| This is the sixth article of the series: | | | | addition to the twofold reward. |
| "The Foreigner woman in Bible versus Quran" | | | | Hence, Muhammad's wives were peculiar women; |
| In the previous articles of this series, we have | | | | their punishment is twice and their reward is twice |
| seen that Language-wise, the "foreign" woman or | | | | too; and both are easy for Allah. |
| the "strange" woman is the alien or the exotic or | | | | |
| the outsider woman. However, the Bible has | | | | Moreover, the Quran (Verse 38:30) talks about |
| another opinion. As determined by the Bible: the | | | | Kings Solomon and says: What an excellent |
| "foreign" woman or the "strange" woman is the | | | | servant is, Solomon! Truly he was a penitent soul, |
| non-Israelite woman or the non-Jewish woman. | | | | always returning [to Allah] with glorification and |
| As a result, all non-Israelite or the non-Jewish | | | | remembrance at all times. He was ever turning in |
| women are "foreign" women or "strange" women. | | | | repentance (towards Allah) he is ever betaking |
| This indicates that the women in the Bible are but | | | | himself to Allah and engaged in His obedience. |
| one of two categories; they are either Legitimate | | | | Herein there are two important ethical issues. |
| (genuine) or Foreign (strange). | | | | 1) If the Quran is Anti-Israelite, and since King |
| | | | | Solomon is an Israelite king, then the Quran would |
| According to the inspired word of God (Nehemiah | | | | have exaggerated all the negative attributes of |
| 10 and Nehemiah 13), the Bible asserts that | | | | him that are mentioned in the Bible and would say: |
| Nehemiah said: | | | | this is the behavior of the Israelite kings! But, |
| And the rest of the people, the priests, the | | | | the truth is the truth. |
| Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinim, | | | | 2) According to the Islamic teachings (Quran and |
| and all they that had separated themselves from | | | | Hadith), anyone says or believes that King |
| the peoples of the lands unto the law of God, | | | | Solomon (or any other Prophet) did evil, did not |
| their wives, their sons, and their daughters, and | | | | follow his Lord, built high places for other gods |
| every one who had knowledge, and | | | | because of his 700 foreign wives is categorized |
| understanding; They clave to their brethren, their | | | | as disbeliever and he or she will dwell in the |
| nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, | | | | Eternal Hell in the Afterlife. |
| to walk in God's law, and that we would not give | | | | For more details, you can read on the internet |
| our daughters unto the peoples of the lands, nor | | | | my series of 25 articles about King Solomon in |
| take their daughters for our sons; | | | | the Quran; just type on Google search engine: |
| On that day they read in Torah that no | | | | "Not in Bible But in Quran" + King Solomon + my |
| Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the | | | | name. |
| congregation of God. In those days, I saw the | | | | ================================== |
| Jews who had married women of Ashdod, | | | | |
| Ammon, and Moab. And half of their children | | | | The Bible: Nehemiah 10:28-30 and Nehemiah |
| spoke the language of Ashdod, and they could | | | | 13:1and 13:23-30 |
| not speak in the Jews' language, but only the | | | | (King James Version) |
| language of each people. And I confronted them | | | | |
| and cursed them and smote some of them and | | | | Nehemiah 10:28-30 |
| pulled out their hair. And I made them take oath | | | | 28And the rest of the people, the priests, the |
| in the name of God, saying, "You shall not give | | | | Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinims, |
| your daughters to their sons, or take their | | | | and all they that had separated themselves from |
| daughters for your sons or for yourselves. Did | | | | the people of the lands unto the law of God, their |
| not Solomon king of Israel sin on account of such | | | | wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one |
| Foreign Women? Among the many nations there | | | | having knowledge, and having understanding; |
| was no king like him. Nevertheless, Foreign | | | | 29They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and |
| Women made even him to sin. Shall we then | | | | entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in |
| listen to you and do all this great evil and act | | | | God's law, which was given by Moses the servant |
| treacherously against our God by marrying foreign | | | | of God, and to observe and do all the |
| women?" And one of the sons of Eliashib the | | | | commandments of the LORD our Lord, and his |
| high priest, was the son-in-law of Sanballat the | | | | judgments and his statutes; |
| Horonite (i.e. married a foreign woman). Therefore | | | | 30And that we would not give our daughters unto |
| I chased him from me. Remember them, O my | | | | the people of the land, not take their daughters |
| God, because they have desecrated the | | | | for our sons: |
| priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood | | | | |
| and the Levites. Thus I cleansed them from | | | | Nehemiah 13:1 |
| everything foreign, and I established the duties of | | | | 1On that day they read in the book of Moses in |
| the priests and Levites, each in his work. | | | | the audience of the people; and therein was found |
| | | | | written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite |
| In addition, Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary | | | | should not come into the congregation of God for |
| on the Bible says: "Israel was a peculiar people, | | | | ever; |
| and not to mingle with other nations." | | | | |
| | | | | Nehemiah 13:23-30 |
| It should be emphasized that although the Bible | | | | 23In those days also saw I Jews that had |
| says that no Ammonite or Moabite should forever | | | | married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of |
| enter the congregation of God; however, the | | | | Moab: |
| righteous "Ruth", the grandmother of King David | | | | 24And their children spake half in the speech of |
| and the ancestor of the Lord Jesus was Moabite!! | | | | Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews' |
| | | | | language, but according to the language of each |
| On the other hand, the Quran says that all | | | | people. |
| women are equal. | | | | 25And I contended with them, and cursed them, |
| In the whole Quran, the idiom: "foreign woman" | | | | and smote certain of them, and plucked off their |
| or the "strange" woman is not mentioned therein; | | | | hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye |
| all women are equal in their rights and duty | | | | shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor |
| regardless of race, color, location etc. For details, | | | | take their daughters unto your sons, or for |
| read the previous articles of this series. | | | | yourselves. |
| However, the exception in the Quran is only for | | | | 26Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these |
| Muhammad's wives who were peculiar women. | | | | things? yet among many nations was there no |
| | | | | king like him, who was beloved of his God, and |
| Muhammad's wives were peculiar women | | | | God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless |
| Verses 33:28-31 of the Quran talk about how | | | | even him did outlandish women cause to sin. |
| peculiar were the wives of the Prophet | | | | 27Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this |
| Muhammad. | | | | great evil, to transgress against our God in |
| Although Muhammad was a very rich man, he | | | | marrying strange wives? |
| had a lot of money, and he could live a very | | | | 28And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of |
| luxury life with all of the life adornments and | | | | Eliashib the high priest, was son in law to Sanballat |
| splendors; however, he lived a tough life, a life of | | | | the Horonite: therefore I chased him from me. |
| asceticism; and he used to give all of his money | | | | 29Remember them, O my God, because they |
| to the poor people. His wives asked him, one day, | | | | have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of |
| for some of the adornments of this world like the | | | | the priesthood, and of the Levites. |
| other women who lived around. Then, Allah gave | | | | 30Thus cleansed I them from all strangers, and |
| them in the Quran two options to choose one of | | | | appointed the wards of the priests and the |
| them. | | | | Levites, every one in his business; |
| The first option: O Prophet Muhammad! Say to | | | | ================================== |
| your wives: ‘If you desire what is in the life | | | | |
| of this world (and its adornment) and its | | | | The Quran (Qarib Translation): |
| splendors; come! I will content you with divorce | | | | |
| and will release you in a gracious manner; I will | | | | Verses 33:28-31 |
| divorce you and will not coerce you to stay. This | | | | ?28? O prophet, say to your wives: 'if you seek |
| was the first proposed option. | | | | this life and its finery, come, I will release you with |
| The second option: But any of you that is devout | | | | a fine release. |
| in the service of Allah and his messenger, and | | | | ?29? But if you seek Allah and his messenger |
| works righteousness, - to her shall we grant her | | | | and the everlasting residence, know that Allah has |
| reward twice: and we have prepared for her a | | | | prepared for those of you who do good works a |
| generous sustenance. This was the second | | | | mighty wage. ' |
| proposed option; and Muhammad's wives have | | | | ?30? O wives of the prophet! Whosoever among |
| got it. | | | | you commits a flagrant indecency, for her the |
| Not only that, but the Quran continues: | | | | punishment shall be doubled, that is easy for Allah. |
| O you wives of the Prophet! Whosoever of you | | | | ?31? but she who obeys Allah and his messenger |
| commits manifest lewdness; whoever of you | | | | and does good works shall be doubly |
| commits manifest indecency, the punishment for | | | | recompensed; for her we have made a generous |
| her will be doubled. In other words, twice the | | | | provision. |
| chastisement for other women; and that is easy | | | | ================================== |
| for Allah. | | | | |
| And whosoever of you is submissive, obedient | | | | Back to my question to the smart and interested |
| unto Allah and His messenger and does right | | | | reader: |
| between herself and her Lord, Allah shall give her | | | | Are the Scholars honest when they claim that the |
| reward twice over a double reward, and Allah has | | | | Quran quoted from the Bible? |
| prepared a noble provision for her, in Paradise, in | | | | |