In Chapter 4 of his book ‘Answers to non Muslims common questions about Islam’ Dr Zakir Naik talks about Hijab.
In this chapter Dr Zakir Naik says that his religion (Sunnism) upliftedwomen and gave them equality and expects them to maintain their status. This is an untrue statement by Zakir Naik.
We all know that among the Sunnis and Shiahs, women are treated very badly.
But Zakir wants us to believe that only his religion of Sunnism respects and uplifts the status of women. He also tries his same old trick of putting down other civilizations.
He says “The Egyptian civilization considered women evil and as a sign of the devil”
OK the Egyptians were crazies, but how how does Dr Zakir Naik explain the following hadith from Bukhari which also says that women are evil:
Hadith Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 71, Number 666: Narrated 'Abdullah bin Umar: Allah's Apostle said, "there is neither 'Adha nor Tiyara, and an evil omen is only in three: a horse, a woman and a house."
Hadith Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 71, Number 649: Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Umar: Allah's Apostle said, "There is neither 'Adha (no contagious disease is conveyed to others without Allah's permission) nor Tiyara, but an evil omen may be in three a woman, a house or an animal."
Hadith Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 52, Number 110: Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Umar: I heard the Prophet saying. "Evil omen is in three things: The horse, the woman and the house."
Then Dr Zakir says thatunder the Greek civilization “women were deprived of all rights and were looked down upon”.
If so then how does Dr Zakir Naik explain the fact that in his religion of Sunnism, women were also looked down upon and even downgraded to the status of dogs and donkeys?Here is more hadith from Bukhari:
Hadith Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 9, Number 490: Narrated 'Aisha:The things which annul the prayers were mentioned before me. They said, "Prayer is annulled by a dog, a donkey and a woman (if they pass in front of the praying people)." I said, "You have made us (i.e. women) dogs..’
Dr Zakir also says that the woman is crooked. Here it is:
Hadith Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 62, Number 113: Narrated Abu Huraira:Allah's Apostle said, "The woman is like a rib; if you try to straighten her, she will break. So if you want to get benefit from her, do so while she still has some crookedness."
And then Dr Zakir Naiksays that the majority of women are evil and therefore they will burn in the hellfire. In the same breath, he also says that women are stupid. Here it is again:
Hadith Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 6, Number 301: Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri:
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."
So the real truth is Dr Zakir Naik treats women worse, much worse than the Egyptian and Greeks who he says were disbelievers and jahiliyah.
Polygamy : Answering Dr Zakir Naik’s book ‘Answers to non Muslims common questions about Islam’
Dr Zakir Naik of the Islamic Research Foundation, Mumbai India has published a small book with the title mentioned above.
Dr Zakir Naik has answered what he terms the 20 most common questions the non Muslims have about Islam.
As per the main thesis of this website Biblical Islam(http://biblical-islam.blogspot.com) much if not ALL of the Sunni and Shiah beliefs are ideas that have been borrowed from the Bible and the Jewish teachings. These beliefs are not found in the Quran.
It is therefore logically and historically incorrect to say that these beliefs are part of Islam.Dr Zakir Naik (who is a Sunni) and his book expound many such non Quranic beliefs.
By looking at these non Quranic beliefs in the light of the Quranic teachings, we will see that these teachings are also un Quranic.
Lets start with Chapter 2 of dr Zakir Naik’s book titled ‘Polygamy’.
To start off, Dr Zakir Naik is terribly embarrassed about polygamy. This is a good reaction because indeed polygamy is an embarrassing episode in human interaction. That is why the Quran does not allow polygamy.
Unfortunately the Jews, Christians, Hindus and others believe in polygamy. The Sunnis and Shiahs have also been influenced by the Jewish and Christian teachings to practice polygamy. The Quran disallows polygamy.
On page 9 of his book, Dr Zakir Naik immediately starts apoligising for his belief in polygamy by declaring:
“The Quran is the only religious scripture in the world that says, “Marry only one”.
If that is the case Dr Zakir, why do you still believe in polygamy?
Then Dr Zakir says other religions like the Talmudic Jews, the Hindus and the Bible based faith allow polygamy. But it is only his faith (Sunnism) which restricts polygamy to just FOUR wives !!
On page 10, Dr Zakir says ‘Hindus are more polygamous than Muslims.’
What a fantastically illogical argument. Using the same logic, if the Jews, Christians and Hindus poke their left eye, the Sunnis and the Shiahs must then poke their right eye.
Then Dr Zakir is even more embarrassed about polygamy. On pg 10, he says “Quran permits limited polygamy”. He continues “As I mentioned earlier, Quran is the only book on the face of the earth that says ‘marry only one’”
This is beating around the bush. Anything more than one wife is already polygamy. It makes no difference whether two, three, 40 or 50 wives – it is still polygamy.But the Quran disallows polygamy. We will see shortly.
Then Dr Zakir Naik makes the same mistake that all the religious priests OF ALL RELIGIONS must do. They quote ONLY fractions or portions of their respective Scriptures to back up theirconfused ideas.
In this case Dr Zakir Naik quotes only a portion of one verse in the Quran to back up his point. He quotes:
“Marry women of your choice, two, or three, or four; but if you fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one.” (Al Quran 4:3)
Then Dr Zakir Naik’s embarrasmnet about polygamy continues. He says ‘polygamy is not a rule but an exception’(pg 11).
He then goes on to make his own religious laws. Dr Zakir Naik says ‘polygamy is merely a ‘Mubah’ or a permissible act.
Having expressed his thorough embarrassment with polygamy Dr Zakir then goes on to sing the praises of polygamy with some really ridiculous arguments. Here they are:
1. the average lifespan of females is more than that of males.
So what does this have to do with the price of chappatis in Mumbai?Women have longer lifespans in modern societies. In traditional non modern village societies like India and Africa, women usually live shorter lives. Women also become barren at about 50 years of age. (And what does that have to do with the price of chappatis too?)
2. India has more male population than female due to female feticide and infanticide
Same question about chappatis applies here too. (Meaning this is illogical)
3. World female population is more than male population
Dr Zakir Naik does not present any scientific proof for this false claim. Even if true, the chappati question applies again. Illogical.
4. Restricting each and every man to have only one wife is not practical
Dr Zakir Naik says there are not enough men to marry all the women. Plus he says “about 20 million men are gays in the US”. What about the lesbians Dr Naik? Using your same logic, there must be about 20 million lesbians too in the US.
5. Marrying a married man preferable to becoming ‘public property’
He says it is better for a woman to bag a married man than to become someone’s illegal mistress or prostitute. What terrible confusion. Dr Zakir must explain how that is any different from prostitution or becoming a man's mistress? You may be "legally" married to more than one woman through a piece of paper at the Marriage Registry in Saudi Arabia but in practise how does that differ from a man cohabiting with more than one woman at a time?
Dr Zakir Naik, this is just another meaning for ‘whore’. You are asking your women to become whores by marrying men who are already married. It is also satanic because you are encouraging the break down and destruction of the Muslim home.
Now lets talk some sense. The Quran says the following:
61:2 O you who believe, why do you say what you do not do?
61:3 Most abominable in the sight of GOD is that you say what you do not do.
So Dr Zakir Naik, if polygamy is so great, why don’t you go and marry a second, third or fourth wife yourself? Will you do it? If you will not, why tell others to do it? Don’t be a hypocrite.
Will you ask your daughter to become the second, third or fourth wife of some married man? You will not. You will look for a young bachelor to marry your daughter. You will not even allow your daughter to marry a divorced man. So why tell other women to become second, third or fourth wives?
Finally you know very well that the main reason the Arab Muslim and African Muslim society is so fractured and dysfunctional is because their social structure and family structure has been destroyed by polygamy. The sons of different mothers fight over the father’s property. They form clans and castes.
The daughters’ of different mothers fight for their father’s attention. When they do not get it, they become jealous of their half sisters. This results in family fights and feuds. Have you heard of a country called Saudi Arabia? Go there and find out for yourself.
Now lets look at the verse from the Quran which you quoted partially.
To get a clearer picture, lets see three verses Surah 4:1-3 whose context isobviously related ie caring for parents, orphans and the widows who have children.
These verses have nothing to do with ‘MARRIAGE’. They talk about caring for the old, the less fortunate and the orphans.
Here are the verses in full. Please note Surah 4:3
Surah 4:1-3
4:1 O people, observe your Lord; the One who created you from one being, and created from it its mate, then spread from the two many men and women. You shall regard GOD, by whom you swear, and regard the parents. GOD is watching over you. (watching over you = alaikum raqiiban)
Here Allah is telling us to regard the parents. God is watching over all of you (plural) = alaikum raqiban.
4:2 You shall hand over to the orphans their rightful properties. Do not substitute the bad for the good, and do not consume their propertiesby combining them with your properties (amwaali-kum). This would be a gross injustice.
Here Allah is telling us to take care of the orphans. Don’t mix their properties with your (kum : plural) property.
4:3 And if you fear that you are not fair with the orphans, then marry them off, what is easy for all of you (plural), from the women, twos and threes and fours. Then if you fear you cannot be fair then just one or what you have control over with your right hand. That is better, that you do no injustice.
Please read the last verse 4:3 again carefully. Note the word ‘FA-INKIHUU’ which means ‘MARRY THEM OFF’. Marry off the mothers’ of the orphans so that they can have new homes and families.
It does not mean ‘YOU GO AND MARRY THEM YOURSELF’. That is not the meaning of this verse. Also pay attention to the word ‘KUM’ which means all of you (plural). Not singular ‘KA’ which means you (a single male).
Here Allah is referring to the whole community, that the community must take care of their parents (4:1), the orphans (4:2-3) and the widows (4:3). Lets look at the verse again word by word:
Wa-in khiftum : And if you fear
alla tuqsitoo : that you are not fair
fee alyatama : with the orphans
fainkihuu : then marry them off
mataba : what is of ease / good
lakum : for all of you (plural)
min alnisaa: from the women
mathna: twos
wathulatha : and threes
warubaa : and fours
fa-in : then if
khiftum : you fear
alla ta’diluu : you cannot be fair
fa wahidatan : then (marry off) just one
aw ma malakat : or what you have control over
aymanukum: with your (plural) right hand
thalika adna : that is better
alla ta’uuluu : that you do no injustice
Now lets see the phrase mathna, wathulatha, warubaa = twos, and threes and fours.
Dr Zakir Naik will say that this is the license to marry up to four wives. But this exact phrase also appears in another part of the Quran. Here it is:
Surah 35:1 Praise be to GOD, Initiator of the heavens and the earth, and appointer of the angels to be messengers with wings - two, three, and four. He increases the creation as He wills. GOD is Omnipotent.
Alhamdu lillahi fatiri alsamawaati wal-ardi jaaili al malaa-ikati rusulan uuli annihatin mathna wathulatha waruba’a yazeedu fee alkhalqi ma yashao inna allaaha ala kulli shay-in qadeer
So the malaikat have “wings” in twos, and threes and fours? So do the malaikat have two wings (mathna) sometimes? Other times they may have three (wa thulatha) wings? Or sometimes they have four (wa ruba’a) wings? Can Dr Zakir Naik answer?
Clearly mathnaa, thulatha and ruba’a refers to a plurality, indicating many. It is not limited to just two or three or four. It means many.
Going bak to Surah 4:1-3, the community must take care of all the orphans, the aged people and the widows (mathnaa, thulatha wa-rubaa). The whole community has an obligation to take care of the less fortunate.
There is absolutely nothing about marrying two wives, three wives or four wives.
Here is another verse from the Quran that a man cannot have two wives.
Surah 33:4 “GOD did not give any man two hearts in his chest. Nor did He turn your wives whom you sideline as if they are (only) mothers for you. Nor did He turn your adopted children into genetic offspring. All these are mere utterances that you have invented. GOD speaks the truth, and He guides in the (right) path.”
God did not give any man TWO HEARTS inside his chest.
Here God is clearly referring to the dirty Arab custom of sidelining a wife when she gets old, leaving her to play the role of a mother only while the husband goes out and gets a new younger wife to entertain himself.God is saying that He did not give a man TWO HEARTS to do such things. You cannot even marry a second wife. There is no polygamy in Islam.
Answering Ayaan Hirsi Ali : Did The Prophet Marry A Six Year Old Child?
I have just finished reading the tragic life of Ayaan Hirsi Magan @ Ayaan Hirsi Ali the precious woman from Somalia who endured so much suffering and hatred throughout her life suffocating inside a barbaric and backward culture known as Somalia.
The Somalis definitely have some seriously sick practices like FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) which is prevalent among African peoples, Arabs and even in other parts of the world.
The Somalis also suffer terrible bouts of intra-racism or intra-racial apartheid which is disguised as clan identity. As is well known throughout the world and is also well documented in Ayaan's book, the clan identity has destroyed Somalia - a terrible fate which is still going on today in that country.
Somalia is a truly backward and barbaric society, comparable with the general condition of the rest of Africa. Miss Ayaan Hirsi did not grow up in Somalia. She, her much loved but polygamous father, family and clan members were refugees in Saudi Arabia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, Holland, Canada, Germany, Switzerland and the United States.
Compounding their misery is the fact that the Somalis are staunch believers and upholders of the religion of Ahlul Sunnah Wal Jamaah - also known as Sunnis. The Sunnis like to believe that they are also the mainstream sect within the larger drama which they call Islam. In reality their belief system is oppressive, regressive and has nothing to do with the Islam that was taught by the prophet of Islam.
Understandably the barbaric and uncivilsied religious beliefs imparted to and imbibed by Miss Ayaan Hirsi Ali led her to ultimately abandon and reject her belief in Sunnism (Shiahism is no better, differing only in the degree of its barbarity). That was a wonderful which Miss Ayaan has done and may Allah (God) bless her and guide her for at last exercising wisdom and courage.
Throughout her book 'Infidel' Miss Ayaan Hirsi Magan @ Ayaan Hirsi Ali gives examples of the wrong teachings which she still wrongly believes are part of "Islam" which caused Somalia, her clan, her family, herself and a billion other Sunnis and Shiahs all around the world so much unhappiness, barbarism and uncivilised suffering.
I will try to extract from her book, some of these wrong beliefs that were mistakenly upheld by Miss Ayaan throughout her life and which she still believes is part of Sunnism.
Ayaan Hirsi's misconception that the Prophet married a six year old girl
On page 303 of her book Miss Ayaan Hirsi Ali speaks about the Prophet of Islam marrying a six year old child called Aisha. Since she had become a Dutch citizen by this time, she explained that under modern Dutch Law today, the Prophet would be deemed a paedophile.
This is a false belief and we will now provide evidence to prove why this belief is false.
Muslims believe that the Prophet taught them the Quran. Sunni Muslims believe that the advent of Islam was preceded or "kicked off" with the revelation of the Quran to the Prophet. Muslims say that the Quran is their Book of Guidance.
The Quran is indeed sacrosanct in the eyes of the Sunni and Shiah Muslims. Sunnis and Shiah also believe that the Prophet of Islam was the embodiment of the Quran. Some say that the Prophet of Islam was a 'walking Quran' (we cannot ascertain the truthfulness of this statement but that is what they say)
Well here is something from the Quran:
61:2 'O you who believe, why do you say what you do not do?' 61:3 'Most abominable in the sight of GOD is that you say what you do not do.'
This is what the Prophet said. In short, do what you say and dont say what you do not do.
What else did the Prophet say? The Prophet told the Muslims to marry women of marriageable age. The Prophet told Muslims to marry girls who have passed puberty who have intellectual maturity. Here is the evidence from the Quran again :
4:25 And whoever among you has not within his power ampleness of means to marry free believing women, then (he may marry) of those whom your right hands possess from among your believing maidens; and Allah knows best your faith: you are (sprung) the one from the other; so marry them with the permission of their masters, and give them their dowries justly, they being chaste, not fornicating, nor receiving paramours; and when they are taken in marriage, then if they are guilty of indecency, they shall suffer half the punishment which is (inflicted) upon free women. This is for him among you who fears falling into evil; and that you abstain is better for you, and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
The Prophet said marry 'believing maidens'. The Arabic word used in the Quran is 'fatayaati'.
A six year old girl is not a fatayaati or 'maiden'. Here is another piece of advise from the Prophet about how to see if a young orphan girl is ready for marriage and stuff :
4:6 You shall test the orphans when they reach marriageable age. As soon as you find them mature enough, give them their property. Do not consume it extravagantly in a hurry, before they grow up. The rich guardian shall not charge any wage, but the poor guardian may charge equitably. When you give them their properties, you shall have witnesses. GOD suffices as Reckoner.
'Reach marriageable age' in Arabic is Izaa Balaghu Nikaaha . Nikaah means marriage.
It is NOT ENOUGH that a young girl reaches physical puberty and marriageable age, you must also test her mental capacity before handing over her propertiy to her.
A six year old child is definitely nowhere near marriageable age or Izaa Balaghu Nikaaha. And she will certainly fail the maturity test too.
The Prophet was teaching the Muslim men to marry young women (fatayaati) who have reahed marriageable age (izaa balaghu nikaaha).
Nowhere in the Quran does the Prophet say that anyone can marry a six year old toddler.
Having said all this to the Muslims the Prophet cannot turn around and then say
'But all this is just for you guys. I am the Prophet of Islam. I am going to marry a six year old Aisha who is playing with dolls'. Why not? Because:
61:2 'O you who believe, why do you say what you do not do?' 61:3 'Most abominable in the sight of GOD is that you say what you do not do.'
The Prophet cannot say one thing for everyone else and then say something else for himself.
Somalia impoverished by polygamy
Miss Ayaan Hirsi also spoke at length about polygamy in her book. Her own father had three wives. Again this is an erroneous belief that is blamed on the Prophet.
4:3 And if ye fear that ye will not deal fairly by the orphans, marry the women off, who seem good to you, in twos, and in threes and in fours; and if ye fear that ye cannot do justice (to so many) then one (only) or (the captives) that your right hands possess. Thus it is more likely that ye will not do injustice.
This verse talks about caring for the orphans and the widows of war. What shall be the fate of the orphans and the war widows under our care? We can marry them off. Marry off as many of them as possible. Marry them off in twos, and threes and in fours.
The Arabic is unmistakable
fainkihoo mataba lakum mina alnnisa-i mathna wathulatha warubaAAa
Fainkihoo means 'marry them off' - an action done on someone else. This is what the Prophet said. It does not mean "you can go and marry them in twos, threes and fours".
The Prophet of Islam clearly outlaws multiple partners. Here is the Quran again:
33:4 GOD did not give any man two hearts in his chest. Nor did He turn your wives whom you estrange (according to your custom) into your mothers.* Nor did He turn your adopted children into genetic offspring. All these are mere utterances that you have invented. GOD speaks the truth, and He guides in the (right) path.
The Prophet said that God DID NOT give any man TWO hearts. A man cannot say 'I can love two women at the same time'. He can try, but his heart will be torn and broken. This also means that all the stories of the Prophet marrying more than one wife are also false.
Clearly then from the evidence of the Quran itself, it is plain that the belief that the Prophet married a six year old child is false. This event never happened in history. It is a fake story hoisted upon the Sunnis and the Shiahs and made part of their belief system.
Clearly then from the evidence of the Quran itself, it is plain that the belief that the Prophet was polygamous is false. Those events too never happened in history. It is a fake story hoisted upon the Sunnis and the Shiahs and made part of their belief system.
As a result Somalia, Miss Ayaan Hirsi, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, and a billion other Sunnis and Shiahs have suffered tremendous suffering and hardship in their daily lives.
Because they are ignorant about the simple truths in the Quran and ignore the simple contents of the Quran, they have gone on to imbibe false and evil stories about the Prophet which never took place in history. The net result are the destroyed lives of a billion Sunnis and Shiahs.
We will continue with exposing more of these falsehoods which have caused Miss Ayaan and her Sunni co-religionists their sanity, their happiness and their lives.
