-----Original Message-----
From: Mohammad Farooq <farooqm@trxinc.com>
To: nabic-l@globalfront.com <nabic-l@globalfront.com>
Date: Thursday, June 03, 1999 9:54 PM
Subject: Re: The Hostage Islam


Dear Br. R.,

Assalamu alaikum.

THIS IS MY LAST POSTING ON THIS POINT.

I am not sure you are even taking the time to read and ponder over what I or others have been posting, and more importantly, whether you are subjecting your own thoughts or arguments to self-scrutiny. Obviously, my suggestion not to continuously change the subject header had no effect.

>There are so many disputes regarding hadith that one criteria that
>must be used is that Hadith can not contradict the Quran. Right?

RIGHT, BUT THE CONCLUSION YOU DRAW IS WRONG. There is no conflicting hadith about this matter. You have not shown any hadith that conflicts in this matter.

You are also violating one of the most basic principles of understanding or analyzing the Qur'an. No verse in the Qur'an should be taken in isolation to draw an conclusion or formulate an opinion or law.

>So lets us hold the hadith just for a while (since we can bring many
>conflicting hadith on the same issue) and Let see what the Quran
>clearly states on the subject: ...

>If you dont like the text, or think differently, or can produce hadith to
>twist the above in any direction, that is a subjective judgment of the
>above.

I am simply amazed at your insistence on your position that you would not let even the Prophet (s) clarify, enunciate or delimit the verse!!! If it would be simply my interpretation or somebody else's then that would be subjective judgment. But I have explicitly pointed out that the Prophet (s), who is appointed by Allah Himself to explain, teach and illustrate the Qur'an through his life, has in no unequivocal term not only expressed displeasure at beating, but he explicitly and definitively has instructed not to hurt or injure. He even instructed not to affect the face. All these are explicitly from the Prophet (s).

You will just take one verse in isolation, entirely disregarding explicit and definitive instruction and elaboration from the Prophet (s) and your are suggesting that I or others on this matter are "twisting"???

As I said, Br. R., I thought I knew you quite well and closely, but I am not sure I understand you any more.

Are you then trying to say that the Qur'an does permit wife-beating and therefore those abusers and beaters are actually doing things according to Islamic teachings and not doing anything wrong? So, if we don't like them doing it, we should actually blame it on Islam and the Qur'an? This is the logical conclusion of your line of argument. If your answer is no, then obviously you are misrepresenting yourself. If your answer is yes, then why should we follow the Qur'an or be Muslims that teach or instruct such terrible things?

Is your answer really yes? I hope not. Because in that case this forum would not have the basic commonness between you and the forum to mutually benefit.

Fi amanillah.

Mohammad Omar Farooq