Tuesday, 18 July 2017

and for those who have no courses



(4. Those in menopause among your women, for them the `Iddah, if you have doubt, is three months; and for those who have no courses. And for those who are pregnant, their `Iddah is until they lay down their burden; and whosoever has Taqwa of Allah, He will make his matter easy for him.) (5. That is the command of Allah, which He has sent down to you; and whosoever has Taqwa of Allah, He will expiate from him his sins, and will increase his reward.) (Surah 65:4)



Many Christians have falsely the above verse promotes child marriage. They specifically pick where is says, “and for those who have no courses” and they this applies to a child. This is what we call cherry picking without understanding the entire verse.  Verse 4 starts off by mentioning,” Those in menopause among your women, for them the `Iddah, if you have doubt, is three months”. That is referring to elderly women, Ibn Kathir states:” Allah the Exalted clarifies the waiting period of the woman in menopause. And that is the one whose menstruation has stopped due to her older age”.
Now the part which Christians misinterpret, “; and for those who have no courses”. Below is a list of commentators on this subject.

Maulana Muhammed Ali –
Every divorce must be followed by a period of waiting called the ‘iddah: ‘O Prophet! When you divorce women for their iddah (prescribed or waiting time)’ (65:1). The iddah is about three months: ‘And the divorced women should keep themselves in waiting for three courses (quru)’ (2:228). A qar (pl. quru) is the entering from the state of tuhr (cleanness) into the state of menstruation. In normal cases it is about four weeks, but there are variations in the case of different womenIn the case of women who do not menstruate as well as those whose courses have stopped, the ‘iddah is three months(65:4), and in the case of pregnant women, the waiting period is till delivery. [8]
Professor Ian Richard Netton –
Idda
The Arabic word Idda (number) is used for the period of waiting prescribed in Islamic law during which newly widowed and recently divorced women are prevented from entering into a new contract of marriage. The Qur’anic authority for the different prescriptions is found in Q. 2:228 and Q. 2:234. In the case of  divorced woman, the time of waiting is three menstrual peroids. For non-menstruating women or those past the age of menstruation the time is three months (Q.65:4). This is intended to provide sufficient time to ascertain whether or not there is unborn child of the dissolved marriage. In the case of a widow the Idda is four months and ten days. The longer period of waiting in this case provides additional time for mourning. In either case, however, an unborn child is taken to term before another marriage. This establishes paternity and ensures that provision is made by the former husband, or from the estate of the deceased husband, for the welfare of mother and child. [9]
Mohammed Asad –
10 I.e., for any physiological reason whatever. [10]
Yusuf Ali’s Commentary –
5513 Cf.2:228. For normal women, the Iddah is the three monthly courses after separation: if there are no courses or if the courses in doubt, it is three calendar months. By that time it will be clear whether there is pregnancy: if there is, the waiting period is still after the delivery (see also 2:234). [11]
Malik Ghulam Farid –
3067. The words ‘if you are in doubt’ have been added because the stoppage of monthly course may be due to some disorder in the womb or to some other cause, though menopause may have not yet arrived[12]
Shaykh, Mufti Saiful Islam –
A woman who menstruates has either been divorced, agreed upon khula or marriage is dissolved, then her waiting period will be three months. If a woman does not menstruate then her period will be three months[13]
Tafsir Anwarul Bayan – Mufti Muhammad Aashiq Elahi Muhajir Madani –
Allah stipulates an Iddah (waiting period) of three months for the woman who has passed menopause and for the woman who has not yet began menstruating. The Iddah of a pregnant woman will terminate as soon as she delivers the child or when she aborts a child whose limbs have already formed. According to Imam Abu Hanifah, this shall be the Iddah of a pregnant woman if she is divorced and even if her husband passes away. Whereas the Iddah of another widow is four months and ten days, the Iddah of a pregnant woman will expire as soon as she delivers – even though the child is born a few minutes after her husband’s death. In a like manner, the Iddah of a pregnant divorcee will also expire as soon as she delivers and not after three menstrual cycles.

NOTE: If a woman is divorced before husband and wife could share any time in privacy, she will not have to observe the Iddah (waiting period).

NOTE: If a woman stopped menstruating without her having reached menopause, her Iddah (waiting period) will not expire after three months. She will have to wait until three menses pass or until she undergoes menopause. [14]


Reference :

[8] The religion of Islam: A comprehensive Discussion of the sources, Principles and Practices of Islam [1990] Maulana Muhammed Ali page 501
[9] Encyclopaedia of Islamic civilization and religion by Professor Ian Richard Netton page 274
[10] The Message of The Quran translated and explained by Muhammad Asad page 1183
[11] Yusuf Ali Commentary page 406
http://bradfordisoc.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/quran-yusuf-ali.pdf
[12] Malik Ghulam Farid The Holy Quran – Arabic Text with English translation and short Commentary Page 1150
[13] Marriage a Complete Solution By Shaykh, Mufti Saiful Islam Page 89
[14] Illuminating Discourses On the Noble Quran – Tafsir Anwarul Bayan By Mufti Muhammad Aashiq Elahi Muhajir Madani page 219
(the above quotes and commentaries were taken from discover the truth website site https://discover-the-truth.com/2016/03/12/quran-654-the-child-marriage-claim/)

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Christians need to seriously use their head before jumping into conclusion. From the abive commentaries it is clear the verse is not speaking about pre-pubescent girls.  Lets go a little deeper.  The Arabic words used for “and for those who have no course” is وَاللَّـتِي لَمْ يَحِضْنَ
When we read the Arabic we find a very unique word is used and that is Lam لَمْ this word Lam destroys the argument made by Christians.

the Arabic word lam is used, which means never will happen and not the word lamma which means could happen 

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lam لَمْ
This the major negative particle for the past tense in formal Arabic. Although it is used for the past tense, it can never be used with the perfective verb itself, rather it is only used before imperfective verbs.

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lammaa لَمَّاْ
Lammaa is a classical negative particle for the past tense that works just like lam; it comes before imperfective verbs and it is also a jussive particle. However, lammaameans "did not yet" rather than "did not" only. When lammaa is used, the speaker means that the action is not realized yet but it is expected to be so at any time.


There are major differences between the word lam and lamma, for e.g :

Lam = Negative
الْوَلَدُ لَمْ يَأْكُلْ
'al-walad(u) lam ya'<kul
the boy did not eat
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Lamma 
الْوَلَدُ لَمَّاْ يَأْكُلْ
'al-walad(u) lammaa ya'<kul
the boy did not yet eat

Note that when lammaa comes before a perfective verb it will have a totally different meaning. In that case, it would mean something like "since that."
لَمَّاْ دَرَسَ نَجَحَ
lammaa daras(a) najah(a)
since that (he) studied (he) succeed

In short in Surah Talak the word Lam is used and not Lamma...

Lam: Will never happen, or never happened before.

Lamma: Not happened yet but will happen.


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We also know from chronology that Surah Nisa (Chapter 4) was revealed before Surah Talaq (Chapter 65). And we read in Surah 4

Test the orphans until they reach the age of marriage, and then if you find them mature of mind hand over to them their property,0and do not eat it up by either spending extravagantly or in haste, fearing that they would grow up (and claim it). If the guardian of the orphan is rich let him abstain entirely (from his ward's property); and if he is poor, let him partake of it in a fair measure.1 When you hand over their property to them let there be witnesses on their behalf. Allah is sufficient to take account (of your deeds). (Surah 4:6)



Malik Ghulam Farid:
567. Under no circumstances should the property of orphans be made over to them before they attain puberty and are so mature of intellect as to take care of and property manage it. [13]
Maulana Muhammad Ali:
6a. These words show further, that the guardian is not only responsible for the education of the wards as pointed out at the end of the last verse, but he is also required to examine them and see what progress they have made. According to Abu Hanifah, majority is attained at eighteen years, but if maturity of intellect is not attained at eighteen, the limit may be extended. These words, moreover, show that marriage should be performed at the age when a person has attained majority, for the age of marriage is spoken of as being the age of attaining majority. [14]

Tafsir al-Tabari Clearly states that,

“And when He said ‘they reach the (age of) marriage’ then He means they reached puberty (al-hulum)”—and he lists numerous references.

Tafsir al-Qurtubi states in regards to the statement:

“until they reach the (age of) marriage”, Imam al-Qurtubi says, “meaning puberty (al-hulum). And said the Most High, ‘When children reach puberty’ (al-Nur 59),meaning puberty (al-balugh) and state of marriage (wa hal al-nikah).”

Tafsir Ibn Kathir in explaining this writes,
“until they reach the (age of) marriage”, he states that “Mujahid said meaning puberty (al-hulum)”.

Footnote
[13] The Holy Qur’an Arabic text with English translation & short commentary by Malik Ghulam Farid Page 185
[14] The Holy Quran Arabic Text with English Translation, Commentary and comprehensive Introduction [Year 2002 Edition] by Maulana Muhammad Ali Page 195
(the above quotes and commentaries were taken from discover the truth website site https://discover-the-truth.com/2014/11/21/minimum-age-for-marriage-in-the-quran/)

From the above Surah and commentary, we can clearly read when a female reaches the age of puberty and is mentally developed who can make a distinction between right and wrong, then she is to be married. This is evidence that pre-pubescent is not allowed.

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