With reference to the fact that basically Arab civilization more
than any other community and nation, is more prominent as being chivalrous to
women and is especially sensitive to their condition, how can it be accepted
that Umar bin Khattab beat up a woman, and that also Lady Fatima Zahra (s), the
beloved daughter of the Prophet and people having Arab chivalry did not display
any reaction?!
Can those who consider Arab chivalry to be an obstacle in attack
on the house of revelation provide a convincing reply for the following verses
of Quran and tell us where Arab chivalry was at the time of burying alive of female
infants?
The Holy Quran has mentioned in the following way the defect of
pre-Islamic Arabs in burying alive of female infants:
وَإِذَا الْمَوْؤُودَةُ
سُئِلَتْ {8} بِأَيِّ ذَنبٍ قُتِلَتْ {9}
“And when the female infant buried alive is asked. For
what sin she was killed.” (Surah Takwir 81:8-9)
Ibne Kathir Damishqi Wahabi has written in the interpretation of
the above verse:
Sometimes the people of pre-Islamic age, due to fear of poverty
and livelihood killed their children…’Maudah’ is a female infant who is buried
alive and it was the practice of pre-Islamic Arabs that in comparison to a son,
a daughter was considered unlucky.[1]
Those who think that it was their manliness and chivalry, which
prevented them from beating daughters and women, should see how during the
bloody events of 61 A.H. in the incident of martyrdom of Imam Husain (a) at
Kerbala, the daughters of the Messenger of Allah (s) were beaten up in the most
merciless manner. Where was their chivalry gone?
Shaykh Saduq (r) writes, quoting from Fatima, daughter of Imam
Husain (a):
Fatima, daughter of Imam Husain (a) says: Plunderers surrounded
our tents and I was a very young girl at that time and was wearing a gold
anklet. A man snatched it away and began to cry. I said: O enemy of Allah, why
do you cry? He replied: Why should I not cry when I am looting the daughter of
the Messenger of Allah (s)? I said: Why don’t you leave me alone? He replied: I
fear that someone else would plunder your gold. She says: He looted everything
present in our tents and even took away the chador (scarf) from our
heads.[2]
If Arab chivalry had really been an obstacle in beating up of
women, why Sumayyah, the mother was Ammar Yasir was not only beaten up, on the
contrary, she was tortured so much that she achieved martyrdom? Ibne Hajar
Asqalani has written in Al-Isabah:
Sumayyah binte Khabbat…mother of Ammar Yasir was the seventh
person to embrace Islam. Abu Jahl harassed her and stabbed her in the lower
abdomen with a spear till she was martyred. She was the first female martyr in
Islam and since she had embraced Islam and did not give it up, the family of
Bani Mughira tortured and harassed her till she was martyred.[3]
On researching the life history of Umar bin Khattab, we discover
that he did not, in any period of his life, put up good behavior to ladies,
whether before embracing Islam or after it; and whether during his rule. Please
note the following examples:
Some senior Ahle Sunnat scholars, including Shamsuddin Dhahabi in
Tarikhul Islam and also Muhammad bin Saad in Tabaqatul Kubra and
others have narrated that:
After Umar bin Khattab came to know that his sister and her
husband have accepted Islam, he came to her house and beat up the husband. His
sister intervened to save her husband. Umar fisted her in the face in such a
way that it bled and got smeared in blood.[4]
Senior Ahle Sunnat scholars have mentioned the brutality and
harassment of Umar on slave maids who had converted to Islam:
Abu Bakr had purchased a slave girl from Banu Muammal from the
family of Adi bin Kaab, who had converted to Islam and whom Umar had beaten up
so that she may recant her Islam and stop being a Muslim (since Umar was yet a
polytheist). He beat her up till he was exhausted. He said: If you wonder why I
stopped beating you, it is because I am exhausted, so please forgive me for
that. The slave girl said: Know that the Almighty Allah would deal with you in
the same manner.[5]
Evidences exist that Umar bin Khattab, in the presence of the
Holy Prophet (s), scolded Muslim ladies and beat them up on trivial pretexts.
Ahmad bin Hanbal has written in his Musnad:
Zainab, the daughter of the Holy Prophet (s) passed away. The
Prophet said: May the Almighty Allah join Zainab to Uthman bin Mazun, our
righteous ancestor. Ladies began to weep on hearing this. Umar came with his
customary whip and began to beat up the ladies in the very presence of the Holy
Prophet (s) infuriating the Prophet of mercy. The Prophet took away the whip
from Umar and said: Hold it! What have you got to do with these women? Let them
weep. Then he said to them: You may continue to weep, but refrain from making
satanic statements (sinful wails making allegations against the Almighty)…[6]
One who beats up Muslim women in such a blatant manner in the
presence of the Holy Prophet (s), would he refrain from beating ladies during
his own rule, and when the likes of Khalid bin Walid, Mughira bin Shoba, Qunfadh
Adwi etc…are on his side?
Most probably the family members of the Holy Prophet (s) were
among the ladies mourning for Zainab. One, who can raise objections to the
ladies of the family of the Holy Prophet (s) in the very presence of the
Prophet himself, what all would he not do when the Messenger of Allah (s) has
passed away and when he is in power and on the seat of Caliphate; would he not act
in such a blatant way?
Continued in part 2 .......
[1] Tafsir
Quranil Azeem, Vol. 2, Pg. 181, & Vol. 4, Pg. 478, Ismail bin Umar bin
Kathir Abul Fida Qarshi Damishqi (d. 774), Darul Fikr – Beirut – 1401 A.H.
[2] Al-Amali,
Pg. 229, Abu Ja’far Muslim bin Ali bin Husain Saduq (d. 381 A.H.), Edited and
published: Qism Darasatul Islamiya – Mausasil Batha, Markaz Taba-at wan Nashar
fee Mausasil Batha, First edition, 1417 A.H.
[3] Al-Isabah
fee Tamizus Sahaba, Vol. 7, Pg. 712, no. 11342, Ahmad bin Ali bin Hajar
Abul Fazl Asqalani Shafei, Edited: Ali Muhammad Bajawi, Darul Jeel – Beirut,
First edition, 1412 – 1992.
[4] Ansabul
Ashraf, Vol. 3, Pg. 386, Ahmad bin Yahya bin Jabir Balazari (d. 279 A.H.).
Al-Ahadithul Mukhtara,
Vol. 7, Pg. 141, Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Abdul Wahid bin Ahmad Muqaddasi
Hanbali (d. 643), Edited: Abdul Malik bin Abdullah bin Dahish, Maktaba Nahzatul
Haditha, Mecca Mukarrama – First edition, 1410 A.H.
Tarikhul Islam wa
Wafayatul Mashahir wal Aaalaam, Vol. 1, Pg. 174, Shamsuddin Muhammad bin
Ahmad bin Uthman Dhahabi (d. 748 A.H.), Edited: Dr. Umar Abdus Salam Tadmiri,
Darul Kitabul Arabi, Lebanon, Beirut, 1407 A.H. – 1987 A.D. First edition
Al-Matalibul Aaliya ba
Zawaidul Masanid al-Thamaniya, Vol. 17, Pg. 259, Ibne Hajar Asqalani Shafei
(d. 852 A.H.), Edited: Dr. Saad bin Nasir bin Abdul Aziz Shustari, Darul
Asima/Darul Ghayth – Saudia, First edition, 1419 A.H.
Ibne Kathir Damishqi has
also narrated as follows:
Al-Bidaya wan Nihaya,
Vol. 3, Pg. 80, Ismail bin Umar bin Kathir Abul Fida Qarashi Damishqi (d. 774
A.H.), Maktabul Marif – Beirut .
[5] Seerat
Nabawiyyah, Vol. 2, Pg. 161, Abdul Malik bin Hisham bin Ayyub Abu Muhammad
Himyari Mafiri (d. 213 A.H.), Edited: Taha Abdul Rauf Saad, Darul Jeel, First
edition, 1411 A.H.
Fadailus Sahaba,
Vol. 1, Pg. 120, Ahmad bin Hanbal Abu Abdullah Shaibani (d. 241 A.H.), Edited:
Dr. Wasiullah Muhammad Abbas, Mausasatur Risala – Beirut, First edition, 1403
A.H. – 1983 A.D.
[6] Musnad
Ahmad Hanbal, Vol. 1, Pg. 237, Ahmad bin Hanbal Abu Abdullah Shaibani (d.
241 A.H.), Mausasatur Qurtuba – Egypt .
Mustadrak Alas Sahihain,
Vol. 3, Pg. 210, Muhammad bin Abdullah Abu Abdullah Hakim Nishapuri (d. 405
A.H.), Edited: Mustafa Abdul Qadir Ata, Darul Kutubul Ilmiya – Beirut, First
edition, 1411 A.H. – 1990 A.D.
Neelal Autar min Ahadith
Sayyidul Akhyar Sharh Muttaqiul Akhbar, Vol. 4, Pg. 149, Muhammad bin Ali
bin Muhammad Shaukani (d. 1255 A.H.), Darul Jeel, Beirut – 1973;
Tohfatul Ahuzi Basharh
Jamiul Tirmidhi, Vol. 4, Pg. 75, Muhammad Abdur Rahman bin Abdur Rahim Abul
Alaa Mabar Kafoori (d. 1353 A.H.), Darul Kutubul Ilmiya – Beirut .