:282  

Sunaan Abu Dawud
Defect of reason in women are: testimony of two women for one man; defect of faith in women, no fasting during Ramadan-3.40.4662

"'Abd Allah b. Umar reported the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) as saying: I did not see more defective in respect of reason and religion than the wise of you (women). A woman asked: What is the defect of reason and religion? He replied: The defect of reason is the testimony of two women for one man, and the defect of faith is that one of you does not fast during Ramadan (when one is menstruating), and keep away from prayer for some days."

Women are less human-they get one-third of blood money, no booty (for Jihad) for them

Malik's Muwatta
The blood money for a woman is one-third of the blood money for a man; she can be given up to half of the blood money of a man-43.6.4b  

Sahih Muslim
Women Jihadiststs do not get booties except that they get a prize for participating in a jihad. -19.4458  

Women are worse than dead persons-they cannot follow a bier

Sahih Muslim
Women cannot follow the bier-4.2039  

Men should always oppose women

Ghazali
Hazrat Umar said, "Act opposite to women as there is reward in opposing them."-(volume 2, p.34)  

Women are easily expendable-a divorced woman gets no maintenance or alimony from her ex-husband

Sahih Muslim
No lodging and maintenance for an irrevocably divorced woman; Muhammad asked one such woman to be lodged with a blind man, Ibn Umm Maktum-9.3519, 3522, 3530  

A woman has the right to stay at home solely to provide sex to her husband  

Hedaya
The woman's stay at home is solely for sex-(p.54)  

"On the other hand the husband has no power to restrain his wife from going on a journey, or from going abroad, or visiting her friends, until such time as shall have discharged the whole of the Mihr Moajil, or prompt dower, because a husband's right to confine his wife at home is solely for the sake of securing to himself the enjoyment of her person, and his right to such enjoyment does not exist until after the payment of the return for it."    

A woman becomes a harlot when she wears perfume  

Mishkat al-Masabih
If a woman uses perfume she is an adulteress-(volume 2, p.255)  

Abu Musa reported Allah's messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as saying: Every eye is lustful and when a woman applies perfume and then goes about in an assembly she is like such and such i.e., adulteress. (Hadis number 1065).   

Conclusion:  If you are appalled by patiently reading what I diligently cited from the most authentic Islamic sources please bear in mind that those uncivilised Islamic provisions are not mere rhetoric or dead passages buried in the incredibly unfathomed depth of Islamic epics. Those Islamic requirements are living laws enacted in many Islamic Paradises, such as Saudi Arabia , Sudan , Afghanistan , Pakistan , Iran , certain parts of Nigeria and Malaysia . They are compulsory for all the Muslim women as well as for the infidel women living (in some Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia ) there. It is also feared that those barbaric Islamic customs may soon be imposed upon the Iraqi women. Isn't March 8th the most appropriate time for all women in the world to raise their call to free their Muslim sisters from such unimaginable, barbaric, medieval-age tyranny? There is no dignity, no respect and no basic human rights for women in the Muslim world. They are living in a world completely devoid of reason, justice, equality of gender and human dignity. Shall we not do something for these wretched, hapless women? Are we not living in a civilised society?

References 

1.     "The Holy Qur'an," the internet version of three English translations can be read at: http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/reference/reference.html

2.      Abu Dawud, Sulayman b. al-Ash'ath, "Al-Sunaan," a collection of Hadith, translated in English by Prof. Ahmad Hasan: [http://www.luc.edu/orgs/msa/abudawud/index.htm

3.      Abu Dawud, Sulayman b. al-Ash'ath, "Al-Sunaan," a collection of Hadith, (in 3 volumes) translated in English by Prof. Ahmad Hasan, Kitab Bhavan, 1784 Kalan Mahal, Daraya Ganj, New Delhi-110002 (India), 2001

4.      al-Bukhari, Muhammad b. Ismail, "Sahi Bukhari," translated in English by Dr Muhammad Muhsin Khan: *

5.      Muslim, Abu al-Hussain b. al-Hajjaj al-Qushairi, "Sahi Muslim," translated in English by Abdul Hamid Siddiqui:  *

6.      Ibn Abdullah Tabrizi, Sheikh Wali-ud-Din Muahmmad, "Mishkat-ul-Masabih," (in 3 volumes) translated and annotated by Abdul Hameed Siddiqui, Kitab Bhavan, 1784 Kalan Mahal, Daraya Ganj, New Delhi-110002, India,1990

7.      Al-Ghazali, Abu Hamid, 'Ihya Ulum-Ed-Din' (in 4 volumes), translated into English by Fazl-Ul-Karim, Darul Ishaat, Urdu Bazar, Karachi, Pakistan, First ed., 1993

8.      Hamilton, Charles, "Hedaya," translated in English in 1870 from the Persian version; reprinted by Kitab Bhavan, 1784 Kalam Mahal, Daraya Ganj, New Delhi, 1994.

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Abul Kasem writes from Sydney Australia. His e-mail address is humanist882004@yahoo.com