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The “Story Tellers” chip in!

In the last conference of Bida'a, Tareq Suwaidan, a famous face of the Ikhwan Movement contributed to and asserted the approach that shapes the American attack on Islam in the West, the women's issue. He claimed that women can be appointed as Khalifas! He twisted the Hadith of Al-Boukhari, which states “People who take a woman as their leader will never succeed” and claimed that it applies to a specific situation, and not to be generalized! Ironically enough, he also claimed that Quran did not allow men to hit their wives (in a light way as punishment, as described in Sunnah)[*]. He said that the word “فاضربوهن” and hit them” in the ayah of Al-Nisaa

الرِّجَالُ قَوَّامُونَ عَلَى النِّسَاء بِمَا فَضَّلَ اللّهُ بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ وَبِمَا أَنفَقُواْ مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ فَالصَّالِحَاتُ قَانِتَاتٌ حَافِظَاتٌ لِّلْغَيْبِ بِمَا حَفِظَ اللّهُ وَاللاَّتِي تَخَافُونَ نُشُوزَهُنَّ فَعِظُوهُنَّ وَاهْجُرُوهُنَّ فِي الْمَضَاجِعِ وَاضْرِبُوهُنَّ فَإِنْ أَطَعْنَكُمْ فَلاَ تَبْغُواْ عَلَيْهِنَّ سَبِيلاً إِنَّ اللّهَ كَانَ عَلِيًّا كَبِيرًا

“Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has given the one more than the other, and because they support them from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient, and guard in (the husband's) absence what Allah would have them guard. As to those women on whose part ye fear disloyalty and ill-conduct, admonish them (first), (next), refuse to share their beds, (and last) hit them (lightly); but if they return to obedience, seek not against them means (of annoyance): for Allah is Most High, Great (above you all)”. Al-Nisaa 34.

Suwaidan claimed that the word “hit them” in this verse means “turn your faces away from them” Subhana Allah!!! This is mere falsification (تحريف) of the Quran. He said that the use of the word “فاضرب” (so hit) means turn away in Arabic; as Arabs say “فاضرب عنه الذكر صفحا” meaning: “and turn your face away from him”! What a shame! If I was a follower of Ikhwan, I would hide my face and suppress my identity after one of the famous names of theirs made such sinful comments and open collaboration with the American attempt to change Islamic concepts and come up with an Americanized Islam.

First, how was this point raised in a conference that supposed to revive the legacy of the Prophet PBUH. Is this how Suwaidan sees the legacy of the Prophet should be served in a time when Islam is being attacked from the four corners of the globe?! Shouldn’t he talk about how Muslims should be stronger and more adherent to Sunnah instead of deviating from it further?! However, coming from a follower of the Ikhwan movement, we should not be that surprised.

However, as Suwidan’s knowledge in Shari'ah does not go beyond the stories of the Prophets (peace be upon them all), and his sources are limited to A’arais Al-Majalis of Al-Tha’alibi “عرائس المجالس للثعالبي”, we have to rise against such distortion of the meanings of Quran and Sunnah. It is rather awkward that in the same week those women who issued the letter about Women Imam(ah) [1], the famous Ikhwan speaker repeated the same words and sang the same tone! It seems that both serve the same party! However, we have to give him credit not to claim that Al-Boukhari was wrong in quoting Abi Bakrah, as these women claimed! He took a more conservative approach to reach the same conclusion.

The Hadith of Al-Boukhari was narrated by Abi Bakrah who said: Allah SWT Has benefited me with words I heard from the Prophet PBUH at the time of Al-Jamal (the Batter of the Camel) as I was just about to follow the people of Al-Jamal (followers of Aisha RA) to fight with them (against Ali RA). He said: When the Prophet PBUH heard that the Persians appointed Kisra’s daughter (as their Queen), he PBUH said: “People who appoint a woman as their leader will never succeed”.

Suwidan claims that this is limited to the Persians. Allahu Akbar and Subhana Allah! How did this genius come to that conclusion?!

1. The words of the Hadith carry no suggestion that it is specifically for the Persians.
2. The Prophet PBUH used the word “People” (قوم) in its absolute meaning (المطلق) (without "the" or ال). This, for those who are blessed by the light of knowledge of Shari'ah, means that it should not be removed from its absolute use unless it is clearly “qualified” (مقيد) by Shari'ah evidence. If there were any evidence to qualify this text, scholars of Ahlul Sunnah would have known it and used it. On the contrary, it has never been qualified by a respectful scholar. Also, all Shari'ah evidences point in the same direction of this Hadith, where women are advised to carry out their primary role in life; be the masters of their households and raise the new generations; rather than be a leader or Imam/khalifa.
3. It is also well known in the Principles of Jurisprudence of Islam (أصول الفقه) that “The general meaning of a text supersedes the specific reason for which it was said” (العبرة بعموم اللفظ لا بخصوص السبب). This is relevant to this Hadith, as scholars do not qualify and limit the meaning of the Hadith by the direct reason for which it was said.
4. More importantly, Abu Bakrah, a companion of the Prophet PBUH who definitely has more credibility than Swaidan, understood the Hadith in its absolute meaning, and applied it to the situation that he faced when he was tempted to follow the army of Al-Jamal (led by Aisha RA). He remembered that the Prophet PBUH said that those who take a woman as a leader will not be successful. Aisha was the leader of that army, and the result of her campaign is known[2]. If this Hadith only means that the Persians will not succeed if they take a woman as their leader, but not others, then the companion Abu Bakrah would have understood that and pointed it out. The Prophet PBUH, who was the best of the Arabs in Language could have said it in a more obvious way and did not rely on Suwaidan to rise and shine on the Islamic Ummah with such twisted interpretation.
5. The word “hit them” فاضربوهن in Arabic can never be used to mean “turn your face away from them” اضرب عنهن الذكر صفحا for reasons that are well known to most of those who speak the Arabic tongue. However, a little lesson to Suwaidan might get him to join an Arabic class to enhance his language:

1. The use of the pronoun (الضمير) when it comes attached to the verb (in فاضربوهن) differs from when it is used detached from the verb (in اضرب عنهن). When it is attached to the verb, the verb hit (اضرب) means the original meaning of the word: “hit”. However, if it is detached from the verb, the verb is called: Muta’adi (متعدى) “transitive”; and the letter of Ta’adi (تعدى) is the preposition: "from" (حرف الجرّ: عن). In this case, the meaning of the verb “hit” can be used to mean "turn the face away" with one condition: to be followed by the words Al-Zikr Safha الذكر صفحا; otherwise it can’t be used as such. So, this meaning is limited to the specific expression in Arabic where the structure of the sentence is specially made to reflect that meaning. In the Arabic tongue: “hit some one from the other” means “take him away from him” (ضرب فلان عن فلان). It is never said: “hit some one” without the letter From عن except to mean “hit” as we all know it.

2. If that was the meaning “to turn away from her”, then the meaning is repeated, since the first step in punishment is to make “Hijrah”; meaning to leave them and turn away from them. Has Quran repeated the same meaning?!

3. We would like to ask Dr. Suwaidan if we can also interpret the word "hit" (ضرب) in the verse with the following meanings, as it is valid in the Arabic language:

1. Hit ضرب means to have a sexual relationship with. Arabs say: the Camel hit the female Camel; meaning had intercourse with it. So, question to Dr. Suwaidan: can we say that Allah SWT commands us to establish this relationship with the disobedient wife to make her give up her rebellious behavior?!
2. Hit ضرب means: make a similitude “ضرب الأمثال”. So, again Dr. Suwaidan: can we say that Quran commands us to get married again and bring “a similitude” if the wife is disobedient?!

It is rather sad that we had to make such foul comments to make a point; that is: those who claim to be the People of Da'wa “calling for the way of Allah” should respect common Muslims and respect their Deen, and not betray Allah SWT and His messenger for measly worldly gains.

We have to state that we do not promote or condone violence against women. Islam does not respect those who resort to that third option without exhausting all other options offered in Shari'ah. Such men, who try to assert their manhood by hitting their weak wives for no reason, are despicable. Shari'ah has given men three options, with no time limitation to the use of each, in dealing with deviant wife: Advise her, turn away from her, and lastly hit her lightly (no brusing or harm to be inflected). It is Haram to resort to one before exhausting the one before it. However, a man might choose to only use the first and the second option in all incidents of deviation[3], and never resort to any kind of hitting. This would be much better in the long run in marital relationships. It is, after all, the husband's choice. However we, as always, can not stand still seeing Sunnah being altered and Quran being wrongfully interpreted for the sake of political gains.

We had hoped to see Suwaidan more adherent to Sunnah, especially coming into a gathering that already full of bida'a. However, we recognize the Laws of Allah SWT that work above and beyond the reasoning of Man. Ikhwan[4] have been so receptive to and lenient with Bida'a since the change of leadership in the early 50's, and after the old generation of men like Abdul Qadir Udah were killed by Jamal Abbdul Naser. This is the outcome of such stand. Suwaidan has lately stated openly that he admires the USA[5] and mentioned that he preferred to have an American son-in-law than and Arab one! We recognize that this is a personal choice and that his son-in-law is a good Muslim, as he stated. However, it is not Islamic to generalize the case and claim that Americans are better men (or sons-in-Law for that matter) than Arabs. It is absolutely the contrary in Sunnah for those who know something about this Deen, rather than stories. Suwaidan should fear that Allah SWT might resurrect him in the Day of Judgment with those whom he loves, as in the Hadith of the Prophet PBUH: “Man is with whom he loves (in the Day of Judgment)”. May Allah SWT guide him and all those who deviate from Sunnah, to the right path … Ameen.

وآخر دعوانا أن الحمد لله رب العالمين

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