Posts Tagged ‘strange woman’
In Bible versus Quran: Nehemiah cleansed the priests from all foreigners
This is the sixth article of the series:
“The Foreigner woman in Bible versus Quran”
In the previous articles of this series, we have seen that Language-wise, the “foreign” woman or the “strange” woman is the alien or the exotic or the outsider woman. However, the Bible has another opinion. As determined by the Bible: the “foreign” woman or the “strange” woman is the non-Israelite woman or the non-Jewish woman.
As a result, all non-Israelite or the non-Jewish women are “foreign” women or “strange” women.
This indicates that the women in the Bible are but one of two categories; they are either Legitimate (genuine) or Foreign (strange).
According to the inspired word of God (Nehemiah 10 and Nehemiah 13), the Bible asserts that Nehemiah said:
And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinim, and all they that had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands unto the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, and every one who had knowledge, and understanding; They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God’s law, and that we would not give our daughters unto the peoples of the lands, nor take their daughters for our sons;
On that day they read in Torah that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the congregation of God. In those days, I saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and they could not speak in the Jews’ language, but only the language of each people. And I confronted them and cursed them and smote some of them and pulled out their hair. And I made them take oath in the name of God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. Did not Solomon king of Israel sin on account of such Foreign Women? Among the many nations there was no king like him. Nevertheless, Foreign Women made even him to sin. Shall we then listen to you and do all this great evil and act treacherously against our God by marrying foreign women?“ And one of the sons of Eliashib the high priest, was the son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite (i.e. married a foreign woman). Therefore I chased him from me. Remember them, O my God, because they have desecrated the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites. Thus I cleansed them from everything foreign, and I established the duties of the priests and Levites, each in his work.
In addition, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Bible says: “Israel was a peculiar people, and not to mingle with other nations.”
It should be emphasized that although the Bible says that no Ammonite or Moabite should forever enter the congregation of God; however, the righteous “Ruth“, the grandmother of King David and the ancestor of the Lord Jesus was Moabite!!
On the other hand, the Quran says that all women are equal.
In the whole Quran, the idiom: “foreign woman” or the “strange” woman is not mentioned therein; all women are equal in their rights and duty regardless of race, color, location etc. For details, read the previous articles of this series.
However, the exception in the Quran is only for Muhammad’s wives who were peculiar women.
Muhammad’s wives were peculiar women
Verses 33:28-31 of the Quran talk about how peculiar were the wives of the Prophet Muhammad.
Although Muhammad was a very rich man, he had a lot of money, and he could live a very luxury life with all of the life adornments and splendors; however, he lived a tough life, a life of asceticism; and he used to give all of his money to the poor people. His wives asked him, one day, for some of the adornments of this world like the other women who lived around. Then, Allah gave them in the Quran two options to choose one of them.
The first option: O Prophet Muhammad! Say to your wives: ‘If you desire what is in the life of this world (and its adornment) and its splendors; come! I will content you with divorce and will release you in a gracious manner; I will divorce you and will not coerce you to stay. This was the first proposed option.
The second option: But any of you that is devout in the service of Allah and his messenger, and works righteousness, – to her shall we grant her reward twice: and we have prepared for her a generous sustenance. This was the second proposed option; and Muhammad’s wives have got it.
Not only that, but the Quran continues:
O you wives of the Prophet! Whosoever of you commits manifest lewdness; whoever of you commits manifest indecency, the punishment for her will be doubled. In other words, twice the chastisement for other women; and that is easy for Allah.
And whosoever of you is submissive, obedient unto Allah and His messenger and does right between herself and her Lord, Allah shall give her reward twice over a double reward, and Allah has prepared a noble provision for her, in Paradise, in addition to the twofold reward.
Hence, Muhammad’s wives were peculiar women; their punishment is twice and their reward is twice too; and both are easy for Allah.
Moreover, the Quran (Verse 38:30) talks about Kings Solomon and says: What an excellent servant is, Solomon! Truly he was a penitent soul, always returning [to Allah] with glorification and remembrance at all times. He was ever turning in repentance (towards Allah) he is ever betaking himself to Allah and engaged in His obedience.
Herein there are two important ethical issues.
1) If the Quran is Anti-Israelite, and since King Solomon is an Israelite king, then the Quran would have exaggerated all the negative attributes of him that are mentioned in the Bible and would say: this is the behavior of the Israelite kings! But, the truth is the truth.
2) According to the Islamic teachings (Quran and Hadith), anyone says or believes that King Solomon (or any other Prophet) did evil, did not follow his Lord, built high places for other gods because of his 700 foreign wives is categorized as disbeliever and he or she will dwell in the Eternal Hell in the Afterlife.
For more details, you can read on the internet my series of 25 articles about King Solomon in the Quran; just type on Google search engine: “Not in Bible But in Quran” + King Solomon + my name.
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The Bible: Nehemiah 10:28-30 and Nehemiah 13:1and 13:23-30
(King James Version)
Nehemiah 10:28-30
28And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinims, and all they that had separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one having knowledge, and having understanding;
29They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God’s law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and his judgments and his statutes;
30And that we would not give our daughters unto the people of the land, not take their daughters for our sons:
Nehemiah 13:1
1On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and therein was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for ever;
Nehemiah 13:23-30
23In those days also saw I Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab:
24And their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews’ language, but according to the language of each people.
25And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves.
26Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin.
27Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to transgress against our God in marrying strange wives?
28And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was son in law to Sanballat the Horonite: therefore I chased him from me.
29Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites.
30Thus cleansed I them from all strangers, and appointed the wards of the priests and the Levites, every one in his business;
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The Quran (Qarib Translation):
Verses 33:28-31
?28? O prophet, say to your wives: ‘if you seek this life and its finery, come, I will release you with a fine release.
?29? But if you seek Allah and his messenger and the everlasting residence, know that Allah has prepared for those of you who do good works a mighty wage. ‘
?30? O wives of the prophet! Whosoever among you commits a flagrant indecency, for her the punishment shall be doubled, that is easy for Allah.
?31? but she who obeys Allah and his messenger and does good works shall be doubly recompensed; for her we have made a generous provision.
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Back to my question to the smart and interested reader:
Are the Scholars honest when they claim that the Quran quoted from the Bible?
Professor Dr. Ibrahim Khalil,
Prof. of Clinical and Chemical Pathology, Head (ex-) of Clinical Microbiology and Infection Control Unit, Ain-Shams University. Cairo, Egypt
President of the Egyptian Society of Inventors, Honorary President of SPIC-Egypt (The Society of Practitioners of Infection Control – Egypt), Co-Chief Editor of the Egyptian Journal of Lab. Medicine
Member of the Egyptian union of Writers, Published 5 Books and some 60 Medical Articles, Supervisors for 79 PhD theses and111 Master Degree theses.
Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/motivational-articles/in-bible-versus-quran-nehemiah-cleansed-the-priests-from-all-foreigners-1653269.html
In Bible versus Quran: the law is light to keep you from the strange woman
This is the fourth article of the series:
“The Foreigner woman in Bible versus Quran”
Few quotes from the first article of this series are given here.
In language, the foreign or the strange woman is the alien or the exotic or the outsider woman. However, as determined by the Bible (e.g. 1 Kings 11:1), the foreign or the strange woman is the non-Israelite woman.
Subsequently, all non-Israelite women are foreign or strange women.
This indicates that the women in the Bible are but one of two categories; they are either Legitimate or Foreign.
Moreover, the Bible (Ezra 10:2) states that you break faith with God if you marry foreign women.
Ezra 10:2 (English Standard Version):
“…We have broken faith with our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land…”
According to the inspired word of God (1 Kings 11:1-11), the Bible says that
- The mouth of the strange woman is a deep pit: He that is abhorred of the Lord, Jehovah, shall fall therein. Why be captivated by a strange woman? Why embrace the bosom of a foreigner? Your eyes will see strange women, and your heart utter perverse things; then, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, like one who lies on the top of a mast.
The commandment is a lamp and the law is light to keep you from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman which flatters with her smooth words. Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths. Her (the strange woman) house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death. She has cast down many wounded: many strong men have been slain by her.
Herein, there is an interesting remark:
Proverbs 22:14 Says that the mouth of the strange women is a deep pit.
On the other hand, Proverbs 23:27 says that a prostitute is a deep pit…
Proverbs 23:27 (English Standard Version): For the prostitute is a deep pit…
(Read the second article of this series: The Foreigner woman in Bible versus Quran (2)
Meaning-wise, does this indicate that the mouth of the strange women is equivalent to a prostitute?
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On the other hand, all women are equal in Islam.
Historical backgrounds:
There were some historical events that happened before the Quran puts the Law that all men and all women are equal in their duty and responsibilities regardless of their race, color, location etc.
(1) The first event was when Thabit ibn Qays who was hard of hearing and when he came to see the Messenger of Allah, the Companions made room for him in order for him to sit next to the Prophet so that he could hear him. He came one day when people were already seated and started stepping over people, saying: “Make room! Make room!” One man said to him: “You have found a place, so sit down!”
- Immediately, Muhammad said: ‘Who mentioned that woman (which Thabit gave her names)?
Thabit stood up and said: ‘I did, O Messenger of Allah!’
The Messenger said to him: ‘Look at the faces of those present’.
And when he looked, he asked him: ‘What do you see?’
He said: ‘I see white, red and black people’.
The Prophet Muhammad said: ‘Well, you are not better than any of them unless it be through your good deed and faith and God- fearfulness and apprehension.
(2) The second event; on the day Mecca was conquered, Muhammad ordered Bilal (a black Ethiopian slave) to climb on the roof of the Ka’bah and perform the call to prayer.
A man commented on this: ‘Praise be to Allah, that Allah has taken my father to Him and made that he did not see this day’.
Another man said: ‘Did Muhammad not find any other caller to prayer except this black raven?’
One person said: ‘O servants of Allah! How can this black slave be allowed to perform the call to prayer on top of the Ka’bah?’
Another man said: ‘If Allah is displeased, He will change him’.
- Muhammad summoned them and asked them about what they said and they admitted it. Allah then revealed this verse warning them against boasting about their lineages and abundance of wealth and against looking down on the poor, the color, the race etc.
(3) The third event; Safiyyah bint Huyayy ibn Akhtab (a Jewish wife of the Prophet Muhammad) went to Muhammad, and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, women revile me, saying: O Jewess, daughter of Jewish parents!’
Muhammad said to her: ‘could you not have said to them in reply: my father is Aaron, my uncle is Moses and my husband is Muhammad’.
In response to such events, Allah revealed Verse 49:11 and 13 of the Quran.
The meaning of Verse 49:11
- Evil is the name, mentioned out of mockery, derision and mutual reviling, of immorality after faith!
And whoever does not repent, of such immorality, those, they are the evildoers.
In other words, do not defame one another nor backbite against each other, nor insult one another by nicknames that he or she dislikes to hear. Bad is the name of lewdness after having accepted faith. And whoso turned not in repentance from doing that after having accepted faith, such are those who are evil-doers and they harm themselves with punishment in the Hereafter.
The meaning of Verse 49:13
O mankind! Lo! We have created you male and female from Adam and Eve, and have made you nations and tribes that you may know one another. Lo! The noblest of you in the Hereafter, in the sight of Allah on the Day of Judgment, is the best in conduct in the life of the world Lo! Allah is Knower of your status and lineage; He is Aware of your works and standing in His sight.
In other words, the verse says:
O mankind! We have indeed created you from a male and a female, from Adam and Eve, and made you nations and tribes that you may come to know one another that you may acquire knowledge of the customs of one another and not to boast to one another of whose is the more noble lineage, for pride lies only in the extent to which you have fear of God. Truly the noblest of you in the sight of God is the most God-fearing among you. Beyond doubt, God is Knower of you; He is Aware of your inner thoughts.
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The Bible (King James Version)
Proverbs 5:20
And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?
Proverbs 6:23-24
23For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
24To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
Proverbs 7:4-5 and 25-27
4Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman:
5That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.
25Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.
26For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her.
27Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.
Proverbs 23:33-35
33Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.
34Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
Proverbs 22:14
14The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the LORD shall fall therein.
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The Quran (Yusuf Ali Translation):
Verse 49:11 and 13
11) O ye who believe! let not some men among you laugh at others: it may be that the (latter) are better than the (former): nor let some women laugh at others: it may be that the (latter are better than the (former): nor defame nor be sarcastic to each other, nor call each other by (offensive) nicknames: ill-seeming is a name connoting wickedness, (to be used of one) after he has believed: and those who do not desist are (indeed) doing wrong.
13) O mankind! we created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other). verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. and Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).
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Back to my question to the smart and interested reader:
Are the Scholars honest when they claim that the Quran quoted from the Bible?
Professor Dr. Ibrahim Khalil,
Prof. of Clinical and Chemical Pathology, Head (ex-) of Clinical Microbiology and Infection Control Unit, Ain-Shams University. Cairo, Egypt
President of the Egyptian Society of Inventors, Honorary President of SPIC-Egypt (The Society of Practitioners of Infection Control – Egypt), Co-Chief Editor of the Egyptian Journal of Lab. Medicine
Member of the Egyptian union of Writers, Published 5 Books and some 60 Medical Articles, Supervisors for 79 PhD theses and111 Master Degree theses.
Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/motivational-articles/in-bible-versus-quran-the-law-is-light-to-keep-you-from-the-strange-woman-1605200.html