Child Marriage in the Qur'an: Difference between revisions

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The above translation of the verse masks the real meaning, so the verse has to be studied in [[Arabic]]. The actual meaning of this verse and its implications are explicitly endorsed by [[tafsir]]s as will be shown below.
The above translation of the verse masks the real meaning, so the verse has to be studied in [[Arabic]]. The actual meaning of this verse and its implications are explicitly endorsed by [[tafsir]]s as will be shown below.
==Analysis of Verse in Arabic ==
The Qur'an says in Arabic:
{{Quote|1=[http://quran.al-islam.com/Tafseer/DispTafsser.asp?l=arb&taf=GALALEEN&nType=1&nSora=65&nAya=4 Quran 65:4]<BR>Tafsir from al-Islam.com
|2= {{right|
واللائي لم يحضن" فعدتهن ثلاثة أشهر
}}
"and those who never had menses" (because they are underage)}}
The transliteration of the verse and the meaning of each portion of the verse is given below:
''Wa Al-Lā'ī Lam Yaĥiđna''
''wa'' ( <font size=4>وَ</font> ) = and
''Al-Lā'ī'' ( <font size=4>وَاللَّائِي</font> ) = for those who
''Lam'' ( <font size=4>لَمْ </font>) = did not (negation in past tense) <ref name=EB>Elabbas Benmamoun, Arabic morphology: The central role of the imperfective, Lingua 108 (1999) 175-201</ref>
''Yaĥiđna'' ( <font size=4>يَحِضْنَ</font> ) = menstruate.
''Yaĥiđna'' comes from the verbal root H-Y-D ( <font size=4>حيض</font> ) which means "to menstruate".
The addition of prefix "Ya" and suffix "na" to the root "HYD" shows that the word is used in used in third person, feminine gender, plural, imperfective aspect.<ref>[[w:Arabic grammar|Arabic grammar]] - Wikipedia</ref>
The imperfective aspect, by itself lacks any tense feature. <ref name=EB/> The tensed negatives like ''lam'' ( <font size=3>لَمْ </font> ) (negation in past tense), ''lan'' ( <font size=3>لن</font> )  (negation in future tense), ''laa'' ( <font size=3>لَ</font> ) (negation in present tense) combined with imperfectives decide the tense in this case.
Thus ''lam Yadrus'' = He did not study.
In the verse 65:4, '''''Lam Yaĥiđna'' = 'those who did not menstruate'.'''
Further the imperfective verb in the context of ''lam'' ( <font size=3>لَمْ </font> ) (past tensed negatives) is in the [[w:Grammatical mood#Jussive|Jussive]] mood. <ref name=EB/>
{{Quote||'''The mood is similar to the cohortative mood, in that it expresses plea, insistence, imploring, self-encouragement, wish, desire, intent, command, purpose or consequence.''' In some languages, the two are distinguished in that cohortative occurs in the first person and the jussive in the second or third. It is found in Arabic, where it is called the مجزوم, majzum. The rules governing the jussive in Arabic are somewhat complex. <ref>[[w:Grammatical mood#Jussive|Jussive]] - Wikipedia</ref>|}}
Supporting these meanings, from Lane's lexicon, ''Lam'' ({{arabic|ل}}) means 'not':
{{Quote|1=Lane's Lexicon for ''Lam''|2=Lam = ل
<br />lam = Negative particle giving to the present the sense of the perfect; not.<ref>[http://www.studyquran.co.uk/13_LAM.htm Lam = ل] - StudyQuran</ref>}}
From the Lexicon, Arabic word for Menstruate is 'Haiz' ({{arabic|حيض}}):
{{Quote|1= Lane's Lexicon for ''Haa''|2=Ha-Ya-Dad (Ha-Alif-Dad) = To have her courses, menstruate; Her blood flowed from her womb, to attain the age of menstruation, to make a thing flow.
hada vb. (1) impf. act. 65:4
mahid n.m. 2:222<br />
Lane's Lexicon, Volume 2, page: 322, 323<ref>[http://www.studyquran.co.uk/9_HAA.htm ح = Ha] - StudyQuran</ref>}}
Conclusion:
* It is clear the verse 65:4 is given as a command to be followed (Jussive mood).
* The verse itself refers to those women who did not menstruate(in all of past time until the present time), which can include children or girls before puberty or attainment of [[w:menarche|menarche]] (first period).
Therefore, the exact translation of this portion of {{Quran|65|4}} is ''"Not menstruated yet"'' ( <font size=4>لَمْ يَحِضْنَ</font> ). In Arabic, the menstruating process is called HAIDH ( <font size=4>حيض</font> ). It is possible to turn this noun into its verb form. Like we do it with menstruation, "menstruate" is YAHIDH ( <font size=4>يَحِض</font> ). But it is LAM ( <font size=4>لَمْ  </font> ) that appears before YAHIDH and the NA ( <font size=4>نَ</font> ) associated with YAHIDH and this puts Islamic apologists in a quandary because it cannot have any other meaning than ''“Not menstruated yet”''. This is the appropriate English translation.
This verse 65:4 should be read as a continuation of Qur'an 33:49. If a woman who has not been used for sex should not have to observe any Iddah at all, as mentioned in 33:49, what is the reason for the prescribed Iddah for those women who have not yet menstruated? This is a clear indication marrying pre-pubescent girls and having sex with them is sanctioned by the Qur'an.
The phrase found in Qur'an 65:4 as "Wallaee Lam Yahidhna" is sometimes mistranslated by [[apologists]]. Exact meaning of the phrase is available in Tafsirs (Quran interpretations).


== Tafsirs of the Verse ==
== Tafsirs of the Verse ==
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Note here what Maududi mentions on giving pre-pubescent girls in marriage and consummating the marriage with them. The interpreter affirms it is permitted by the Qur'an and no Muslims can question or forbid it.
Note here what Maududi mentions on giving pre-pubescent girls in marriage and consummating the marriage with them. The interpreter affirms it is permitted by the Qur'an and no Muslims can question or forbid it.
=== Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen ===
{{quote |Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen, Majmoo’at As’ilah tahumm al-Usrah al-Muslimah, p. 61-63|Surah al-Talaaq 65:4:
If a woman does not menstruate, either because she is very young or old and past menopause, then her ‘iddah is three months, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And those of your women as have passed the age of monthly courses, for them the ‘Iddah (prescribed period), if you have doubt (about their periods), is three months; and for those who have no courses (i.e. they are still immature) their ‘Iddah (prescribed period) is three months likewise.<ref>[http://www.islamqa.com/index.php?ln=eng&ds=qa&QR=12667 The ‘iddah of a woman divorced by talaaq] - Islam Q&A, Fatwa No. 12667</ref>}}
The reason for bringing two more recent scholars is to show that ''nothing has changed'' in the Islamic tenets on marrying and having sex with pre-pubescent girls, even in this modern era.


=== 'Ibn Kathir ===
=== 'Ibn Kathir ===
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