FrontPage Mag has an excellent interview with Abul Kasem, an ex-Muslim, who talks about Mohamed’s views on women. When read in the light of day, the views held by prophet of Islam about women are in direct conflict with present modern day values.
Mohamed’s value as a supposed “supreme role model” for society (Qur’an 33:21, 68:4), depreciates greatly with every turn of the page in the Qur’an and the Hadiths. How can anyone with a straight face, claim that “following Mohamed in all of his teachings can be greatly beneficial to all humankind”. Nonsense.
If Mohamed were alive today he’d be locked up for being (a) a self confessed paedophile and (b) an abuser of women’s civil liberties and (c) a deranged cultist who had murdered former members of his cult, as well as murdering those who opposed his cult movement. The “Cult of Mo” would have been a very short lived cult, with the authorities arresting or killing him in the process, and his followers disbanded. Here is a teaser from the interview.
FP: We’re here today to discuss how women are considered to be domestic animals in Islam and are to be treated as such. Let’s begin with the origins of this value system in connection to women in Islam. Muhammad’s last instruction to Muslim men was to beat women and treat them as domestic animals, correct? Can you tell us about this last instruction and its context?
Kasem: Sure Jamie. In AH 10 (Islamic calender), that is, in 632CE Muhammad made his formal pilgrimage to Mecca. This was the only, the first and the last Haj Muhammad had done. Having taught his followers the rituals of haj, and having performed them himself, in the valley of Arafat, Muhammad addressed them in an impassioned speech. This was his last speech, and accordingly, in the Islamic annals it is recorded as the farewell (Hajjtul wida) speech. Sourcing a long chain of narrators, Tabari, the most eminent Islamic historian writes (the full text):
Ibn Humayd—Salamah—Ibn Ishaq—‘Abdallah b. Abi Najih:Then the Messenger of God proceeded to perform his pilgrimage, showing the people its rites and teaching them its customs. Then he addressed them in a speech and elucidated [certain things]. After he had praised and glorified God, he said, “O people, listen to my words. I do not know whether I shall ever meet you again in this place after this year. O people, your blood and your property are sacrosanct until you meet your Lord, just as this day and this month of yours are sacred. Surely you will meet your Lord and he will question you about your deeds. I have [already] made this known. ‘Let he who has a pledge return it to the one who entrusted him with it;’ all usury is abolished, but your capital belongs to you.
Wrong not and you shall not be wronged.’ God has decreed that there will be no usury, and the usury of ‘Abbas b. ‘Abd al-Muttalib is abolished, all of it. All blood shed in pre-Islamic days is to be left unavanged. The first such claim I revoke is that of Ibn Rabi’ah b. al-Harith b. ‘Abd al-Muttalib, who was nursed among the Banu Layth and was slain by the Banu Hudhayl. His is the first blood shed in the pre-Islamic days with which I shall set an example. O people, indeed Satan despairs of ever being worshipped in this land of yours. He will be pleased, however, if he is obeyed in a thing other than that, in matters you minimize. So beware of him in your religion.
O the unbelievers, O people, ‘Intercalating a month is an increase of unbelief whereby the unbelievers go astray; one year they make it profane, and hallow it another, [in order] to agree with the number that God has hallowed, and so profane what God has hallowed, and hallow what God has made profane.’ Time has completed its cycle [and is] as it was when the day that God created the heaven and the earth. ‘The number of the months with God is twelve: [they were] in the Book of God on the day He created the heavens and the earth. Four of them are sacred, the three consecutive [months] and the Rajab, [which is called the month of] Mudar, which is between Jumada (II) and Sha’ban.”
“Now then, O people, you have a right over your wives and they have a right over you. You have [the right] that they should not cause anyone of whom you dislike to tread your beds, and that they should not commit any open indecency (fahishah). If they do, then God permits you to shut them in separate rooms and to beat them, but not severely. If they abstain from [evil], they have the right to their food and clothing in accordance with custom (bi’l-maruf). Treat women well, for they are [like] domestic animals (‘awan) with you and do not possess anything for themselves. You have taken them only as a trust from God, and you have made the enjoyment of their persons lawful by the word of God, so understand and listen to my words, O people.
I have conveyed the Message, and have left you with something which, if you hold fast to it, you will never go astray: that is, the Book of God and the sunnah of His Prophet. Listen to my words, O people, for I have conveyed the message and understand [it]. Know for certain that every Muslim is a brother of another Muslim, and that all Muslims are brethren. It is not lawful for a person [to take] from his brother except that which he has given him willingly, so do not wrong yourselves. O God, have I not conveyed the message?” It was reported [to me] that the people said, “O God, yes.” And the Messenger of God said, “O God, bear witness.”
Reference: Al-Tabari, Abu Ja’far Muhammad b. Jarir. The History of al-Tabari. Vol.IX: The Last Years of the Prophet. Translated and annotated by Ismail K. Poonawala. State University of NewYork Press, Albany, 1990. (Pages 112-114. Bold emphasis is mine)
FP: Well I don’t really see how there can be any confusion over interpretation here, it appears pretty clear.
Kasem: Well yes, in the few words above, the most hallowed speech by Muhammad, he had clearly described women as domestic animals, and instructed their husbands to beat them if they suspect that their wives’ behavior are not to their satisfaction. Please note that those were Muhammad’s last decrees to Muslim husbands. Every Muslim husband is duty bound by those instructions of Muhammad. More here.
