Re: slavery, polygamy

salam, br. mudhillun,

slavery is a very tricky business when it comes to arabs. muslim arabs during muhammad's lifetime did not practice slavery the same way arabs were practising it before/after that. for example, it wasn't at all allowed to just go and get yourself a slave. slaves were gained through war, etc, which makes it a bit more like captives of war.

on the other hand, arab muslims were 'in the game', if you will, during -- for example -- the export of slaves from africa to americas. not only that, they were enslaving african muslims. a good example is the somalis. even though they were muslims since the 7th century, arabs had no problem being in the cohoots with the portuguese in enslave them (often buying from the portuguese)... until a Sultan in 19th century oman decided it was unfit for somalis -- whom he saw as free, since they were muslims -- to be enslaved. same thing was happening in sudan, egypt, ethiopia, tanzania, kenya, etc.

now, in terms of polygamy, like i said, it was all based on children and it is based on children for the arabs. the rest of muslims are, well, just not sure :) my brother, you must understand-- polygamy is huge everywhree in the muslim world. honestly, ther
e is not one muslim country that does not practice it. there are muslim countries where it is illegal but it is still very much tolerated and is still taking place. there is a quranic verse used to justify this, which i totally find unsupportive of these polygamous marriages. i will quote the passage, insha allah;

"and give to the orphans their property, and do not substitute worthless (things) for (their) good (ones), and do not devour their property (as an addition) to your own property; this is surely a great crime. and if you that you cannot act equitably towards orphans, then marry such women as seem good to you, two and three and four; but if you fear that you will not do justice (between them), then (marry) only one or what your right hand possess; this is more proper, that you may not deviate from the right course" - qur'an, 4.2-3 [shakir translation]

as you can see, from that -- it has to do with orphans. and from the sunnah, we see that muhammad remained monogomous (for 27 years) to his first wife, khadija. so, obviously, he was not in the polygamous business for sexual desires. after that, all of his marriages were either a point (i.e, you can do this. one of these points was very painful for muhammad, which was marrying the ex-wife of his adopted son. in the qur'an, he is scorned for following society and not fulfiling his obligations as a messenger. other marriages of this had to do with people he did disliked like marrying the daughters of his enemies, al-hareth and abu-sufyan. also, marrying young woman while he was old, like aisha. or marrying the daughters of his best friends, umar and abu bakr, etc etc etc.) these were sometimes painful for him... but the dude had one life to live and had to leave examples. unfor
tunately, some muslims have taken these examples too literal and married too many women for the wrong reasons :(

that said, polygamy is very much "normal" in many muslim-populated lands. the tricky business for muslims comes when they come to the lands which consider it "wrong" etc. i have reservations about marriage today in general... let alone polygamy but that is besides the point :)

afdhere

Afdhere Jama
Editorial Director
HURIYAH Publications
S A N F R A N C I S C O
[email protected]
http://www.huriyahmag.com

>From: [email protected] >Reply-To: [email protected] >To: [email protected] >Subject: Re: [Progressivemuslimsnetwork] slavery, polygamy >Date: Thu, 11 Mar 2004 12:49:04 -0500 > >Salaams folks, > >Is there anyone else here who feels like this discussion about >slavery and polygamy (polygyny, not to be confused w/polyandry) is >laden with an apologist tenor/tone? > >Maybe I don't understand what that means, "apologist", so hopefully >someone can clarify for me? > >I just remember in an Arabic culture class, when the subject came up >that people really didn't want to touch it. My teacher's assistant >didn't even accept the assignment I'd written about it (pasted below >an early reading response on the same issue). > >That was a disorienting experience in our acad
emic community >considering that most other things were on the table if memory >serves me plus I had personal experience, two moms when I was very >young (the laws haven't changed . . . I assume folks knew I'd meant >with a dad as well, LOL!) > >Anywho, if someone can provide clarity on that tone I'm percieveing, >I'm sure it would be pleasing to Allah. > >Mudhillun > > > > >Title: 01. Stereotyping of Arabs >Updated: Sunday, 1/14/2001 6:22 PM >Due: 01/15/2001 > >REACTION ESSAY (approx. 250 words) > >QUESTION: Before consulting the resources offered on this site for >week 1, picture an Arab today. Try to be unbiased by your own >heritage. Think of people from different classes, women, men, >children, old, young, etc. After having done the readings think >about what was your most striking misconception, or what was m
ost >surprising about what you learned from the material? > >I would say that I don't have a STRIKING misconception! Growing up >black in America [. . .] > >Side Bar: Something that I also found interesting was the judgmental >references to polgamy. Again, it was portrayed as a taboo practiced >only by the fringe, the (Western) assumption being that it is >inherintly wrong. Coming from a home where polygamy was practiced, I >take issue with this. I thought that America had religious freedoms >written into its constitution! Now, I understand that even religion >can not be a justification for actions that cause harm. However, I >don't see the harm caused when consenting adults form such bonds. I >enjoy my family with its ups, downs, and complications and I feel >that the reaction against many practices are merely toward >non-western and non
-traditional thinking as opposed to real threats. > > > > >Mudhillun MuQaribu >Arabic 331, MW 3-5 >January 22, 2001 > >Paper #1 > >Polygamy, Polygyny, Polyandry, Bigamy, Adultery? What do these terms >mean? Is there are distinctions? What is their status in the United >States? The answers depend on whom you ask; but they reveal much of >our notions of marriage within a larger cultural context. Overall, >the prevailing United States view is biased against groups that even >entertain or condone such practices. > >First of all, we must define marriage. In the United States, >marriage is a contract between a man and a woman for special kind of >social and legal dependence for the purpose of founding and >maintaining a family. This definition has recently come under fire >because of its exclusion of homosexual forms of relati
onships but >for better or worse, it is what the law and religions sanction as >worthy of the benefits of the state and by extension other entities >in our society. > >Of the terms, each has a different meaning and while linked by the >idea of having more than one partner, they have greatly varying >shades of meaning. First off is Polygamy, which just refers to >having more than one mate at the same time. It is used as a >scientific classification for humans and other animals and is >neutral in connotation. Related terms include Polyandry (where a >female has more than one mate at a time) and Polygyny (where the >male has more than one mate). > >The remaining terms, Bigamy and Adultery are legal terms. They >refer to relations that transgress the statute of marriage, bigamy >being the entrance into a marriage contact while still bound in
a >previous one and adultery being sexual relations between two people >who are not married to each other, one or both being married to >others. > >The American notion of marriage comes from Christian theological >teaching. Its sanctity was further codified when Martin Luther split >with the Catholic Church; but curiously he was amenable to polygyny. >Throughout history in Western society, polygamy has had an >association with the practices of “barbarians” and “savages”. It is >often regarded as sexist and degrading. However, many religions >(including some forms of Christianity) recognized it as a legitimate >social unit. Two examples include Mormonism and Islam. > >Mormons are a group of Christians that find their grounding in >scriptures revealed to their leader, Joseph Smith during a period of >intense revivalism in the US around 1827
. Basic tenets of the >religion are the preexistence of souls waiting to be realized, >belief that God evolved from man, that human actions determine their >future, and that the Trinity are distinct beings. Amongst their >characteristic practices is polygyny. It currently is outlawed but >this practice as well as the economic influence that the Mormon >movement garnered before the turn of the century threatened to undue >the group as the larger society considered them a threat to norms of >family. In fact, the federal government and the church outlawed the >practice before Utah (where the Mormons settled after several >persecutions) was recognized as a state in 1896. > >In their earlier conception of marriage, it was considered lawful >for a man to marry more than one wife. Some found function in its >raising numbers of the faithful, others saw
it as a way of providing >resources that all women may fulfill the natural function of >motherhood. And some even induced it as a way to salvation. When the >practice was finally outlawed, not even the argument of religious >freedom could withstand our stringent concept of marriage and by >inference, the family. > >Islam is the other example where polygyny is practiced. The faith >sprang from Arabian Desert sands when Muhammad was revealed the >Qur’an in around 622 CE. The five basic ideals are that of professed >faith, regular prayer and charity, as well as fasting, and >pilgrimage. Adherents consider Muhammad and the Qur’an as the last >of God’s signs and all Muslims to be of one community. > >In its consideration of polygyny, Islam recognized a traditional >practice, as well as its benefit amongst widows and orphans in a >community an
d limits it to a maximum of four equal co wives. Some >people regard it also as a way of celebrating marriage and >procreation. > >There are distinctions between the two; but they are difficult to >see when one lumps them together right along with forms of breach of >contract (bigamy and adultery). This grouping is very common. >Furthermore, a judgment of sexism is supported when the >consideration of a woman’s rights are not included in defining the >different situations. Even today, Mormons, Muslims, and other groups >associated with polygyny are judged based on this characteristic. >In American law, because the definition of marriage is so narrow, >there’s no different between any of the five terms. And being that >the legal definition comes from Christian doctrine, its no surprise >that the law seems biased. > > > > >________
_______________________________________ >ProgressiveMuslims mailing list >[email protected] >http://willo.nitric.co.za/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/progressivemuslims

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