Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

my questions are: 1. What does Allah, Muhammad (saws), and Quran says about marrying Christian or from other religions (For both men and women)? 2. What date, month, and year our prophet Muhammad (saws) was born and died? 3. I heard that in islam men and women have equal right...then why do women have to cover up there face and body but men dont? What does Allah say about it? 

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Answer:

Marriage and women rights in Islam

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your question: What does Allah, Muhammad (saws), and Quran says about marrying Christian or from other religions (For both men and women)?

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 221 (part):Do not marry ‘mushrik’ (polytheist) women, unless they believe….do not wed your women to ‘mushrk’ men, unless they believe.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verse 5 (part):You are permitted to marry chaste believing women or chaste women from among the People who were given the Scriptures before you, provided that you give them their dowries and become their protectors in wedlock.

A believing man is permitted in Islam to marry a believing woman, and women from among the People of the Book (Jews and Christians). He is not permitted to marry any women who is a ‘mushrik’ (polytheist like the Hindu, Budhist, etc.), unless she converts to Islam.

A believing woman is permitted to marry only the believing men. She is not allowed to marry a non-believing man, be they Jews, Christians, mushriks, etc, unless the man converts to Islam.

Your question: What date, month, and year our prophet Muhammad (saws) was born and died?

There are two opinions on the date the Prophet Mohamed (saws) was born. One is 9 Rabi-ul-Awwal in the ‘aam ul feel’ or year of the elephant; and the other is 12 Rabi-ul-Awwal in the ‘aam ul feel’. That would translate to 53 years before the Hijrah.

The Prophet (saws) died on 12 Rabi ul Awwal in the 11^th year after Hijrah.

Your question :I heard that in islam men and women have equal right...then why do women have to cover up there face and body but men dont? What does Allah say about it? 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 228:Wives have the same rights as the husbands have on them in accordance with the generally known principles. And men are a degree above them; and above all is Allah, the All Mighty, All Wise.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 33 Surah Ahzaab verse 59:O Prophet, enjoin your wives and daughters, and the believing women, that they should cast their outer garments over their persons. It is expected that they will thus be recognized, and not molested. Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 24 Surah Nur verse 31: (O Prophet) enjoin the believing woman to restrain their gaze and guard their modesty, and not to display their adornment except that which is displayed of itself, and to draw their veils over their bosoms, and not to display their adornments except before their husbands, their fathers,…….and also forbid them to stamp their feet on the ground lest their hidden ornaments should be displayed.

Man and woman were both created by Allah Subhanah, Who bestowed on each of them different nature, personality and temperament. It is probably incorrect to say that men and women have ‘exactly’ equal rights in Islam; it would be more correct to state that the rights of men and women in Islam are balanced, each according to their particular nature.

If one were to use the same argument of ‘equal’ rights for the men and women in everything, then one could ask why are only women given the honor to bear children and not men? Or why is the responsibility of providing the family only laid on the man? But Allah has assigned each of them their rights and responsibilities according to their nature.

As to why Allah has commanded the women to cover up, one may search for the wisdom behind this command of Allah. Allah has created a very strong physical attraction for the women in the man, so that man and women would unite, a family may be created, and the system of life has continuity. And Allah has opened a legal way to fulfill this attraction and desire through a proper marriage.

But this physical attraction of the woman can also be abused and used illegally, which would hurt the people themselves and their families, and the society as a whole. Thus to curb this illegal and immoral physical attraction and to protect the woman against molestation and abuse; Allah has commanded that she cover her beauty in the presence of people who are not her mehram.

Just to give you an example, Allah has also kept a very strong attraction in human beings for accumulating wealth! It is this love of this wealth, which allows the people to work 16 hour days away from their family, sacrifice their time and effort to make, invent, grow and introduce new things and services; so that the system of life might carry on. If people did not protect their wealth by keeping them in banks and lockers and left them on the streets; it is very probable that someone might steal or loot their wealth. The wealth of the person is open only for his family and loved ones to use. Similarly, if the beauty of the woman is not protected, all and sundry would try to steal and loot this beauty in a way which is not legally acceptable to Islam and the Islamic society.

Thus the command of Allah to a believing woman, who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last Day, to cover up is for her own protection. As soon as she puts on this uniform commanded by Allah, ‘it is expected that they will thus be recognized, and not molested.’ If she is in the Islamic uniform, this believing woman will immediately be recognized as a woman who has submitted herself to the laws of her Creator, and it is expected that no one will try to steal or loot her beauty in an illegal way.

This command of Allah is for their own protection and safety; but unfortunately some of them have not understood the wisdom behind the command and have taken it as a burden and refused to obey and submit to a clear command from their Lord and Creator.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan