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From: adnan@flammulated.rice.edu (Sarmad Adnan)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam,soc.culture.pakistan,soc.culture.indian
Subject: Re: Some thoughts on common questions regarding religion
Message-ID: <1991Jun3.142416.20487@wpi.WPI.EDU>
Date: 3 Jun 91 14:24:16 GMT
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I read Salman [religious-scholar-wanna-be] Azhar's article (8409) and found
it to be a passionate attempt to present a dry-clean version of Islam to 
Westerners. I can understand his desire to present the best possible picture
of Islam to the person concerned but that should be no excuse for distorting
the truth and presenting ones own sanitized interpretations of Islam.

The inquiry consisted of four questions. 
1) How does Islam deal with atheists/"unreligious" people like me?
2) What does the Quran say about the role of women in society? In relation
to man.
3) Why does worship have to be based on fear?
4) A religion is born out of the social structure of its times and though
a single person might be largely responsible for writing, the circumstances
that he (Muhammad, Christ, Buddha etc...) lived in determine the structure 
that forms the basis of that religion. so how can one translate the writings
of an individual born in a particular social class, at a particularly fairly
violent time, into universal truths ? 

I found Salman's answers to the first two questions misleading, his answer
to the third question is applicable to all religions. While his elaborations
on the classic socio-evolution argument have no substance for the non-muslims.
They only work for those who already have accepted Islam to be the true faith.
My own points of view regarding the first two questions follow.


1) How does Islam deal with atheists/"unreligious" people like me?

Azhar> Islam tells muslims to treat with irreligious people like 
Azhar> other human beings. No human can condemn another to hell. 

Islam most certainly does not tell muslims to treat irreligious people
(nonbelievers) in the same manner as muslims. Its treatment of nonbelievers
is at best non-violent or benign. Islam clearly defines the conduct of 
muslims with other muslims and that with non-believers. Repeatedly in the 
Quran we have admonitions against dealing with and befriending nonbelievers,
I do believe that Salman Azhars reply bordered on misinformation. Here is 
what the Quran tells us regarding our relations to nonbelievers.

	9:73	O Prophet!strive hard against the unbelievers and the 
Hypocrites, and be firm against them. Their abode is hell, an evil refuge 
indeed.
	4:101	When ye travel through the earth, there is no blame on you if 
ye shorten your prayers, for fear the unbelievers may attack you: for the 
unbelievers are unto you open enemies.
	4:144	O ye who believe! take not for friends unbelievers rather than
believers: do ye wish to offer God an open proof against yourselves?.
	9:113	It is not fitting, for the prophet and those who believe, that
they should pray for forgiveness for pagans, even though they be of kin,
	2:221	Do not marry unbelieving women (idolaters), until they believe

As for condemning humans to hell the Quran has a very clear-cut point of view.

	33:64	Verily God has cursed the nonbelievers and prepared for them
a Blazing Fire--
	5:83	Thou seest many of them turning in friendship to the 
nonbelievers. Evil indeed are (the works) which their souls have sent forward 
before them (with the result), that God's wrath is on them, and in torment 
will they abide.



2) What does the Quran say about the role of women in society? In relation
to man.

Azhar> According to Islam, women can do everything a man can, own everything a
Azhar> man can, etc. Often, one hears about misinterpretation of "men have a 
Azhar> degree of superiority over women". A son does not have superiority over
Azhar> mother, a brother not over sister, etc. In the institution of marriage,
Azhar> the husband has some degree of authority over wife. 

Islam had greatly enhanced women's role in society with respect to the then
prevalent conditions in Arabia. But it is not just the institution of 
marriage where Islam falls short of the currently socially acceptable status
of women. Islam limits the weight of a woman's testimony in court to one half
of that of a man.  Her rights of inheritance are also much more curtailed than
that of men. Salman Azhar's reply implies that it is only in marriage that
Islam allows men to have a degree of superiority over women. This is probably
the only aspect of Islam's "men's precedence over women" that is palatable by 
the standards of the male dominated American culture. Curtailment of their 
right to vote and right to rule were not even mentioned. 

Women as Witness:
	2:282	O ye who believe! when ye deal with each other, in 
transactions involving future obligations in a fixed period of time, reduce
them to writing ............ and get two witnesses, out of your own men, and
if there are not two men, then a man and two women, such as ye choose, for
witnesses, so that if one of them errs, the other can remind her. The 
witnesses should not refuse when they are called on (for evidence).

Women share in Inheritance:
	4:11	God (thus) directs you as regards your children's 
(inheritance): to the male, a portion equal to that of two females: if 
only daughters, two or more, their share is two-thirds of the inheritance;
if only one, her share is a half.  For parents, a sixth share of the 
inheritance to each, if the deceased left children; if no children, and
the parents are the (only) heirs, the mother has a third; if the deceased
left brothers (or sisters), the mother has a sixth.  (The distribution in
all cases is) after the payment of legacies and debts. .....

Women role in Marriage:
	2:228	Divorced women shall wait concerning themselves for three
monthly periods, nor is it lawful for them, to hide what God hath created 
in their wombs, if they have faith in God and the Last Day.  And their 
husbands have the better right to take them back in that period, if they
wish for reconciliation.  And women shall have rights similar to the
rights against them, according to what is equitable; but men have a
degree (of advantage) over them and God is Exalted in Power, Wise.
	4:34	Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because
God has given the one more (strength) than the other, and because they 
support them from their means.  Therefore the righteous women are 
devoutly obedient, and guard in (the husband's) absence what God would 
have them guard.  As to those women on whose part ye fear disloyalty 
and ill-conduct, admonish them (first), (next), refuse to share their
beds, (and last) beat them (lightly); but if they return to obedience,
seek not against them means (of annoyance): for God is Most High, 
Great (above you all).

--

                 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                  Sarmad Adnan (adnan@rice.edu)
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