seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Quran 4:11. God instructs you regarding your children: The male receives the equivalent of the share of two females. If they are daughters, more than two, they get two-thirds of what he leaves. If there is only one, she gets one-half. As for the parents, each gets one-sixth of what he leaves, if he had children. If he had no children, and his parents inherit from him, his mother gets one-third. If he has siblings, his mother gets one-sixth. After fulfilling any bequest and paying off debts. Your parents and your children—you do not know which are closer to you in welfare. This is God's Law. God is Knowing and Judicious.
12. You get one-half of what your wives leave behind, if they had no children. If they had children, you get one-fourth of what they leave. After fulfilling any bequest and paying off debts. They get one-fourth of what you leave behind, if you have no children. If you have children, they get one-eighth of what you leave. After fulfilling any bequest and paying off debts. If a man or woman leaves neither parents nor children, but has a brother or sister, each of them gets one-sixth. If there are more siblings, they share one-third. After fulfilling any bequest and paying off debts, without any prejudice. This is a will from God. God is Knowing and Clement.
13. These are the bounds set by God. Whoever obeys God and His Messenger, He will admit him into Gardens beneath which rivers flow, to abide therein forever. That is the great attainment.
14. But whoever disobeys God and His Messenger, and oversteps His bounds, He will admit him into a Fire, wherein he abides forever, and he will have a shameful punishment.
15. Those of your women who commit lewdness, you must have four witnesses against them, from among you. If they testify, confine them to the homes until death claims them, or God makes a way for them.
16. If two men among you commit it, punish them both. But if they repent and reform, leave them alone. God is Redeemer, Full of Mercy.
17. Repentance is available from God for those who commit evil out of ignorance, and then repent soon after. These—God will relent towards them. God is Knowing and Wise.
18. But repentance is not available for those who commit evils, until when death approaches one of them, he says, “Now I repent,” nor for those who die as disbelievers. These—We have prepared for them a painful torment.
19. O you who believe! It is not permitted for you to inherit women against their will. And do not coerce them in order to take away some of what you had given them, unless they commit a proven adultery. And live with them in kindness. If you dislike them, it may be that you dislike something in which God has placed much good.
20. If you wish to replace one wife with another, and you have given one of them a fortune, take nothing back from it. Would you take it back fraudulently and sinfully?
OK... according to the commentary. This is all about inheritance.
If a man died and left a family.... that family was given specific instructions in these verses about how his wealth was to be distributed. Verse 11 shows women are still second rate. A man gets a share twice as much as a woman. BUT.... I notice here that the man's parents get a portion too.... if their son precedes them in death... with no children... the parents take the lot of his inheritance that would have gone to his children.
Women came into the marriage with a dowry. If they left the marriage, the dowry had to be settled. In cases where the woman leaves of her own accord.... He can only take her dowry if she is at fault. If the husband decides to divorce... he has to give her back her dowry. That stopped a lot of divorce. In the Old Testament... a man could take a wife.... then go out in the street and say "I divorce you" three times and steal her dowry.
In verse 19 there is a wonderful little statement. Women can't be given to the family unless they want to be given. Let's say something happened to my hubby. He has a brother. In the Old Testament.... His brother would get first dibs on me. He would have to take me in and raise my children as his own. If he was a slimy bastard... and abusive cuss.... I would still have to go to him if he wanted me. That's how Abraham and the others did in the Old Testament... wives went to the family. In the Quran, however, the woman has a choice. She can get her dowry back and go back home.
If the brother wanted to take her dowry and put her out.... he would have to find four witnesses to accuse her of adultery. Then the brother could throw her out and keep all the dowry. I love how it says.... "If you dislike them, it may be that you dislike something in which God has placed much good." In other words... you might just learn to love them... that might be God's plan.
The last verse deals with the man who just fell in love with another woman. The first woman didn't do anything wrong.... he just didn't love her. You have to leave the first wife with enough to take care of herself. So this is like alimony.
So... IMHO.... I seeing this distinction between the Christians, Jews, and Muslims concerning women.
- Christians are kinder to women....but still they are not allowed to be Deacons... and it took until 1920 for those good Christian men to give women a vote or voice.
- Jews put women beneath men.... they are handed off to the family upon the death of the husband.... along with all of their wealth.
- Muslims put women beneath men.... but they can't be handed off to family unless they consent.... and if they are thrown out in divorce through no fault of their own... they get their dowry back.
I do like the idea that mom and dad get a part of the inheritance... that's nice.
