The meaning of Jihad in Islam

 the external enemy Jihad

Is Jihad defensive only?

As for the opinion that Jihad in Islam is defensive and not offensive by using the evidence (and similar evidences):

وَإِنْ جَنَحُوا لِلسَّلْمِ فَاجْنَحْ لَهَا وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ 

“But if the enemy incline towards peace, do you (also) incline towards peace, and trust in Allah: for He is One that Hears and Knows (all things)” (tmq 8:61)

وَقَاتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ الَّذِينَ يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ وَلَا تَعْتَدُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُعْتَدِينَ 

“Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allah loves not transgressors.” (tmq 2:190)

This is also incorrect and invalid for its application upon this matter is incorrect for the following reasons:

1. The evidences of Jihad are general ‘mutlaq’ evidences and include all offensive and defensive actions e.g. waging war to pre-empt an attack, to protect the borders, killing on the battlefield. To restrict or specify the evidences only to defensive and not offensive Jihad, requires a textual evidence to show that the Jihad is restricted to defensive Jihad only. And there is no such text in the Quran or the Sunnah that restricts or specifies this. Therefore, the evidences regarding Jihad remain general and to be used for all types of war and all types of fighting with the enemy. So it is invalid (baatil) to use the verse,

You have returned from the lesser jihad to the greater jihad. (Hadith) 

 Hadith :(The most excellent Jihad is that for the conquest of self.") Bukhari

The Most Beloved Prophet (Allah bless him and  give him peace) said: "Shall I tell you something that is the best of all deeds, constitutes the best act of piety in the eyes of your Lord, elevates your rank in the hereafter, and carries more virtue than the spending of gold and silver in the service of Allah, or taking part in Jihad and slaying or being slain in the path of Allah?" They said: "Yes!" He said: "Remembrance of Allah."

Thus one finds the principles of the spiritual Jihad are based on eliminating the ugly, selfish and ferocious characteristics of the ego through spiritual training and mastery of dhikr, the Remembrance of God. This remembrance takes many forms: each school of Sufism focuses on a different form of ritual dhikr to enable the seeker to approach the Divine Presence, varying from individual silent recitation and chanting to vocal group sessions. It is this spiritual struggle that raises humankind and instills in him the sense of relationship with His Creator, and the proper perspective in relating to all creation, always calling for love between humanity and striving in Allah's Way for better understanding between various communities of all faiths. Through this spiritual Jihad the effect of the selfish ego on the soul of the seeker will be removed, uplifting his state from depression, anxiety and loneliness to one of joy, satisfaction and companionship with the Most High.

"Jihad" to describe those who are deserving of guidance, and has made guidance dependent on Jihad against the false desires of the soul. Therefore, the most perfect of people are those who struggle the most against the selfish promptings of the ego for God's sake. The most obligatory Jihad is that against the base side of the ego, desires, the devil, and the lower world. 

In the linguistic sense, the Arabic word "jihad" means struggling or striving and applies to any effort exerted by anyone. In this sense, a student struggles and strives to get an education and pass course work; an employee strives to fulfill his/her job and maintain good relations with his/her employer; a politician strives to maintain or increase his (1) popularity with his constituents and so on. The term strive or struggle may be used for/by Muslims as well as non-Muslims; for example, Allah, the One and Only True God says in the Glorious Qur'an:

"We have enjoined on people kindness to parents; but if they strive (Jahadaka) to make you ascribe partners with Me that of which you have no knowledge, then obey them not..." (The Noble Qur'an, 29:8; also see 31:15)

In the above two verses of the Noble Qur'an , it is non-Muslim parents who strive (jahadaka) to convert their Muslim child back to their religion. In the West, "jihad" is generally translated as "holy war," a usage the media has popularized. According to Islamic teachings, it is unholy to instigate or start war; however, some wars are inevitable and justifiable.

If we translate the words "holy war" back into Arabic, we find "harbun muqaddasatu," or for "the holy war," "al-harbu al-muqaddasatu." We challenge any researcher or scholar to find the meaning of "jihad" as holy war in the Noble Qur'an or authentic Hadith collections or in early Islamic literature. Unfortunately, some Muslim writers and translators of the Qur'an, the Hadith and other Islamic literature translate the term "jihad" as "holy war," due to the influence of centuries-old Western propaganda.

This could be a reflection of the Christian use of the term "Holy War" to refer to the Crusades of a thousand years ago. However, the Arabic words for "war" are "harb" or "qital," which are found in the Noble Qur'an and Hadith.

For Muslims the term Jihad is applied to all forms of striving and has developed some special meanings over time. The sources of this development are the Qur'an (the Word of God revealed to the Beloved Prophet Muhammad (Salla Allahu 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa sallam - meaning peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The Qur'an al kareem and the Hadith use the word "jihad" in several different contexts.

The Arabic term jihad, usually translated into European languages as holy war, more on the basis of its juridical usage in Islam rather than on its much more universal meaning in the Quran and Hadith, is derived from the root jhd whose primary meaning is to strive or to exert oneself. Its translation into holy war combined with the erroneous notion of Islam prevalent in the West as the 'religion of the sword' has helped to eclipse its inner and spiritual significance and to distort its connotation. Nor has the appearance upon the stage of history during the past century and especially during the past few years of an array of movements within the Islamic world often contending or even imposing each other and using the word jihad or one of its derivative forms helped to make known the full import of its traditional meaning which alone is of concern to us here. Instead recent distortions and even total reversal of the meaning of jihad as understood over the ages by Muslims have made it more difficult than ever before to gain insight into this key religious and spiritual concept. 

To understand the spiritual significance of jihad and its wide application to nearly every aspect of human life as understood by Islam, it is necessary to remember that Islam bases itself upon the idea of establishing equilibrium within the being of man as well as in the human society where he functions and fulfills the goals of his earthly life. This equilibrium, which is the terrestrial reflection of Divine Justice and the necessary condition for peace in the human domain, is the basis upon which the soul takes its flight towards that peace which, to use Christian terms, 'passeth understanding'. If Christian morality sees the aim of the spiritual life and its own morality as based on the vertical flight towards that perfection and ideal which is embodied in Christ, Islam sees it in the establishment of an equilibrium both outward and inward as the necessary basis for the vertical ascent. The very stability of Islamic society over the centuries, the immutability of Islamic norms embodied in the Shari'ah, and the timeless character of traditional Islamic civilization which is the consequence of its permanent and immutable prototype are all reflections of both the ideal of equilibrium and its realization as is so evident in the teachings of the Shari'ah (or Divine Law) as well as works of Islamic art, that equilibrium which is inseparable from the very name of islam as being related to salam or peace. 

The preservation of equilibrium in this world, however, does not mean simply a static or inactive passivity since life by nature implies movement. In the face of the contingencies of the world of change, of the withering effects of time, of the vicissitudes of terrestrial existence, to remain in equilibrium requires continuous exertion. It means carrying out jihad at every stage of life. Human nature being what it is, given to forgetfulness and the conquest of our immortal soul by the carnal soul or passions, the very process of life of both the individual and the human collectivity implies the ever-present danger of the loss of equilibrium and the fact of falling into the state of disequilibrium which if allowed to continue cannot but lead to disintegration on the individual level and chaos on the scale of community life. To avoid this tragic end and to fulfill the entelechy of the human state which is the realization of unity (al-tawhid) or total integration, Muslims as both individuals and members of Islamic society must carry out jihad, that is they must exert themselves at all moments of life to fight a battle both inward and outward against those forces that if not combatted will destroy that equilibrium which is the necessary condition for the spiritual life of the person and the functioning of human society. This fact is especially true if society is seen as a collectivity which bears the imprint of the Divine Norm rather than an antheap of contending and opposing units and forces. 

Man is at once a spiritual and corporeal being, a micro-cosm complete unto himself; yet he is the member of a society within which alone are certain aspects of his being developed and certain of his needs fulfilled. He possesses at once an intelligence whose substance is ultimately of a divine character and sentiments which can either veil his intelligence or abett his quest for his own Origin. In him are found both love and hatred, generosity and coveteousness, compassion and aggression. Moreover, there have existed until now not just one but several 'humanities' with their own religious and moral norms and national, ethnic and racial groups with their own bonds of affiliation. As a result the practice of jihad as applied to the world of multiplicity and the vicissitudes of human existence in the external world has come to develop numerous ramifications in the fields of political and economic activity and in social life and come to partake on the external level of the complexity which characterizes the human world. 

In its most outward sense jihad came to mean the defence of dar al-islam, that is, the Islamic world, from invasion and intrusion by non-Islamic forces. The earliest wars of Islamic history which threatened the very existence of the young community came to be known as jihad par excellence in this outward sense of 'holy war'. But it was upon returning from one of these early wars, which was of paramount importance in the survival of the newly established religious community and therefore of cosmic significance, that the Prophet nevertheless said to his companions that they had returned from the lesser holy war to the greater holy war, the greater jihad being the inner battle against all the forces which would prevent man from living according to the theomorphic norm which is his primordial and God given nature. Throughout Islamic history, the lesser holy war has echoed in the Islamic world when parts or the whole of that world have been threatened by forces from without or within. This call has been especially persistent since the nineteenth century with the advent of colonialism and the threat to the very existence of the Islamic world. It must be remembered, however, that even in such cases when the idea of jihad has been evoked in certain parts of the Islamic world, it has not usually been a question of religion simply sanctioning war but of the attempt of a society in which religion remains of central concern to protect itself from being conquered either by military and economic forces or by ideas of an alien nature. This does not mean, however, that in some cases especially in recent times, religious sentiments have not been used or misused to intensify or legitimize a conflict. But to say the least, the Islamic world does not have a monopoly on this abuse as the history of other civilizations including even the secularized West demonstrates so amply. Moreover, human nature being what it is, once religion ceases to be of central significance to a particular human collectivity, then men fight and kill each other for much less exalted issues than their heavenly faith. By including the question of war in its sacred legislation, Islam did not condone but limited war and its consequences as the history of the traditional Islamic world bears out. In any case the idea of total war and the actual practice of the extermination of whole civilian populations did not grow out of a civilization whose dominant religion saw jihad in a positive light. On the more external level, the lesser jihad also includes the socio-economic domain. It means the reassertion of justice in the external environment of human existence starting with man himself. To defend one's rights and reputation, to defend the honour of oneself and one's family is itself a jihad and a religious duty. So is the strengthening of all those social bonds from the family to the whole of the Muslim people (al-ummah) which the Shari'ah emphasizes. To seek social justice in accordance with the tenets of the Quran and of course not in the modern secularist sense is a way of re-establishing equilibrium in human society, that is, of performing jihad, as are constructive economic enterprises provided the well-being of the whole person is kept in mind and material welfare does not become an end in itself; provided one does not lose sight of the Quranic verse, 'The other world is better for you than this one'. To forget the proper relation between the two worlds would itself be instrumental in bringing about disequilibrium and would be a kind of jihad in reverse. 

All of those external forms of jihad would remain incomplete and in fact contribute to an excessive externalization of human being, if they were not complemented by the greater or inner jihad which man must carry out continuously within himself for the nobility of the human state resides in the constant tension between what we appear to be and what we really are and the need to transcend ourselves throughout this journey of earthly life in order to become what we 'are'. 

From the spiritual point of view all the 'pillars' of Islam can be seen as being related to jihad. The fundamental witnesses, 'There is no divinity but Allah' and 'Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah', through the utterance of which a person becomes a Muslim are not only statements about the Truth as seen in the Islamic perspective but also weapons for the practice of inner jihad. The very form of the first witness (La ilaha illa' Lla-h in Arabic) when written in Arabic calligraphy is like a bent sword with which all otherness is removed from the Supreme Reality while all that is positive in manifestation is returned to that Reality. The second witness is the blinding assertion of the powerful and majestic descent of all that constitutes in a positive manner the cosmos, man and revelation from that Supreme Reality. To invoke the two witnesses in the form of the sacred language in which they were revealed is to practice the inner jihad and to bring about awareness of who we are, from whence we come and where is our ultimate abode. 

The daily prayers (salat or namaz) which constitute the heart of the Islamic rites are again a never ending jihad which punctuate human existence in a continuous rhythm in conformity with the rhythm of the cosmos. To perform the prayers with regularity and concentration requires the constant exertion of our will and an unending battle and striving against forgetfulness, dissipation and laziness. It is itself a form of spiritual warfare. 

Likewise, the fast of Ramadan in which one wears the armour of inner purity and detachment against the passions and temptations of the outside world requires an asceticism and inner discipline which cannot come about except through an inner holy war. Nor is the hajj to the centre of the Islamic world in Mecca possible without long preparation, effort, often suffering and endurance of hardship. It requires great effort and exertion so that the Beloved Prophet (May Allah bless him and give him peace) could say, 'The hajj is the most excellent of all jihads". Like the knight in quest of the Holy Grail, the pilgrim to the house of the Beloved must engage in a spiritual warfare whose end makes all sacrifice and all hardship pale into significance, for the hajj to the House of God implies for the person who practices the inner jihad encounter with the Master of the House who also resides at the centre of that other Ka'bah which is the heart. 

Finally the giving of zakat or religious tax and khums is again a form of jihad not only in that in departing from one's wealth man must fight against the coveteousness and greed of his carnal soul, but also in that through the payment of zakat and khums in its many forms man contributes to the establishment of economic justice in human society. Although jihad is not one of the 'pillars of Islam', it in a sense resides within all the other 'pillars'. From the spiritual point of view in fact all of the 'pillars' can be seen in the light of an inner jihad which is essential to the life of man from the Islamic point of view and which does not oppose but complements contemplativity and the peace which result from the contemplation of the One. 

The great stations of perfection in the spiritual life can also be seen in the light of the inner jihad. To become detached from the impurities of the world in order to repose in the purity of the Divine Presence requires an intense jihad for our soul has its roots sunk deeply into the transient world which the soul of fallen man mistakes for reality. To overcome the lethargy, passivity and indifference of the soul, qualities which have become second nature to man as a result of his forgetting who he is constitutes likewise a constant jihad. To pull the reigns of the soul from dissipating itself outwardly as a result of its centrifugal tendencies and to bring it back to the centre wherein resides Divine Peace and all the beauty which the soul seeks in vain in the domain of multiplicity is again an inner jihad. To melt the hardened heart into a flowing stream of love which would embrace the whole of creation in virtue of the love for God is to perform the alchemical process of solve et coagula inwardly through a 'work' which is none other than an inner struggle and battle against what the soul has become in order to transform it into that which it 'is' and has never ceased to be if only it were to become aware of its own nature. Finally, to realize that only the Absolute is absolute and that only the Self can ultimately utter 'I' is to perform the supreme jihad of awakening the soul from the dream of forgetfulness and enabling it to gain the supreme principal knowledge for the sake of which it was created. The inner jihad or warfare seen spiritually and esoterically can be considered therefore as the key for the understanding of the whole spiritual process, and the path for the realization of the One which lies at the heart of the Islamic message seen in its totality. The Islamic path towards perfection can be conceived in the light of the symbolism of the greater jihad to which the Prophet of Islam, who founded this path on earth, himself referred. 

In the same way that with every breath the principle of life which functions in us irrespective of our will and as long as it is willed by Him who created us, exerts itself through jihad to instill life within our whole body, at every moment in our conscious life we should seek to perform jihad in not only establishing equilibrium in the world about us but also in awakening to that Divine Reality which is the very source of our consciousness. For the spiritual man, every breath is a reminder that he should continue the inner jihad until he awakens from all dreaming and until the very rhythm of his heart echoes that primordial sacred Name by which all things were made and through which all things return to their Origin. The Beloved Prophet (May Allah bless him and give him peace) said, 'Man is asleep and when he dies he awakens'. Through inner jihad the spiritual man dies in this life in order to cease all dreaming, in order to awaken to that Reality which is the origin of all realities, in order to behold that Beauty of which all earthly beauty is but a pale reflection, in order to attain that Peace which all men seek but which can in fact be found only through the inner jihad.

The wisdom of polygamy

 WHY POLYGAMY

There have been almost the same reasons that had led many cultures and religions to accept polygamy as a recognized custom or tradition. The major reason is that during wars, there are more men killed as compared to women. Other reasons for the shortage of men is the fact that more men die due to natural disasters than women, because usually men are working at the fields or trying to save somebody else. In modern times, there are even a grater host of reasons contributing to the lose of men. For example, accidents to those working with heavy machinery or in work fields that are usually equipped by men.

Statistic may surprise you, but there are more women than men almost every where in the world [1]. After the WWII, there were 7.3 million women than men in Germany (3.3 million of them were widows). Russia had nine million more females than males. Today, other countries such as England there are about 94 males per 100 females. In Guinea there are 122 females for every 100 males. In Tanzania, there are 95.1 males per 100 females. According to Census 2000, there are about 6 million women more than men in the U.S, New York alone has an estimated one million more females than males [2].

Because of all these reasons -with war being the major one, the chances for men to die is grater than women and the average life span of females is more than that of males, thus, at any given time one finds more widows in the world than widowers. This is a well-known fact to the insurance companies and this is why most life insurance companies have two policies, one for men and another for women. Here is an example you could verify for yourself with the insurance companies. According to one insurance company: A life insurance policy with the face amount of $150,000 for a male whose age is between 31-35 would cost him $22.50 a month. Yet the same amount for a 31-35 years old female would cost here only $16.50 a month. The difference between the two payments is $ 6.00 or about 27 percent more in the case of being a man.

The undeniable fact that there is a shortage of men, is nothing new to God. Allowing polygamy is the way God had offered humanity as the most practical answer for this problem.

As we will see next, God has sat some laws and rules to organize polygamy long time ago as His 

approval for this practical solution for the problem.

 POLYGAMY IN ISLAM

When the Quran -or Koran, the Holy book of Islam- was revealed, it accommodated other religions and people who were living in that era. At the same time, it recognized earlier Messengers of God and their authentic Messages, which have allowed and organized polygamy. Since the problem of shortage of men still existed then -and until today- Islam dealt with the problem instead of sweeping it under the rug or by ignoring it and looking the other way.

The Quran, too, allowed polygamy, but with more restrictions: "If you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with the orphans, marry women of your choice, two or three or four; but if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one". (The Holy Quran, chapter 4: verse 3).

The Quran, contrary to all other scriptures, limited the maximum number of wives to four under the strict condition of treating the wives equally and justly. Some may think that it is a common sense that man should treat all his wives equally and justly, yet all other religions teach that you should not kill for example. If these religions depended only on common sense then there would have been no need to teach that you should not kill, since it calls for even less common sense not to kill another person.

The Qur'ân is the only religious book, on the face of this Earth, that contains the command; ‘marry only one’. There is no other religious book that instructs men who could not fulfill the conditions of being fair and just to their wives to have only one wife

The Qur'an and the Shariaa -the Islamic law, make it even harder not easier on man to have more than one wife. They stipulate that a man is responsible for the maintenance of his wife or wives. If a man has more than one wife, he has to provide separate living accommodation for each of his wives. The woman is not obliged to spend on herself even if she is rich. Nor is she obliged to work to share in the family expenses. If a man could not support more than one wife, then he could not marry another one. No other religion, custom or tradition in the world restricts man to this condition except Islam

Islam is the first religion to allow certain conditions to be added to the marriage contract, which is something similar to today’s civilized -not religious- prenuptial agreement. With that, Islam cares for the religious side of the holy matrimony as well as the financial and the social sides. Islam organizes all aspects of life for its followers and not limited only to the religious aspect. Thus, full consent is a major corner of the marriage contract in Islam. This means that the bride has full right to refuse a polygamous marriage.

According to Shariaa -Islamic law, a co-wife will inherit a part of the dead husband’s estate, the children will too. In a monogamous culture, children who were born outside of wed lock will inherit but their mother will not.

It should be clear to you by now that the Quran does not exhort the believers to practice polygamy, or that polygamy is considered as an ideal. In other words, the Quran has "tolerated" or "allowed" polygamy, and no more, but why? Why is polygamy permissible? The answer is simple: There are places and times in which there are compelling social and moral reasons for polygamy. As the above Quranic verse indicates, the issue of polygamy in Islam cannot be understood apart from community obligations towards orphans and widows. Islam as a universal religion suitable for all places and all times could not ignore these compelling obligations.

Multiple marriages are a heavy responsibility on the male. It is not a pleasure trip as some people may assume. Some may even imagine all kinds of sexual exploits involving a man and his wives altogether. However, such activity is not permissible in Islam. A man must divide his time equally among his wives. He may, for example, spend one night with each wife on a rotating schedule.

Because of all these burdens on men to have multiple marriages, having more than one wife is not the norm of marriage in Islam, multiple marriages still exist, but not everywhere as they do in Hollywood movies.

It may be useful at this point to see what some NON-MUSLIM writers are now saying on this much misunderstood subject after having the chance to learn the truth about it.

John Esposito says: "Although it is found in many religious and cultural traditions, polygamy (or more precisely, polygyny) is most often identified with Islam in the minds of Westerners. In fact, the Qur'an and Islamic Law sought to control and regulate the number of spouses rather than give free license". (John Esposito, Islam: The Straight Path, Oxford University, 1988, p. 97).

Esposito then goes on to explain that in a society, which allowed men an unlimited number of wives, Islam limited the number of wives to four. Then he continued to say: "The Qur'an permits a man to marry up to four wives, provided he can support and treat them all equally. Muslims regard this Quranic command as strengthening the status of women and the family for it sought to ensure the welfare of single women and widows in a society whose male population was diminished by warfare, and to curb unrestricted polygamy" (p. 97).

Karen Armstrong explains much the same in her book entitled Muhammad: A Western Attempt to Understand Islam (Victor Gollancz Ltd., 1991, p. 191). She says: "We have to see the ruling about polygamy in context. In seventh-century Arabia, when a man could have as many wives as he chose, to prescribe only four was a limitation, not a license to new oppression".

It is unfortunate that the Western media often gives the wrong impression of what Islam is all about. Karen Armstrong writes: "Popular films like Harem give an absurd and inflated picture of the sexual life of the Muslim sheikh which reveals more about Western fantasy than it does about the reality" (p. 190).

Some people incorrectly assume that because of this ruling most Muslim men would have four wives. However, as Huston Smith points out: "Multiple wives are seldom found in Islam today" (The World's Religions, p. 252). Ira Zepp, Jr. says: "Less than 2% of Muslim marriages are polygamous" (A Muslim Primer, p. 180).

About this being a solution for the problem of surplus women, Ira Zepp, Jr. comments on page 181 of his book: "The Roman Catholic Church is facing the same problem today in parts of Africa. Social and economic reasons are forcing the Church to reconsider polygamy as a Christian option". (See Polygamy Reconsidered by Eugene Hillman, New York: Orbis Press, 1973).
 CONCLUSION

Other cultures and religions have practiced polygamy, some still do until today.

God sat rules to organize it, if it was evil, He would have forbade it long time ago.

Islam does not promote nor force polygamy, it only allows it as it recognizes the problem instead of ignoring it.

Islam did not introduce polygamy, thus all questions about polygamy should be asked to other religions as well. Comparing the idea of polygamy in other religions to that of Islam should proof fruitful too.

Polygamy in Islam restricted men and gave women more rights than what any other religion gave them. In other matters regarding women rights, what Islam gave them should be compared to what other religions gave to women.

Polygamy in Islam is the most practical answer for the welfare of the widows and the orphans. Furthermore, it is the only honorable way for the unmarried women to have families of their own.


Recognizing the real world we live in and following God’s commandments as humanly as possible will better our lives. Ignoring reality and doing the opposite of what God commanded, is distant to worsen the lives of those who do so.
 the following fatwa issued by Sheikh `Attiyah Saqr, former head of Al-Azhar Fatwa Committee, in this regard. It reads:

“In fact, there is a great Divine wisdom behind the permissibility of marrying more than one wife. According to the dictate of man's nature, his sexual desire may reach the stage that one wife may not be sufficient for him. As for woman, there are situations and natural phenomena that control and restrict her sexual desire; part of this is the nursing period, menstruation and in many other things that are pertaining to her nature. 

In addition, if we are to allow such a degradation of allowing woman to marry more than a husband at one time, she will be no more than a mere object of sexual satisfaction. What makes the matter worse is the fact that conflict and dispute over the child lineage will emerge, and this will result in a total chaos and sexual deviation. 

Viewed in another perspectives, polygyny is, in fact, a thing in favor of women themselves. If it happens that a wife becomes invalid or even disinterested in sexual intercourse, how does she expect her husband to behave? Also, if we suppose that a woman is infertile and her husband has a very great desire for having children, what should he do? Should he resort to adoption or engage in some illicit affairs? The best way to solve the problem is to seek a second wife that helps the first one and preserves the husband from resorting to deviation. Indeed, the society will be safe and secure, and both parties will experience a happy marital life.” 

In addition, we would like to cite for you the following article on polygyny and polyandry; it reads: 

"First, we’d address the issue of men having four wives before answering the question as to why women cannot have multiple husbands. 

I think that among many other misconceptions that people have about Islam is their belief that Islam unconditionally allows a Muslim to have four wives. In this regard, some scholars have gone as far as to say that keeping four wives is a man’s essential physiological and psychological need. I am afraid that this point of view is in direct contradiction with the Qur'an. It is, in fact, a distortion of the stance of Islam. 

According to the Qur'an, in normal circumstances, a family comes into being only through wedlock between man and woman. A subtle reference to this is made by the Qur'an in the verse that reads: “ O mankind! Be careful of your duty to your Lord Who created you from a single soul and from it created its mate and from them twain hath spread abroad a multitude of men and women.”(An-Nisa': 1) where it alludes to the fact that when Almighty Allah created Adam, He created for him Eve as his wife. 

Naturally, had Almighty Allah wished that a man should have more than one wife, He would have created more wives for Adam instead of just one. This shows us that as far as a man’s physiological and psychological needs are concerned, they are completely satisfied even if he has a single wife. 

Let us now take a look at the verses, generally thought to be the basis of polygyny; But we'll firstly make a brief word about their background. 

A greater part of surat An-Nisa', in which these verses occur, deals with the society and its reformation. In this regard, the foremost sphere in which directives were given was that of the welfare of the orphans since they are one of the weakest sections of society. 

In Madinah, there came a time when many Muslims were martyred in various battles. As a result, many children were orphaned. In this situation, Almighty Allah called upon Muslims to look after these children and guard their wealth and property. In this regard, the already in-practice custom of polygyny in the Arabian society was resorted to. Muslims were told that if they were afraid that they would not be able to take proper care of these orphans, they should marry their widowed mothers. 



"First, we’d address the issue of men having four wives before answering the question as to why women cannot have multiple husbands. 

I think that among many other misconceptions that people have about Islam is their belief that Islam unconditionally allows a Muslim to have four wives. In this regard, some scholars have gone as far as to say that keeping four wives is a man’s essential physiological and psychological need. I am afraid that this point of view is in direct contradiction with the Qur'an. It is, in fact, a distortion of the stance of Islam. 

According to the Qur'an, in normal circumstances, a family comes into being only through wedlock between man and woman. A subtle reference to this is made by the Qur'an in the verse that reads: “ O mankind! Be careful of your duty to your Lord Who created you from a single soul and from it created its mate and from them twain hath spread abroad a multitude of men and women.”(An-Nisa': 1) where it alludes to the fact that when Almighty Allah created Adam, He created for him Eve as his wife. 

Naturally, had Almighty Allah wished that a man should have more than one wife, He would have created more wives for Adam instead of just one. This shows us that as far as a man’s physiological and psychological needs are concerned, they are completely satisfied even if he has a single wife. 

Let us now take a look at the verses, generally thought to be the basis of polygyny; But we'll firstly make a brief word about their background. 

A greater part of surat An-Nisa', in which these verses occur, deals with the society and its reformation. In this regard, the foremost sphere in which directives were given was that of the welfare of the orphans since they are one of the weakest sections of society. 

In Madinah, there came a time when many Muslims were martyred in various battles. As a result, many children were orphaned. In this situation, Almighty Allah called upon Muslims to look after these children and guard their wealth and property. In this regard, the already in-practice custom of polygyny in the Arabian society was resorted to. Muslims were told that if they were afraid that they would not be able to take proper care of these orphans, they should marry their widowed mothers. 

We will now take a look at the following Qur'anic verse: “If you fear that you would not be able to deal justly with the orphans, marry two, three or four of the women who are lawful for you. But if you fear that you would not be able to deal justly [with them] then [restrict yourself to] one only." (An-Nisa': 3) 

Three implications of this verse are very clear: 

We will now take a look at the following Qur'anic verse: “If you fear that you would not be able to deal justly with the orphans, marry two, three or four of the women who are lawful for you. But if you fear that you would not be able to deal justly [with them] then [restrict yourself to] one only." (An-Nisa': 3) 

Three implications of this verse are very clear: 

Firstly, polygyny is related to some social need. 


Thirdly, if a person cannot maintain balance and do justice to his wives, he must restrict himself to one. 

In other words, while in normal circumstances, a family comes into being through the union of a single man and woman, there may be certain exceptional circumstances in which the practice of polygyny may be benefited from with the restrictions mentioned in the above-mentioned verse. 

For example, in our society, many young widows and divorcees with small kids experience a life full of misery with no one around to take them as wives. Such widows and children can lead normal lives if the dispensation of polygyny is benefited from. Similarly, many young women who, after embracing Islam, have been abandoned by their non-Muslim husbands need Muslims to marry them. So, a number of problems can be solved by using this permission, which would have been impossible to overcome had Islam totally forbidden polygyny.

With this background, we will now come to your question regarding polyandry (woman having many husbands at the same time). It is common sense that if a family is to come into being, not only should there be only one head but also one person should not be placed under the command of multiple heads, otherwise, great anarchy would result. 

Since, in Muslim family, husbands takes the horn of leadership, if a wife has more than one husband, she would be placed under the authority of many husbands at the same time. This of course would only hasten to tear apart the fabric of a family unit. Furthermore, the lineage of the child borne by a woman having more than one husband cannot be ascertained. How would the father be ascertained? 

Someone might say that a DNA test would be able to do so. However, even if this test is used, there still are great chances of dissent between all the husbands with one claiming to be the father and the other denying him. 

Owing to these reasons, Islam makes it forbidden for a woman to be married to more than one husband at a time."
Also Salem al-Hasi writes:
Among the numerous misconceptions about Islam, is that it is the only religion that permits polygamy, and that Muslims are the only people who might practice it. On the contrary, polygamy was never prohibited in Judaism and Christianity, until a few centuries ago. Besides the fact that most of the prophets mentioned in the Old Testament were polygamous - both Jews and Christians practiced polygamy throughout a long period of their history. However, when examining the teachings of both faiths, neither Christianity nor Judaism provided clear guidelines and regulations in regards to this practice. 

In contrast with Judaism and Christianity, Islam dealt with polygamy more clearly. It provides legal requirements that restrain it, to a certain extent and this amounted to the discouragement of practicing polygamy. 

First of all, you should know that the general norm in Islam is monogamy and not polygamy. Also, the position of Islam towards polygamy is that it is neither mandatory nor encouraged, but merely permitted. More importantly, the permission to practice polygamy is associated with compassion towards widows and orphans, and is not associated with mere sexual satisfaction. Allah says:
If ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly with the orphans, Marry women of your choice, Two or three or four; but if ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one, or (a captive) that your right hands possess, that will be more suitable, to prevent you from doing injustice.
Surah 4 Verse 3
Dr. Jamal Badawi, a prominent Egyptian scholar residing and teaching in Canada,wrote in an essay titled, Polygamy in Islamic Law: 

‘It is evident that the association of "polygamy" with Islam is not only unfair or biased but based on a serious misunderstanding. Polygamy was practiced, often without limitations nor regulations , in almost all cultures. It was sanctioned by various religions, and practiced, both before Islam, and for many centuries thereafter. The Mormons presently practice it - though secretly. Christian missionaries, in Africa and other areas, where polygamy is a social necessity, also allow it. 

It is both, honest and accurate, to say that it was Islam that regulated this practice, limited it, made it more humane and instituted equal rights and status for all wives. What the Qur’anic decrees amount to, taken together, is a discouragement of polygamy, unless necessity for it exists.’ 

Now, we come to the main part of your question; which is why in Islam polygamy is permissible, whereas polyandry (a woman marrying more than one man) is prohibited. I believe that the answer has many dimensions, which are related to the physical nature of woman and her position in the society. 

Yet, above all reasons, comes the fact that polygamy fits within the framework of the purpose of shari`a (Islamic law), whereas polyandry goes directly against its objectives. The purpose of revealing shari`a was to serve the interests of people (masalih al-`ibad). 

According to scholars of Islam, these interests are preserving:
Belief (deen)
Life (an-nafs)
Intellect and reason(al-`aql)
Wealth (al-maal)
Family and lineage (an-nasl)
All the rules, regulations, and laws in the Islamic legal system are dedicated to preserve these five major interests. They are known as the five ultimate objectives (al-kuliyaat al-khams). 

Hence, the rules and regulations related to marriage and polygamy were drawn to preserve an-nasl (family and lineage). The wisdom of preserving an-nasl is to assure the recognition of the right lineage of people and their children, by which the social kinship and social network is kept sound and stable. 

Since lineage through the fathers is hard to demonstrate compared to mothers, it would be saved and preserved through polygamy. On the other hand, it would be impossible through polyandry. In the case of polygamy, the father of a child is always known and therefore the lineage is easily determined. As for the case of polyandry, the father is not necessarily obvious and therefore the lineage of a child is also obscured. It was mentioned in answer Absent fathers that DNA is still not accepted as sufficient evidence to prove lineage by Muslim Jurists. 

I would like at the end, to add shortly that the philosophy of dealing with body and sexuality in Islam is a very important issue here and comparative insights are very revealing. Giving the human being the ultimate control over the body without any shared norms and accepting relativist morality to rule in this domain might guarantee satisfaction of desires, but it would not allow the society to be built on strong pillars of a sound concept of the family, social coherence and also common civic virtues. 

Polygamy did not disappear in modern societies, but it just became practiced outside the bonds of marriage. It may be under the label of individual choice and freedom, but is happens with no commitment, rights or responsibilities put on the shoulders of either party. 

It resulted in the dissolution of norms of sexuality in orientation, preference, forms and practices. So from a realistic point of view, Islam addresses realities and sets boundaries and formulates balances of reciprocal rights and responsibilities. Needless to say, that in order to understand the social logic of Islam, this issue needs to be framed within the whole set of norms and rules upon which the Islamic society is built. If we do otherwise, our view is no longer comprehensive but partial and superficial. 

Allah knows the best 
Wa-salaam  
Prominent scholar Dr.Zakir Naik writes:

Polygamy
Q. Why is a man allowed to marry more than one wife in Islam? Or why is polygamy allowed in Islam? 
Answer:
1. Definition of Polygamy
Polygamy means a system of marriage whereby one person has more than one spouse. Polygamy can be of two types. One is polygyny where a man marries more than one woman, and the other is polyandry, where a woman marries more than one man. In Islam, limited polygyny is permitted and polyandry is completely prohibited. Now coming to the original question, why is a man allowed to have more than one wife?
2. Qur’an is the only religious scripture in the world that says “marry only one”
Qur’an is the only religious book, on the face of this earth, that contains the phrase ‘marry only one’. There is no other religious book that instructs men to have only one wife. In none of the religious scriptures like the Vedas, the Ramayan, the Mahabharat, the Geeta or the Bible does one find a restriction on the number of wives. According to these scriptures one can marry as many as one wishes. It was only later, that the Hindu priests and the Christian Church restricted the number of wives to one.
Many Hindu religious personalities, according to their scriptures, had multiple wives. King Dashrat, the father of Rama, had more than one wife. Krishna had several wives.
In earlier times, Christian men were permitted as many wives as they wished, since the Bible puts no restriction on the number of wives. It was only a couple of centuries ago that the Church restricted the number of wives to one.
Polygyny is permitted in Judaism. According to Talmudic law, Abraham had 2 wives, and Solomon had hundreds of wives. The practice of polygyny continued till Rabbi Gershom ben Yehudah. (960 A.D to 1030 A.D) issued an edict against it. The Jewish Sephardic communities living in Muslim countries continued the practice till as late as 1950, when an Act of the chief Rabbinate of Israel extended the ban on marrying more than one wife.
3. Hindus are more polygamous than Muslims
The report of the ‘Committee of The Status of Woman in Islam’, published in 1975 mentions on page numbers 66,67 that the percentage of polygamous marriages between the year 1951 -1961 was 5.06 among the Hindus and only 4.31 among the Muslims. According to Indian law only Muslim men are permitted to have more than one wife. It is illegal for any non-Muslim in India to have more than one wife. Despite it being illegal, Hindus have more multiple wives as compared to the Muslim. One can imagine what would have been the percentage of polygamous marriages among the Hindus if the Indian government had made it legal for them. Earlier, there was no restriction even on Hindu men with respect to the number of wives allowed. It was only in 1954, when the Hindu Marriage Act was passed that it became illegal for a Hindu to have more than one wife. At present it is the Indian Law that restricts a Hindu man from having more than one wife and not the Hindu scriptures.
Let us now analyse why Islam allows a man to have more than one wife.
4. Qur’an permits limited polygyny
As I mentioned earlier, Qur’an is the only religious book on the face of the earth that says ‘marry only one’. The context of this phrase is the following verse from Surah Nisa of the Glorious Qur’an: ‘Marry woman of your choice in twos’ threes’ or fours’ but if ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly, (with them), then only one’ [Al-Qur’an 4:3]
Before the Qur’an was revealed, there was no upper limit for polygyny and many men had scores of wives, some even hundreds. Islam put an upper limit of four wives. Islam gives a man permission to marry two, three or four women, only on the condition that he deals with them justly. In the same chapter i.e. Surah Nisa verse 129 says: ‘It is very difficult to be just and fair between women’. [Al-Qur’an (4:129)]
Therefore polygyny is not a rule but an exception. Many people are under the misconception that it is compulsory for a Muslim man to marry more than one wife.
Broadly, Islam has five categories of Do’s and Dont’s. 
(i)      ‘Farz’ i.e compulsory 
(ii)     ‘Mustahab’ i.e recommended or encouraged 
(iii)    ‘Mubah’ i.e permissible 
(iv)    ‘Makruh’ i.e ‘not recommended’ or discouraged 
(v)     ‘Haram’ i.e prohibited or forbidden
Polygyny falls in the middle category of things that are permissible. It cannot be said that a Muslim who has two, three or four wives is a better Muslim as compared to a Muslim who has only one wife.
5. Average life span of females is more than that of males
By nature males and females are born in approximately the same ratio. During paediatric age however, in childhood itself a female child has more immunity than a male child. A female child can fight the germs and diseases better than the male child. For this reason, there are more deaths among males as compared to the females during paediatric age.
During wars, there are more men killed as compared to women. More men die due to accidents and diseases than women. The average life span of females is more than that of males, and at any given time one finds more widows in the world than widowers.
6. India has more male population than female due to female foeticide and infanticide.
India is one of the few countries, along with the other neighbouring countries, in which the female population is less than the male population. The reason lies in the high rate of female infanticide in India, and the fact that more than one million female foetuses are aborted every year in this country, after they are identified as females. If this evil practice is stopped, then India too will have more females as compared to males.
7. World female population is more than male population
In the USA, women outnumber men by 7.8 million. New York alone has one million more females as compared to the number of males, and of the male population of New York one-third are gays i.e sodomites. The USA as a whole has more than twenty-five million gays. This means that these people do not wish to marry women. Great Britain has four million more females as compared to males. Germany has five million more females as compared to males. Russia has nine million more females than males. God alone knows how many million more females there are in the whole world as compared to males.
8. Restricting each and every man to have only one wife is not practical
Even if every man got married to one woman, there would still be more than thirty million more females in USA who would not be able to get husbands (considering that America has twenty five million gays). There would be more than four million females in Great Britain 5 million females in Germany and nine million females in Russia alone who would not be able to find a husband.
Suppose my sister happens to be one of the unmarried women living in USA, or suppose your sister happens to be one of the unmarried women in USA. The only two options remaining for her are that she either marries a man who already has a wife or becomes public property. There is no other option. I have posed this question to hundreds of non-Muslims and all opted for the first. However a few smart people before accepting, said they would prefer their sisters to remain virgins. Biologically, it is not possible for an average man or a woman to remain celibate throughout life. It may be possible in exceptional cases of one in ten thousand. In the vast majority, the person either gets married or performs illicit sex or indulges in other sexual perversions. Sex hormones are released in the adult body every day. That is the reason why Islam has prohibited monasticism.
In Western society it is common for a man to have mistresses and/or multiple extra-marital affairs, in which case, the woman leads a disgraceful, unprotected life. The same society, however, cannot accept a man having more than one wife, in which women retain their honourable, dignified position in society and lead a protected life.
Thus the only two options before a woman who cannot find a husband is to marry a married man or to become public property. Islam prefers giving women the honourable position by permitting the first option and disallowing the second.

There are several other reasons, why Islam has permitted limited polygyny, but it is mainly to protect the modesty of women.

Passport Celebrating the birth of the Prophet Muhammad

"IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE MERCIFUL, THE COMPASSIONATE"

THE PERMISSIBILITY OF CELEBRATING THE MEELAD-UN NABI

(SALLAL LAAHU ALAIHI WASALLAM)

IN REFUTATION OF THE FATWA OF

SHEIKH ABDUL AZIZ BIN BAAZ OF SAUDI ARABIA

The Sunni Muslim community should be fully aware and forewarned of the new fitna presently perpetrated by the Jamiatul Ulama (KwaZulu Natal) and the Jamiatul Ulama (Transvaal) on the Internet regarding the issue of an old Fatwa against Eid-e-Meelad-un Nabi (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) by "Sheikh" Abdul Aziz bin Baaz of Saudi Arabia. The Fatawa of such like must be met with the fiercest of opposition and open condemnation from all circles.

This Fatwa was obviously instituted on the Internet, which is accessed by thousands of computer users, by these "theological" bodies as a flagrant attack on the Imaan and Aqeeda of Sunni Muslims or the righteous followers of the Ahle Sunnah Wa Jamaah, of whose beliefs and teachings the majority of Muslims the world over ascribe to.

Muslims must also take cognizance of the fact that among his other Fatawa, Bin Baaz of the Saudi Government is also on record for having issued a Fatwa declaring as un-Islamic the Palestinian people's uprising against the Jewish State of Israel, but at the same time not fulfilling his duty in his own country in issuing Fatawa against the evil practices of the Saudi Royal Family, such as gambling, horseracing, etc. Should this not be his first duty as the Head of Department of Islamic Researches Ifta and Propagation?

According to a great Muhaddith, Shams ad-Din Muhammad as-Sahawi (d.902 A.H.), the assembling for Meelad in Muslim history began in the 3rd Century A.H., but Ibn Taymiya (d.728 A.H.), almost five centuries later, was the first to begin argumentation and contention against this practice.

In conformity with Ibn Taymiya's beliefs and views which are incompatible with the beliefs of Islam, Bin Baaz, until a few years ago, publicised his condemnation of Meelad-un Nabi by publishing a Fatwa. This Fatwa was met with strong disapproval and displeasure in the Muslim world which regards the celebration of Meelad-un Nabi as a beneficial and desirous act.

In opposition and reply to Sheikh Bin Baaz' Fatwa, the distinguished Arab Scholar, Sheikh Sayyid Alawi Maliki, who is an Ustaz of Hadith in the Haram Shareef in Makkah, produced a clear, decisive and well-supported argument in Arabic on the permissibility of Meelad-un Nabi. Sheikh Sayyid Alawi, in his book "Holal Ihtefaal Bezikra-al Moulidin Nabawee al-Shareef" raised some very serious questions to Bin Baaz. He questioned Bin Baaz about his views on the innovations which are being practised "here" (in the Haram Shareef) and which were never practised before, neither in the Prophet's (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) time, nor in the period of the Sahaba-Ikraam or of the Salf-e-Saleheen (ridwanullahi ta'ala ajma'in). The practices, which Sheikh Alawi mentioned were those such as:

1. THE FORMING OF A CONGREGATION TO PERFORM TAHAJJUD SALAAH BEHIND AN IMAAM.

2. THE RECITATION OF DU'A AFTER THE QURAN HAS BEEN COMPLETED AT THE END OF RAMADAAN IN TARAWEEH PRAYER.

3. THE GATHERING OF PEOPLE ON THE 27TH OF RAMADAAN AT TAHAJJUD WHERE THE IMAAM DELIVERS A SERMON.

4. THE CALL OF THE MUEZZIN BY SAYING "SALAATUL QIYAAM ATHABAKUMULLAH."

Muslims, however, must realise that the Ulema have accepted such practices as Bid'ah, but Bid'ah-e-Hasanah.

Also in opposition to Sheikh Bin Baaz' Fatwa, Sheikh Sayed Hashim al-Rifa'ie of Kuwait produced a lengthy Fatwa on the permissibility of Meelad-un Nabi celebrations which triggered off a tremendous increase in Meelad-un Nabi celebrations amongst the Arab populations of the cities of Makkah, Madinah, Jeddah, Ta'if, etc. and in the Gulf States.

An academic scholar, Sheikh Dr. Muhammad Abduhu Yamani, the Director of Darul Qibla Institute in Jeddah, who was also the ex-Minister of Information till 1983, and a renowned author in both the Arabic and English languages, recently on the occasion of Meelad-un Nabi celebration had written a detailed essay entitled "Assalatu Wassalaamu Alaika Ya Rasoollallah," which was published in the daily newspaper "Ash Sharqul Ausat." This article was published on the 12th of Rabbi-ul-Awwal in 1987, page 12 of this popular newspaper.

His very constructive essay, full of proofs, was well received by the Arabs, and Alhamdulillah, today there is a massive silent movement, known as "Irji'oo Ila Rasoolillah" or "Return to Rasoolullah", in progress. This is a clear reflection and indication that the Arab Muslims have become fully aware of the evils of the Wahabi beliefs and have now turned to reinstating the love of Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) as the foundation stone of their Imaan.

At the present moment, the Saudi capital in Riyadh has published a 300 page book titled "Al Deobandiyah" written by Sheik Tuwaijeeri which exposes, with proof, the corrupt beliefs of the Ulema of Deoband and how they deviated from Islam on the basis of Aqaa'id. In the light of this new fact, perhaps these "theological bodies," in re-issuing Bin Baaz'old Fatwa, with additions in the English language, are planning to welcome Bin Baaz to South Africa in order to establish some influence which could be used to eliminate the present sanctions applied to the Tabligh Jamaat activities in Saudi Arabia. However, this may not be possible, as everyone in the Arab world today is becoming aware of the deceit of the Tabligh Jamaat movement.

The issue regarding Meelad-un Nabi had always attracted disagreement from some quarters of the Ulema fraternity. Almost 600 years ago Imam Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti (b.911 A.H.) had written a treatise on Meelad-un Nabi called "Hasnul Maqsid Fi Amalil Maulid" in which he stated that such a celebration is certainly permissible and Mustahab. In fact, so much has been written on this subject in various languages that there are abundant books to complete a library. Inspite of this, a specific group have always opposed this celebration and had no further proof to offer in support of their argument, other than saying that it is a Bid'ah.

For centuries, the Ulema-e-Deen have been produced the Shar'i definition of Bid'ah as an innovation which can be good or bad (Sai'yah or Hasanah). Meelad-un Nabi has been identified as Bid'ah Hasanah, in the same manner as the application of I'raab (Use of zabbar, zehr, pesh, etc.) in the Holy Quran, and the performance of Taraweeh Salaah; in the same manner as the construction of places of learning, e.g. Darul Ulooms, etc. for dissemination of education; in the same manner as Dastaar Bandi which is held on completion of Islamic courses; and the graduation ceremonies which are held on completion of Bukhari Shareef, etc. in Darul Ulooms. This actions were never practised before, neither in the Prophet's (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) time, nor in the period of the Sahaba-Ikraam or of the Salf-e-Saleheen.

If one has to take the literal meaning of the word "Bid'ah" and abandon or discard the Shar'i meaning, then the Ij'tima for Tableegi purposes will be Bid'ah; the making of Ghusht will be Bid'ah; engaging in Chilla would be Bid'ah; publication of books would be Bid'ah, etc. - all of which would be classed as detestable in the extreme. However, such application of the literal meaning of "Bid'ah" cannot be found the entire period of Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam), neither can it be found in the period of the Sahabah, nor in the period of Taba'i (ridwanullahi ta'ala ajma'in).

We wish to close this article by quoting to you a few authentic books from the thousands available written in earlier centuries by very renowned Ulama and Muhadditheen of that period on the permissibility of the celebrations of Meelad-un Nabi. These books are:

1. Al Mouridil Raweefil Maulideena Nabawee by Imam Mulla Ali Qari

2. At-Ta'rif bi 'l-Mawlidi 'sh-Sharif by Ibn Asir Muhammad al-Jazri (d.833 A.H.)

3. Jameeul Aasaar fee Maulidin Nabeeul Muqhthar by Imam Hafiz bin Nasirudeen Damishqi

4. Al Fazlur Raaiq fee Mauludi Khairul Khalaaik by Imam Hafiz bin Nasirudeen Damishqi

5. Maurid Al Saadi fi Maulidil Haadi by Imam Hafiz bin Nasirudeen Damishqi

6. Al Mouludil Hanni fil Mauludis Sanni by Imam Hafiz Iraqi (b.720 - d.808 A.H.)

7. An Ne'matul Kubra by Imam Ibne Hajjar

8. Hasanul Maqsid by Imam Hafiz Jalal ad-Din Suyuti

9. Meelad-ul Mustapha by Imam Ibne Kathir

10. Bayanu Meeladin Nabi by Imam Ibn Jawzi

11. Jami al-Asar fi Mawlidi 'l-Muhtar by ibn Nasir ad-din ad-Dimishki

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE MERCIFUL, THE COMPASSIONATE

All praise is due to Allah who has guided us to follow the Noble Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam), the leader of the Messengers; who has granted us the capacity to remain steadfast on the pillars and essential principles of Deen Al-Islam; who has made it easy for us to follow the footsteps and way of our pious predecessors, to the extent that our hearts have been illuminated with the knowledge of the Shari'ah and the conclusive argument in favour of the evident truth; and who has kept our internal souls free from the contamination of falsehood.

We praise and thank Him for having blessed us with the light of certainty, and for having granted us strength and courage to continuously hold fast to His strong rope. These favours are all out of His Bounty and Grace. We testify that there is no deity besides Almighty Allah, who is alone, and has no partner or associates, and that, without doubt, our Beloved Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is the Servant and Messenger of Allah, the Leader of those who are first and those who are last. May Allah send His Salaams and Blessings upon him (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam), his Household and Progeny, his Companions and those who follow their path until the Day of Judgement (ridwanullahi ta'ala ajma'in).

Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala says in the Holy Qur'an: "O ye who believe! Fear Allah, and (always) say a word directed to the Right".

Allah's Messenger (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) said: "Whoever believes in Allah and the Hereafter should either say what is good, or otherwise remain silent".

It is every Muslim's duty to show people the truth in anticipation that they would follow it clearly and evidently and certainly not blindly. For truth is as clear as the sun in broad daylight. This brief introduction is due to what we have been hearing recently, as far as the celebration of the birthday of our Beloved Prophet Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is concerned. Falsehood is regretabally attributed to such a noble event and mischief is stated as to the illegitimacy of celebrating such an esteemed occasion. Thus leaving ordinary people in a state of confusion not knowing whether they should partake in celebrating the event or otherwise. This is so, since the people who raise objection to the Meelad feel that they are at liberty to fabricate events in Islamic history and the traditions of our Holy Prophet Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).

Therefore, we felt that it is incumbent upon us, and upon those who possess knowledge of Shari'ah, to clearly explain to the Muslim masses the truth about Meelad.

PART ONE

IGNORANCE AND LITTLE KNOWLEDGE

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) said: "Whoever brings forth an innovation into our religion which is not part of it, it is rejected".

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) also said: "Beware of inventive matters for every invention is an innovation and every innovation is evil".

Those who quote these two Ahadith claim that the word "Kul" which means "EVERY" or "ALL" which is mentioned in the above two Ahadith is used to include everything, i.e. all kinds of innovations or "Bid'ah" without any exception. They conclude therefore, that all innovations are "EVIL".

By stating such an ill-fated statement, they have in fact accused the scholars (ULAMA) of the Muslim World of committing "EVIL" innovations, particularly Hadrat Umar (radi Allahu anhu). However, they quickly respond and say: No, we did not mean the Companions (SAHABA IKRAAM). In reply to that we say, yes, indeed you did so, because you said "EVERY" or "ALL" innovations are "EVIL".

And you have rejected what the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) himself approved, i.e."Tarawih Prayers".

We will now quote before you many actions which were not carried out during the life of Prophet Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) but were in fact done following his demise by his Companions (ridwanullahi ta'ala ajma'in).

1. THE ISSUE OF COMPILING THE QUR'AN IN ONE BOOK

Hadrat Zaid bin Thabit (radi Allahu anhu) said: Prophet Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) had passed away and the Qur'an has not been compiled into one book! In fact, it was Hadrat Umar (radi Allahu anhu) who told Hadrat Abu-Bakr (radi Allahu anhu) to collect the Qur'an. Hadrat Abu-Bakr (radi Allahu anhu) was hesitant at first and he actually said, "How could we do something which the Prophet himself never did". Hadrat Umar (radi Allahu anhu) replied, "BUT BY ALLAH IT IS A GOOD THING". Hadrat Zaid (radi Allahu anhu) then said Hadrat Umar (radi Allahu anhu) kept coming back and forth until Hadrat Abu-Bakr (radi Allahu anhu) sent after him and assigned him the task of compiling the Qur'an. (Bukhari Shareef)

2. PROPHET IBRAHIM'S STATION (FOOTPRINT).

Imam Baihaqi said that Bibi Ayesha (radi Allahu anha), a wife of the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) said that Prophet Ibrahim's Station (Footprint) was attached to "KAABA" during the Prophet's (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) and Abu-Bakr's(radi Allahu anhu) time. It was not until the time of Hazrat Umar (radi Allahu anhu) who changed its original position. Ibn Hajar, the great Muhaddith said: None of the companions raised any objection against Hazrat Umar (radi Allahu anhu) for doing so and he was the first person to cover Prophet Ibrahim's Station (Footprint) in the state it is now.

3. THE INTRODUCTION OF THE SECOND AZAAN DURING FRIDAY PRAYER

Imam Baihaqi narrated that Sayyiduna Al-Saa'eb bin Zaid (radi Allahu anhu) said: The first call (AZAAN) for Friday Prayer commenced when the Imam sat on the Pulpit (MIMBAR). This was the practice during the Prophet's, (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) Hazrat Abu-Bakr's and Hazrat Umar's time. But when Hazrat Uthman (radi Allahu anhuma) came, he introduced the second Azaan.

4. SENDING PRAISE AND SALAAMS UPON THE PROPHET (SALLAL LAAHU ALAIHI WASALLAM)

This was first introduced by Hazrat Ali (radi Allahu anhu) and he used to teach it to people of his time. Ibn Jabir mentioned that in his book called "Tah'theeb Al-Aa'thar" so did Imam Tabari, Ibi Assem and Yaqoub bin Shaibah.

5. THE ADDITION MADE BY IBN MASOUD TO TASHA'HUD

Imam Tabari said that Ibn Masoud use to read after saying "As Salaam Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuhu", "As Salaam Alaina Min Rabenna" (Peace be upon us from our Lord).

6. THE INTRODUCTION OF READING "BISMILLAH AL-RAHMAN AL-RAHIM" BEFORE COMMENCING TASHA'HUD.

Bukhari and Muslim both narrated that Ibn Umar use to read "Bimillah Al-Rahman Al-Rahim" before Tasha'hud.

All the above Companions have in fact introduced innovations which they have deemed beneficial and which were not practised during the life of the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam). Hence, that these innovations where brought about in acts of worship! What then would you say about these renowned Companions? Are they going to be classified among those who practise "EVIL" innovations!

As for their (Bin Baaz, etc.) other statement which is even worse that the first one, where it is alleged by them that in the religion of Islam there is no such thing as "Good Innovation" or "BID'AH". Let us quote the opinion of the most renowned scholars of Islam regarding this issue.

1. Imam Al-Hafiz Al-Nawawi said in Vol.6, p.21 in his "Commentary on Sahih Al-Bukhari": What the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) meant when he said "EVERY" or "ALL" innovations, is that it is general but restricted, i.e. that most innovations are "EVIL" but not "ALL". In "Tahdhib Al-Asma wal Lugat" Bid'ah is explained as follows:

"Bid'ah in Shari'ah is the invention of that which was not there in the period of the Messenger of Allah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam), and it is divided into two categories HASANAH (or good) and QABIHAH (or evil)".

2. Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani who explained Sahih Al-Bukhari said: "Every action which was not in practice at the Prophet's (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) time is called or known as Innovation, however, there are those which are classified as 'Good' and there are those which are contrary to that".

3. Imam Abu-Na'im said that he heard Imam Ibrahim Al-Junaid say that he heard Imam Shafi'i (radi Allahu anhuma) say: "The new things that are brought about are two kinds. One kind is that which brought about, inconsistent with something in the Qur'an or the Sunnah or with some Athaar or I'jma. This the category of BID'AH DALALAH (heretic innovation). The second kind is that which is brought about from good things which are consistent with any of the above".

4. Imam of Imams Izzuddin Ibn Abd al-Salaam writes in his book "Al-Qawa'aid": "Bid'ah is divided into Wajib, Haram, Mandub, Makruh and Mabah. And the way to know which category it belongs to, is to examine it together with the laws of Shari'ah. If it falls in with the laws that deal with what is Wajib, then it is Wajib. If with those laws that deal with Haram, then it is Haram. If with the laws dealing with what is Mandub, then it is Mandub. If with the laws dealing with what is Makruh, then it is Makruh. If with the laws dealing with what is Mubah, then it is Mubah".

Following the examination of the statements of these highly renowned scholars of Islam, we ask: How is it then that what is alleged that the word "Kul" or "EVERY" includes all kinds of innovations or "Bid'ah" regardless? And where in the religion of Islam is it stated that there is no "Good Bid'ah" or "good innovation". Hence, the Messenger of Allah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) has said: "Whoever introduces a good innovation into the religion of Islam, will be granted due reward for it and the reward of those who acts upon it without any reduction in their deeds".

From this hadith we find that every Muslim is entitled to introduce a "good Bid'ah or innovation" as long as it conforms with the test mentioned earlier, even though the Messenger of Allah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) did not do it, preach it or practice, in order that he/she could increase the deeds of goodness and rewards.

PART TWO

THE BEGINNING OF THE CELEBRATION OF MEELAD SHAREEF

As we all know as matter of fact, that when ever people want to promote and advance their ways, they pave the way to spread their falsehood among the Muslims masses and those who have very limited knowledge by misquoting what the Imams of Islam have stated or written. It is alleged by those people who disagree with Meelad that Imam Ibn Kathir stated in his book "Al-Bi'dayah Wa Ni'hayah" in Vol.11, p. 172 the following: "It was the Fatimy Government which ruled Egypt from 357-567 who was responsible for the celebration of Meelad".

We say in reply to the above that after having consulted the above reference we found that it was a sheer lie, for we read that page and we found that the above is but allegations, deceit and dishonesty when quoting the renowned scholars of Islam. However, if they insist on the above, we demand that they produce it before us if there is any truth in what they allege!

Allow me now to quote before you what Imam Ibn Kathir has actually said in the same book "Al-Bi'dayah" Vol.13, p. 136: "Sultan Muzaffar used to arrange the celebration of the Meelad Shareef with honour, glory, dignity and grandeur. In this connection he used to organise a magnificent festival". Then he said in praise of that man: "He was a pure-hearted, brave and wise Aalim (Scholar) and a just ruler, may Allah shower His Mercy upon him and grant him an exalted status."

Shaikh Abu-Khattab Ibn Dihyah also wrote a book for him on the Meelad Shareef entitled "Enlightenment on the Birthday of the Bearer of Good News, the Warner". For this book Sultan Muzaffar awarded him a gift of one thousand Dinars. He then said: "Every year his expenditure on the Meelad Shareef amounted to three hundred thousand Dinars".

Examine carefully, dear brother/sister, such praise which has been conferred by Ibn Kathir upon that man, where he described him as "a wise Aalim, brave and pure-hearted" and then concluded by saying "may Allah shower his Mercy upon him and grant him an exalted status". He did not say he was a corrupt or evil, he did not say he was committing "Bid'ah" or deeds which leads a person to be doomed, as it is alleged by those who reject the celebration of Meelad Shareef.

I refer you to that very reference which has been quoted to read further for yourselves what Imam Ibn Kathir has added in praise of this Sultan.

I would strongly recommend as well that you consult what Imam Zahabi in his book "Biography of the Elites", Vol. 22, p. 336 has said in description of this Sultan: "Sultan Al-Muzaffar was humble, generous, follower of the Prophet's (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) way and he liked the scholars and narrators of Hadith".

POINT TWO

VIEWPOINT OF THE IMAMS OF THE MUSLIM UMMAH ON THE

CELEBRATION OF MEELAD SHAREEF

1. Imam Al-Hafiz Al-Suyuti in his famous book "Al-Hawii Lil-Fatawii" allocated a special chapter on that topic and named it "The Excellence of Objective in Celebrating the Mawlid" where he said: The question under consideration is what the verdict of the Shari'ah on celebrating the Holy Birthday of the Noble Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) during the month of Rabbi-ul-Awwal. From the point of view of Shari'ah is this a praiseworthy action or a blameworthy one? And do those who arrange such celebration receive blessings or not?

He said: "The reply to this question is that in my view the Meelad Shareef (Celebration of the Birthday of the Noble Prophet sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is in fact such an occasion of happiness on which people assemble and recite the Holy Qu'ran to the extent that is easy. Then they relate the prophecies concerning the appearance of the Noble Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) that have been transmitted in Ahadith and Athar, and the miraculous events and signs that took place on his birth. Then food is set before them and according to their desire they partake thereof to satisfaction. This festival of celebrating the birthday of the Noble Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is a Bid'ah Hasanah (good innovation) and those arranging it will get blessing, since in such a celebration is found the expression of joy and happiness at the greatness and eminence of the Noble Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) and his birth".

2. Even Ibn Tay'miah said in his book "Necessity of the Right Path", p. 266, 5th line from the bottom of that page, published by Dar Al-Hadith, the following: "As far as what people do during the Meelad, either as a rival celebration to that which the Christian do during the time of Christ's birthday or as an expression of their love and admiration and a sign of praise for the Noble Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam), Allah will surely reward them for such Ij'tiha". He then said: "Although Meelad was not practised by (Salaf), they should have done so since there was no objection against it from the Shari'ah point of view".

And we certainly only celebrate Meelad out of love and admiration to the Prophet of all Mankind.

3. Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar was asked, same reference of Imam Suyuti, about Meelad Shareef. His reply was: "Meelad Shareef is, in fact, and innovation, which was not transmitted from any pious predecessor in the first three centuries. Nevertheless, both acts of virtue as well as acts of abomination are found in it (i.e. sometimes acts of virtue are found therein and sometimes acts of abomination). If in the Meelad Shareef only acts of virtue are done and acts of abomination are abstained from, then the Meelad Shareef is a Bid'ah Hasanah (good innovation), otherwise not." He then added "... to do any virtuous act and to observe it annually as means of recollection for any special day on which Allah Ta'ala has bestowed any favour or removed any calamity is a form of showing gratitude to Allah. Gratitude to Allah Ta'ala is expressed through different kinds of Ibaadah (worship) -prostration and standing in prayer, charity and recitation of the Holy Qu'ran. And what is a greater favour from Allah can there be than the appearance of the Prophet of Mercy (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) on this day (i.e. 12th of Rabbi-ul-Awwal)?"

Some people do not limit it and celebrate the Meelad Shareef on any day of Rabbi-ul-Awwal. Nay, some people have extended it even more and increased the period to the whole year. According to the latter, the Meelad Shareef can be celebrated on any day of the year. The objective here is the same, i.e. to rejoice at and celebrate the Holy Birth of the Noble Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).

4. Imam Abu-Bakr Abdullah Al-Demashqi compiled a number of books on the subject and called them "Collection of Traditions on the Birth of the Chosen Prophet", "The Pure Expression on the Birthday of the Best of Creations" and "The Spring for the Thirsty One on the Birth of the Rightly Guided".

5. Imam Al-Hafiz Al-Iraqi wrote a book and called it "The Pure Spring on the Sublime Birth".

6. Imam Ibn Dahyah wrote a book and called it "Enlightenment on the Birthday of the Bearer of Good News, The Warner".

7. Imam Mulla Ali Qari wrote a book and called it "The Quenching Spring on the Birthday of the Prophet".

8. Imam Shams Ul-Din bin Naser Al-Dumashqi, said in his book "The Spring for the Thirsty One on the Birth of the Rightly Guided" about the story of Abu Lahab that he will receive a light punishment every Monday for expressing joy at the birth of the Noble Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) on that day. The Imam said the following verse of poetry, the translation of the above is:

If such Kafir was denounced in the (Qur'an)

And perished are his hands, and in the Flames is his eternal abode

It is narrated that every Monday

His torment is made easy for his Joy at the Birth of Ahmad

What is the expectation then of a servant who spent all his life

Happy with the Arrival of Ahmad and died on the Oneness of Allah.

9. Imam Shams Ul-Din Ibn aL-Jazri, the Imam of Reciters, wrote a book and named it "The Scent of Notification on the Blessed Birthday".

10. Imam Al-Hafiz Ibn Al-Jawzi, said in the description of Meelad: "Peace and Tranquillity takes over during that year and a good glad tiding to obtain your wish and inspiration".

11. Imam Abu-Shamah, The Sheik of Al Hafiz Al Nawawi, said: "The best of the innovations of our times is what is carried out on the day of corresponding to the birthday of our Beloved Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam), where people give out donations, practice what is right, express their joy and happiness, in doing so is surely a sign of love and admiration for the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam)".

12. Imam Al-Hafiz Al-Qastalani, who gave commentary on Sahih Bukhari, said: "May Allah shower his Mercy upon a person who takes the days of the month of Rabbi-ul-Awwal, in which the Noble Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) was born, as days of feast and celebration for doing so is the best cure for the heart of an ailing person."

Following all of the above, there is yet another false accusation, i.e. THOSE WHO OPPOSE MEELAD SHAREEF CLAIM THAT IF MEELAD WAS PART OF "DEEN", THEN SURELY THE PROPHET (SALLAL LAAHU ALAIHI WASALLAM)WOULD HAVE DONE IT HIMSELF AND HE WOULD HAVE MADE IT CLEAR FOR THE PEOPLE TO CELEBRATE IT?

THE REPLY IS:

Not everything which the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) did not do or his Companions would ultimately make things "HARAM". Since the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) himself said: "He who introduces a new good Sunnah in Islam will be rewarded for it ..."

Imam Shafi'i (radi Allahu anhu) said: "Anything which enjoys the backing of Shari'ah cannot be an innovation even if the Companions did not practice it, because their abstention from doing something may have been due to a particular reason which was there at that time, or they have left it to something which happens to be better, or perhaps news about a particular them did not reach them all".

Therefore, whosoever alleges that this thing is Haraam on the basis that the Noble Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) did not practice it, then surely he has alleged something which has no foundation or backing in Shari'ah and thus his allegation is refuted and rejected.

FINALLY

It should be noted that, according to your allegations you have stated, i.e. That every person who innovates or brings about into action that which the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) or the Companion did not do, means that this person has in fact introduced something bad into the religion, will be interpreted that the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) did not fulfil "THE DEEN" for his "UMMAH" and the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) did not convey what was ought to be conveyed to the Muslims! and whoever believes in that is a "KAAFIR".

We say, "We condemn you from your own words", because you have brought and practised so many innovation which the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) or the Companions never practised nor preached, not even "SALAF" ever do them.

To name just a few and not all:

1. To gather collectively the Muslims to pray behind one Imam during "TARAWIH PRAYERS", at the two Sacred Mosques and other Mosques.

2. Reading the "DU'A" at the conclusion of finishing the recitation of the Holy Qur'an during "TARAWIH PRAYERS" and "TAHAJUD PRAYERS".

3. Allocating the 27th night of Ramadaan to recite the whole Quran at the two Sacred Mosques.

4. The Caller for Azaan saying when announcing to the people the commencement of the "TARAWIH PRAYERS" the following, "RAISE UP FOR TARAWIH PRAYERS, MAY ALLAH REWARD YOU".

5. Claiming that "TARAWIH PRAYERS OR DIVINITY" is divided into three Parts.

Is this a Prophetic saying, or the saying of one of the Companions or of the Four Imams? And many other things such as the formation of the committees for "ENJOYING WHAT IS RIGHT AND FORBIDDING WHAT IS EVIL", establishment of universities, Association for memorisation of the Holy Quran, Offices of Dawah and "SPECIAL WEEK OF MASHA'YEKH". Hence, we do not raise objections to these things since they are in place for serving Islam. Let us add that these things are all "BID'AH" but we acknowledge that they are "GOOD BID'AH".

REFUTATION OF THE FINAL OBJECTION?

It is alleged that since the Birthday of the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is the same as his demise, therefore, expressing joy on that day is no better than expressing grieve over his demise and if the religion of Islam was to be applied on the basis of one's opinion, then we are bound to show grief during this day and not happiness!

I will leave the rebut of such crooked argument to none other than Imam Suyuti himself, where he said in his famous book "Al-Hawaii Lil-Fatawii", p. 193, the following: "The birthday of the Noble Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is the greatest favour of Allah granted to us, and that his demise is the greatest affliction for us. However, Shari'ah has encouraged us to show gratitude for favours and has taught us to observe patient perserverence, silence and calm in the face of afflictions. The Shari'ah has ordered us to offer "AQIQAH" on the birth of a child. But the Shari'ah has not ordered us to sacrifice an animal on the death of someone nor to do such action. On the contrary, it has prohibited wailing and lamentation. Thus, the laws of Shari'ah indicate that to exhibit happiness in this Holy month in connection with the birth of the Noble Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam), is better than showing grief at his demise."

CONCLUSION

The Noble Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) foretold about the coming of such people in the Hadith narrated by "Abu-Yaa'li" on the authority of "Huzaifah" who said:

The Noble Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) said: "What I fear most for you, is a man who reads the Qur'an until such time when the blessing of Qur'an is reflected on him and he takes Islam as his Cloak ... he then turns around and strips himself off from Islam and then tosses it away behind his back, then he heads quickly towards his neighbour with his sword unsheathed and he calls him a 'MUSHRIK'" I said: "O, Prophet of Allah! Who is more worthy of being called a MUSHRIK the one being attacked or the attacker". He replied, "It is indeed the attacker."

To end this research on a happy note let me draw your attention to the following Hadith: The Noble Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) has himself indicated the excellence of this great month and day in reply to a questioner. When the questioner wanted to find out about fasting on Mondays, the Noble Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) replied: "That is the day on which I was BORN".