Honey...GIVE ME THE KEYS! (Mahram)

According to the most strict interpretation of the Hadiths, a woman is NOT allowed to travel or be alone with another man UNLESS that man is her Husband, Father, Brother or Mahram. A Mahram is an unmarriageable kin with whom sexual intercourse would be considered incestuous, which is a punishable taboo. Thus the Mahram serves as a possible escort outside of the woman's husband.

Sahih Muslim Book 026, Number 5400:

'Uqba b. Amir reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: BEWARE of getting, into the houses and meeting women (in seclusion). A person from the Ansir said: Allah's Messenger, what about husband's brother, whereupon he said: HUSBANDS BROTHER IS LIKE DEATH.

Sahih Muslim Book 007, Number 3108:

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: It is not lawful for a woman believing in Allah and the Hereafter to undertake journey extending over three days or more, except when she is in the company of her father, or her son, or her husband, or her brother, or any other Mahram.

Sahih Muslim Book 007, Number 3106:

Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: It is not lawful for a woman believing in Allah and the Hereafter to undertake journey extending over a day and a night except when there is a Mahram with her.

Sahih Muslim Book 007, Number 3105:

Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as saying: It is not lawful for a woman who believes in Allah and the Hereafter to undertake a day's journey except in the company of a Mahram.

Sahih Muslim Book 007, Number 3104:

Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: It is not lawful for a Muslim woman to travel a night's journey except when there is a Mahram with her.

Sahih Muslim Book 007, Number 3110:

Ibn 'Abbas (Allah be pleased with them) reported: I heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) delivering a sermon and making this observation:" NO PERSON SHOULD BE ALONE WITH A WOMAN except when there is a Mahram with her, and the woman should NOT undertake journey except with a Mahram." A person stood up and said: Allah's Messenger, my wife has set out for pilgrimage, whereas I am enlisted to fight in such and such battle, whereupon he said:" You go and perform Hajj with your wife."

Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) narrates that RasulAllah (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) said: ‘A woman MUST NOT travel EXCEPT with a Mahram and a man must NOT enter upon her except if she has a Mahram. (Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 1763).

Hmmmmmm....So, which is it? Three days, two days, a day and a night, only a night, or NEVER?

According to Sunnah.org:

It should be noted that the hadith of the three days does not mean in the understanding of the fuqaha' that she is allowed to travel alone for one day or two or up to three. THE PROHIBITION IS ABSOLUTE, as expressed explicitly in the hadith in Bukhari: "WOMEN ARE NOT TO TRAVEL EXCEPT WITH A MAHRAM" and this takes precedence over the hadith of the three days. This is stated by Nawawi in  Sahih Muslim and is confirmed by the fact that no one has considered permissible woman's travel alone whether for up to three days or for as little as one.

This picture is probably fake but very fitting for today's topic!

Her Worth. Blood money and equality in punishment in Islam.

There is a verse in the Qur’an :O ye who believe! The law of equality is prescribed to you in cases of murder: the free for the free, the slave for the slave, the woman for the woman.But if any remission is made by the brother of the slain, then grant any reasonable demand, and COMPENSATE HIM WITH HANDSOME GRATITUDE. This is a concession and a Mercy from your Lord. After this whoever exceeds the limits shall be in grave chastisement.

This obscure verse collided with U.S policy on January 27th 2011 when CIA agent Raymond Allen Davis shot and killed two Muslim Pakistinian men. On March 16th, 2011 in accordance to Islamic law, 2.34 million dollars was quietly paid to their families. The U.S denied having paid blood money.

So, what is Blood money(Diyyah) and Equality in Punishment(Qisas)? Like the Old Testament in the Bible, Islam also believes in equality in punishment (eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth). But in Islam, there is a provision where the heirs can accept ransom in place of the murderers death. But, this ONLY applies to Muslims, unbelievers don’t have the same rights. A Muslim’s family can demand the death of an unbeliever but an unbeliever’s family cannot demand the death of a Muslim. This is illustrated in the Hadiths:

Sahih Bukhari Volume 9, Book 83, Number 50:

Narrated Abu Juhaifa:

I asked 'Ali "Do you have anything Divine literature besides what is in the Qur'an?" Or, as Uyaina once said, "Apart from what the people have?" 'Ali said, "By Him Who made the grain split (germinate) and created the soul, we have nothing except what is in the Quran and the ability (gift) of understanding Allah's Book which He may endow a man, with and what is written in this sheet of paper." I asked, "What is on this paper?" He replied, "The legal regulations of Diya (Blood-money) and the (ransom for) releasing of the captives, and the judgment that NO MUSLIM SHOULD BE KILLED IN QISAS(equality in punishment) for KILLING A KAFIR (disbeliever)."

Malik's Muwatta

Book 43, Number 43.15.8b:

Yahya related to me from Malik that he heard that Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz gave a decision that when a jew or christian was killed, his blood-money was HALF THE BLOOD-MONEY OF A FREE MUSLIM..

Malik said, "What is done in our community, is that a muslim is not killed for a kafir unless the muslim kills him by deceit. Then he is killed for it."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that Sulayman ibn Yasar said, "The blood-money of a Magian is Eight Hundred Dirhams. Malik said, "This is what is done in our community."

Malik said, "The blood-monies of the jew, christian, and magian in their injuries, is according to the injury of the muslims in their blood-moneys. The head wound is a TWENTIETH of his full blood-money. The wound that opens the head is a THIRD of his blood-money. The belly-wound is a THIRD of his blood-money. All their injuries are according to this calculation."

In Saudi Arabia, the prescribed blood rates are as follows:

• 100,000 riyals for a Muslim male
• 50,000   riyals for a Jew or Christian male
• 6,666     riyals for any other religions

NOTE!!! In the case of death of a FEMALE, death compensation allowed is EQUAL TO HALF the amount as admissible to males professing the same religion.

source:http://www.cgijeddah.com/cgijed/Welfare/deathbooklet.htm

 Is her value really only 3.33% of a Muslim male?

The Qur'an and Marrying Little Girls

Islam does allow you to Marry pre-menstruating girls. The following verse is from At-Talaq (or Divorce). Islam's main concern during a divorce is knowing who the father is (in case of a pregnancy). The waiting period is known as iddah.

65.4 Such of your women as have passed the age of monthly courses, for them the prescribed period, if you have any doubts, is three months, AND FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NO COURSES (it is the same): for those who are pregnant, their period is until they deliver their burdens: and for those who fear Allah, He will make things easy for them.

Tafsir al-Jalalayn (Commentary)
And [as for] those of your women who (read allā’ī or allā’i in both instances) no longer expect to menstruate, if you have any doubts, about their waiting period, their prescribed [waiting] period shall be three months, and [also for] those who have NOT  YET MENSTRUATED, because of their YOUNG AGE, their period shall [also] be three months — both cases apply to other than those whose spouses have died; for these [latter] their period is prescribed in the verse: they shall wait by themselves for four months and ten [days] [Q. 2:234]. And those who are pregnant, their term, the conclusion of their prescribed [waiting] period if divorced or if their spouses be dead, shall be when they deliver. And whoever fears God, He will make matters ease for him, in this world and in the Hereafter.

Tafsir Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahid
(And for such of your women as despair of menstruation…) [65:4]. Said Muqatil: “When the verse (Women who are divorced shall wait, keeping themselves apart…), Kallad ibn al-Nu‘man ibn Qays al-Ansari said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, what is the waiting period of the woman who does not menstruate and the woman who has not menstruated yet? And what is the waiting period of the pregnant woman?’ And so Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse”. Abu Ishaq al-Muqri’ informed us Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn Hamdun> Makki ibn ‘Abdan Abu’l-Azhar Asbat ibn Muhammad Mutarrif Abu ‘Uthman ‘Amr ibn Salim who said: “When the waiting period for divorced and widowed women was mentioned in Surah al-Baqarah, Ubayy ibn Ka‘b said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, some women of Medina are saying: there are other women who have not been mentioned!’ He asked him: ‘And who are they?’ He said: ‘Those WHO ARE TOO YOUNG [such that they have not started menstruating yet], those who are too old [whose menstruation has stopped] and those who are pregnant’. And so this verse (And for such of your women as despair of menstruation…) was revealed”.

Islamic Websitehttp://www.islamqa.com/en/ref/12667
“And those of your women as have passed the age of monthly courses, for them the ‘Iddah (prescribed period), if you have doubt (about their periods), is three months; and for those who have no courses [(i.e. they are still immature) their ‘Iddah (prescribed period) is three months likewise…”

Tafsir ibn Kathir (Read at your own leisure)
http://www.tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=65&tid=54223

STAR WARS

Long before George Lucas put pen to paper to write his blockbuster movie "Star Wars, another storyteller recited an epic struggle between good and evil. Muhammad, please accept your Academy Award for Best Writing (Original Screenplay).

*Next time an Islamo-dummy talks about science in the Qur'an, quote him/her the following verses:

37.6 We have indeed decked the lower heaven with beauty in the stars

37.7 For beauty AND for GUARD AGAINST ALL obstinate rebellious Satans.

37.8 So they SHOULD NOT LISTEN their ears in the direction of the Exalted Assembly and they are cast away from every side,

37.9 Repulsed. And for them is perpetual chastisement,

37.10 Except such as snatch away something by stealth, and they are PURSUED by a FLAMING FIRE of piercing brightness.

AND,

67.5 And We have, from of old, adorned the lowest heaven with Lamps, and We have made such lamps as missiles to drive away Satans, and have prepared for them the Chastisement of the Blazing Fire.

What does the Tafsir have to say?

Tafsir al-Jalalayn

And verily We have adorned the lowest heaven, the one closest to the earth, with lamps, with stars, and made them MISSILES against the devils, should they [attempt to] listen by stealth, in which case a meteor of fire detaches itself from the star, just like a brand is taken from a fire, and either kills that jinn or deprives him of his senses: it is not that the star itself is displaced from its position; and We have prepared for them the chastisement of the Blaze,   

                                                   the ignited Fire.

What In the HELL Is GOING On Here?

Surah Al-Lahab or Al-Masad (The Flame) is a perfect example of the Quran's ambiguity, excessive cruelty and Muhammad's overwhelming ego. So what are the following verses talking about?

111.1 Perish the hands of the Father of Flame! Perish he!

111.2 No profit to him from all his wealth, and all his gains!

111.3 Burnt soon will he be in a Fire of blazing Flame!

111.4 His wife shall carry crackling wood as fuel!

111.5 A twisted rope of palm-leaf fibre round her own neck!

To understand, we must read the Tafsirs, which draw upon historical accounts and the narrations of the Hadiths. Let's examine the classical Tafsir of Ibn Kathir.

The Destiny of Umm Jamil, the Wife of Abu Lahab

(And his wife too, who carries wood.) His wife was among the leading women of the Quraysh and she was known as Umm Jamil. Her name was `Arwah bint Harb bin Umayyah and she was the sister of Abu Sufyan. She was supportive of her husband in his disbelief, rejection and obstinacy. Therefore, she will be helping to administer his punishment in the fire of Hell on the Day of Judgement. Thus, Allah says,

(Who carries wood. In her neck is a twisted rope of Masad.) meaning, she will carry the firewood and throw it upon her husband to increase that which he is in (of torment), and she will be ready and prepared to do so.

(In her neck is a twisted rope of Masad.) Mujahid and `Urwah both said, "From the palm fiber of the Fire.'' Al-`Awfi narrated from Ibn `Abbas, `Atiyah Al-Jadali, Ad-Dahhak and Ibn Zayd that she used to place thorns in the path of the Messenger of Allah . Al-Jawhari said, "Al-Masad refers to fibers, it is also a rope made from fibers or palm leaves. It is also made from the skins of camels or their furs. It is said (in Arabic) Masadtul-Habla and Amsaduhu Masadan, when you tightly fasten its twine.'' Mujahid said,

(In her neck is a twisted rope of Masad.) "This means a collar of iron.'' Don't you see that the Arabs call a pulley cable a Masad.

Watcha Talkin About Muhammad?!

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE?

1. The Prophet said, "A good dream is from Allah, and a bad or evil dream is from Satan; so if anyone of you has a bad dream of which he gets afraid, he should SPIT on his left side and should seek Refuge with Allah from its evil, for then it will not harm him."

{I hope Aisha wasn’t on the left side!}

Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 54, Number 513: Narrated Abu Qatada:

2. Allah's Apostle said, "If a husband calls his wife to his bed (i.e. to have sexual relation) and she refuses and causes him to sleep in anger, the angels will curse her till morning."

Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 54, Number 460: Narrated Abu Huraira:

3. The Prophet said "If a house fly falls in the drink of anyone of you, he should dip it (in the drink), for one of its wings has a disease and the other has the cure for the disease."

Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 54, Number 537: Narrated Abu Huraira:

{And which wing was that Muhammad?}

4. Allah's Apostle said, "The (Hell) Fire complained to its Lord saying, 'O my Lord! My different parts eat up each other.' So, He allowed it to take two breaths, one in the winter and the other in summer, and this is the reason for the severe heat and the bitter cold you find (in weather)."

Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 54, Number 482: Narrated Abu Huraira:

{Gotta love Islamic Science! Why was Allah listening to hell in the first place?}

5. 67.5 And We have, (from of old), adorned the lowest heavens with Lamps(Stars), and We have made such Lamps(STARS) as Missles to drive away Satans, and we have prepared for them the Chastisement of Blazing Fire.

{Sounds more like a video game!}

6. The Prophet said, "If anyone of you rouses from sleep and performs the ablution, he should wash his nose by putting water in it and then blowing it out thrice, because Satan has stayed in the upper part of his nose all the night." Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 54, Number 516: Narrated Abu Huraira:

{Who actually believes that?!}

7. The Prophet said, "When you hear the crowing of cocks, ask for Allah's Blessings for (their crowing indicates that) they have seen an angel. And when you hear the braying of donkeys, seek Refuge with Allah from Satan for (their braying indicates) that they have seen a Satan."

{I don’t think so!}

Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 54, Number 522: Narrated Abu Huraira:

8. Allah's Apostle said, "When the Adhan is pronounced Satan takes to his heels and passes wind with noise during his flight in order not to hear the Adhan. When the Adhan is completed he comes back and again takes to his heels when the Iqama is pronounced and after its completion he returns again till he whispers into the heart of the person (to divert his attention from his prayer) and makes him remember things which he does not recall to his mind before the prayer and that causes him to forget how much he has prayed. Sahih Bukhari Volume 1, Book 11, Number 582: Narrated Abu Huraira:

{Satan runs around farting….LOL!}

9. Abu Huraira reported that he heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Nigella seed is a remedy for every disease except death. This hadith has been narrated through another chain of transmitters but with a slight variation of wording. Sahih Muslim Book 026, Number 5489:

{Every DISEASE Dr. Muhammad!?}

10. Um Salama said, "Um Salaim said, 'O Allah's Apostle! Allah does not refrain from saying the truth! Is it obligatory for a woman to take a bath after she gets nocturnal discharge?' He said, 'Yes, if she notices the water (i.e. discharge).' Um Salama smiled and said, 'Does a woman get discharge?' Allah's Apostle said. 'Then why does a child resemble (its mother)?"

{WOW, advances in Islamic Genetics}

Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 55, Number 545: Narrated Abu Salama:

 11. Allah's Apostle said, "When the (upper) edge of the sun appears (in the morning), don't perform a prayer till the sun appears in full, and when the lower edge of the sun sets, don't perform a prayer till it sets completely. And you should not seek to pray at sunrise or sunset for the sun rises between two sides of the head of the devil (or Satan)."

{Riiight, that makes sense. Must be one of those Islamic miracles}

Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 54, Number 494: Narrated Ibn Umar:

12. Abdullah b. Mas'ud reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: There is none amongst you with whom is not an attached from amongst the jinn. They (the Companions) said: Allah's Messenger, with you too? Thereupon he said: Yes, but Allah helps me against him and so I am safe from his hand and he does not command me but for good. Sahih Muslim Book 039, Number 6757:

{Why does a Jinn command Muhammad? Something is not right!}

13. "The Prophet said, "Last night a big demon (afreet) from the Jinns came to me and wanted to interrupt my prayers (or said something similar) but Allah enabled me to overpower him. I wanted to fasten him to one of the pillars of the mosque so that all of you could See him in the morning but I remembered the statement of my brother Solomon (as stated in Quran): My Lord! Forgive me and bestow on me a kingdom such as shall not belong to anybody after me (38.35)." The sub narrator Rauh said, "He (the demon) was dismissed humiliated."

{How convenient, you were going to show everyone, but then didn’t}

Sahih Bukhari Volume 1, Book 8, Number 450: Narrated Abu Huraira:

14. It was mentioned before the Prophet that there was a man who slept the night till morning (after sunrise). The Prophet said, "He is a man in whose ears (or ear) Satan had urinated."

{No comment}

Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 54, Number 492: Narrated 'Abdullah:

15. The Prophet said, "Angels do not enter a house which has either a dog or a picture in it."

{That’s just stupid!}

Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 54, Number 539: Narrated Abu Talha:

16. Ibn 'Abbas reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The influence of an evil eye is a fact; if anything would precede the destiny it would be the influence of an evil eye, and when you are asked to take bath (as a cure) from the influence of an evil eye, you should take bath.

{A bath? Now that’s one dirty look!!}

Sahih Muslim Book 026, Number 5427:

17. Umm Salama, the wife of Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him), reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said to a small girl in the house of Umm Salama that he had been seeing on her face black stains and told her that that was due to the infiluence of an evil eye, and he asked that she should be cured with the help of incantation (hoping) that her face should become spotles.

{She probably had Hyper-Pigmentation which is common among black people}

Sahih Muslim Book 026, Number 5450:

18. The Prophet said, "Yawning is from Satan and if anyone of you yawns, he should check his yawning as much as possible, for if anyone of you (during the act of yawning) should say: 'Ha', Satan will laugh at him." Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 54, Number 509: Narrated Abu Huraira:

{Satan laughed every time Muhammad opened his mouth!}

19. The Prophet said, "When any human being is born. Satan touches him at both sides of the body with his two fingers, except Jesus, the son of Mary, whom Satan tried to touch but failed, for he touched the placenta-cover instead."

{According to this, guess who was touched?!}

Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 54, Number 506: Narrated Abu Huraira:

20. Abu Dharr reported: The Messenger of 'Allah (may peace be upon him) said: When any one of you stands for prayer and there is a thing before him equal to the back of the saddle that covers him and in case there is not before him (a thing) equal to the back of the saddle, his prayer would be cut off by (passing of an) ass, woman, and black Dog. I said: O Abu Dharr, what feature is there in a black dog which distinguish it from the red dog and the yellow dog? He said: O, son of my brother, I asked the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) as you are asking me, and he said: The black dog is a devil.

{So, a devil dog, a donkey and a woman voids a prayer….I see}

Sahih Muslim Book 004, Number 1032:

21. The Prophet said, "Allah loves sneezing but dislikes yawning; so if anyone of you sneezes and then praises Allah, every Muslim who hears him (praising Allah) has to say Tashmit to him. But as regards yawning, it is from Satan, so if one of you yawns, he should try his best to stop it, for when anyone of you yawns, Satan laughs at him."

{Allah must love those with Allergies!}

Sahih Bukhari Volume 8, Book 73, Number 245: Narrated Abu Huraira:

22. Once Allah's Apostle went out to the Musalla (to offer the prayer) o 'Id-al-Adha or Al-Fitr prayer. Then he passed by the women and said, "O women! Give alms, as I have seen that the MAJORITY of the dwellers of Hell-fire were you (WOMEN)." They asked, "Why is it so, O Allah's Apostle ?" He replied, "You CURSE FREQUENTLY and are UNGRATEFUL TO YOUR HUSBANDS. I have not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence and religion than you. A cautious sensible man could be led astray by some of you." The women asked, "O Allah's Apostle! What is deficient in our intelligence and religion?" He said, "Is not the evidence of two women equal to the witness of one man?" They replied in the affirmative. He said, "This is the DEFICIENCY in her INTELLIGENCE. Isn't it true that a woman can neither pray nor fast during her menses?" The women replied in the affirmative. He said, "This is the DEFICIENCY in her RELIGION." Sahih Bukahari Volume 1, Book 6, Number 301 Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri:

{Oh yeah, Islam respects women}

23. Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Angels do not accompany the travellers who have with them a dog and a bell

Sahih Muslim Book 024, Number 5277:

24. Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The bell is the musical instrument of the Satan.

Sahih Muslim Book 024, Number 5279:

25. (the mother of the faithful believers) Al-Harith bin Hisham asked Allah's Apostle "O Allah's Apostle! How is the Divine Inspiration revealed to you?" Allah's Apostle replied, "Sometimes it is (revealed) like the ringing of a bell, this form of Inspiration is the hardest of all and then this state passes ' off after I have grasped what is inspired. Sometimes the Angel comes in the form of a man and talks to me and I grasp whatever he says." 'Aisha added: Verily I saw the Prophet being inspired Divinely on a very cold day and noticed the Sweat dropping from his forehead (as the Inspiration was over).

Sahih Bukhari Volume 1, Book 1, Number 2: Narrated 'Aisha:

26. Al Harith bin Hisham asked the Prophet, "How does the divine inspiration come to you?" He replied, "In all these ways: The Angel sometimes comes to me with a voice which resembles the sound of a ringing bell, and when this state abandons me, I remember what the Angel has said, and this type of Divine Inspiration is the hardest on me; and sometimes the Angel comes to me in the shape of a man and talks to me, and I understand and remember what he says."

Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 54, Number 438: Narrated Aisha:

There you have it, he was possessed by Satan!...or really mentally ill.