Mani (Mainstream): Good morning, Modi. Nice morning.
Modi (Moderate): That it is. Look, there is Radi, bright and early.
Radi (Radical): Good morning all. It is a beautiful day.
Modi: Radi says it is a beautiful day. What are you up to, Radi?
Radi: Just remarking, Modi. I have a question to ask you.
Modi: If it is not a loaded one, I will try to answer.
Radi: Some believers said that they were having a problem with one of the marriages of our Most Beloved. I knew that one of his wives was named Zainab, but did not know she was married to his son before our Most Beloved married her. Those believers need to know why it could not be considered sacrilegious.
Modi: Radi, the short answer is that Zaid, the first husband of Zainab, was our Most Beloved’s adopted son. He was from a Christian tribe, carried off and sold into slavery. Khadija made a present of him to our Most Beloved, who adopted him as his son. He was not a blood relative, so his wife would not be a blood relative. Zainab’s marriage to Zaid, and her subsequent marriage to Muhammad, were both sanctioned by verses in the Qur’an. (33:36-38)
Mani: I do not completely understand why our Most Beloved would create such consternation about a marriage when he had so many from which to choose. Was he that infatuated with her?
Modi: It was Muhammad that first decided that she should wed Zaid. The son did not like her very well, nor was she agreeable to marrying him. She was Hashemite and socially was his better. Our Most Beloved wanted the marriage for some reason and said that it was revealed to him that they should marry (Qur’an 33:36). Neither one would violate Allah’s wishes.
Radi: Since everyone knew that Zaid was his adopted son, what caused all of the problems? I understand there was quite a scandal at the time.
Modi: A scandal there was. It was a scandal at the worst of times. The Battle of the Trench was about to begin and the Hypocrites were verbally abusing our Most Beloved, and to top everything else off, his wives were the subject of some scandalous talk. It is all covered in Sura 33.
Mani: But why should that marriage be a scandal? I still do not understand it.
Modi: Mani and Radi, Islam and the laws of Islam were extant in Medina, the City of the Prophet (Madinat al-Nabi). However, tradition was still strong, as it was in Mecca. Traditionally, an adopted son was considered a blood relative and that interfered with the Islamic laws of Inheritance and social standing. There were many complaints that adopted sons were given inheritances that rightfully belonged to others, for example.
Mani: So it was necessary for Islam to show the supremacy of its laws over tradition.
Modi: Exactly. Since this specific tradition had been particularly annoying, it became necessary for our Most Beloved to show the significance of the law. First, he got everyone’s attention by marrying his son’s divorced wife. Many people were having fits about that. After he was finally challenged on it, he showed everyone that he had received a revelation from Allah, instructing him to marry Zainab (Qur’an 33:37, 38).
Radi: So, all those people that were so concerned about our Most Beloved doing something wrong should have just trusted him. How could they mistrust him, since Allah trusted him to be His Messenger?
Mani: Exactly, Radi. How could he do anything wrong?
Radi: You said something about the wives also being involved in a scandal?
Modi: There was not much to that, Radi. First, the wives were complaining that there were not enough household funds. Actually, our Most Beloved had no income at that time. Allah advised the wives it was not in their best interests to complain, but to be patient. Muhammad could divorce them all and find more suitable wives if they want. They were also reminded to be more prudent in their attire. (Qur’an: 33:28-35, 59).
Radi, they were not ordered to be as covered up, as the Wahhabis want, but just to dress carefully. I think the Wahhabis go too far.
Radi: We could argue about that, but go on. I think we should hear the rest of it.
Modi: Radi, remember that the Hypocrites were criticizing our Most Beloved something fierce. It is almost as bad as the American Senators criticizing their president, also in the middle of a war. It was outrageous.
Radi: Ha! I remember that red-nosed, fat senator. I thought he would have apoplexy every time he tried to say something. Nothing he said made any sense. He was funny.
Mani: So that gives us some idea of the abuse that our Most Beloved had to endure while he was trying to protect the people and to save Islam.
Modi: You are right, Mani. It is bad enough to try to organize defenses, listen to suggestions, worry about income, and try to soothe the feelings of your wives. To do all this and then suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous kibitzers, is more than most leaders can bear.
Radi: I can agree with that. Surely our Most Beloved was a great man.
Modi: That is right. In fact, Allah had revealed to him two verses that warned the people that He is not pleased about any of them insulting His Messenger and that he had an unpleasant punishment awaiting them for that. (Qur’an 33:56, 57)
Mani: That was only fair.
Modi: It was fair at the time, Mani. However, those ayats (verses) had unintended consequences down through the ages. The imams should have put a halt to those consequences quickly. Not doing so has done Islam considerable harm.
Radi: How could a statement from Allah have consequences that were not intended? Allah knows everything and is all merciful. Nothing He has planned should go wrong!
Modi: Radi, you will have to think a little about this. Every religion should allow criticism and reply to it. No religion or State should ever punish an outsider because he or she does not like it. Because of ayat 33:57, several people have been killed in different parts of the world for insulting Islam, Muhammad, or Muslims in general. That is wrong. We all know the greatness of our religion and of our Prophet, but the Unbelievers do not know any of this. If Americans can stand burning their flag and having nasty placards marching up and down their streets, we can ignore a few dumb insults also without getting excited. I can't believe, Radi, you got so enraged over cartoons!
Mani: Those people should be punished for insulting our Most Beloved.
Modi: When you said Pope Benedict is a criminal several months ago, should you be killed for that statement? Radi insults the pope, Christianity in general, Jews—oh, how he insults and threatens Jews. Should he be killed for those statements?
Mani: I should say not! They are true statements, not insults.
Modi: True to you, maybe, but not true to Pope Benedict or the Christians. Pope Benedict is a friend to some of our imams.
Radi: Those imams should be shot! They are heretics!
Modi: There, Radi. Under the interpretations that the Islamic judges promulgated after the Danish Cartoons—CARTOONS, by heavens!—you have insulted Islam and Muslims. I have every right to kill you for that! (Radi stares at him, confused)
Give me your knife!
Radi! What. (Modi reaches in Radi’s pocket and retrieves Radi’s knife) Now, off with your head. (both start running)
Mani: Since you are heading in that direction, swing by my house. We have lunch waiting.
HJS
Modi (Moderate): That it is. Look, there is Radi, bright and early.
Radi (Radical): Good morning all. It is a beautiful day.
Modi: Radi says it is a beautiful day. What are you up to, Radi?
Radi: Just remarking, Modi. I have a question to ask you.
Modi: If it is not a loaded one, I will try to answer.
Radi: Some believers said that they were having a problem with one of the marriages of our Most Beloved. I knew that one of his wives was named Zainab, but did not know she was married to his son before our Most Beloved married her. Those believers need to know why it could not be considered sacrilegious.
Modi: Radi, the short answer is that Zaid, the first husband of Zainab, was our Most Beloved’s adopted son. He was from a Christian tribe, carried off and sold into slavery. Khadija made a present of him to our Most Beloved, who adopted him as his son. He was not a blood relative, so his wife would not be a blood relative. Zainab’s marriage to Zaid, and her subsequent marriage to Muhammad, were both sanctioned by verses in the Qur’an. (33:36-38)
Mani: I do not completely understand why our Most Beloved would create such consternation about a marriage when he had so many from which to choose. Was he that infatuated with her?
Modi: It was Muhammad that first decided that she should wed Zaid. The son did not like her very well, nor was she agreeable to marrying him. She was Hashemite and socially was his better. Our Most Beloved wanted the marriage for some reason and said that it was revealed to him that they should marry (Qur’an 33:36). Neither one would violate Allah’s wishes.
Radi: Since everyone knew that Zaid was his adopted son, what caused all of the problems? I understand there was quite a scandal at the time.
Modi: A scandal there was. It was a scandal at the worst of times. The Battle of the Trench was about to begin and the Hypocrites were verbally abusing our Most Beloved, and to top everything else off, his wives were the subject of some scandalous talk. It is all covered in Sura 33.
Mani: But why should that marriage be a scandal? I still do not understand it.
Modi: Mani and Radi, Islam and the laws of Islam were extant in Medina, the City of the Prophet (Madinat al-Nabi). However, tradition was still strong, as it was in Mecca. Traditionally, an adopted son was considered a blood relative and that interfered with the Islamic laws of Inheritance and social standing. There were many complaints that adopted sons were given inheritances that rightfully belonged to others, for example.
Mani: So it was necessary for Islam to show the supremacy of its laws over tradition.
Modi: Exactly. Since this specific tradition had been particularly annoying, it became necessary for our Most Beloved to show the significance of the law. First, he got everyone’s attention by marrying his son’s divorced wife. Many people were having fits about that. After he was finally challenged on it, he showed everyone that he had received a revelation from Allah, instructing him to marry Zainab (Qur’an 33:37, 38).
Radi: So, all those people that were so concerned about our Most Beloved doing something wrong should have just trusted him. How could they mistrust him, since Allah trusted him to be His Messenger?
Mani: Exactly, Radi. How could he do anything wrong?
Radi: You said something about the wives also being involved in a scandal?
Modi: There was not much to that, Radi. First, the wives were complaining that there were not enough household funds. Actually, our Most Beloved had no income at that time. Allah advised the wives it was not in their best interests to complain, but to be patient. Muhammad could divorce them all and find more suitable wives if they want. They were also reminded to be more prudent in their attire. (Qur’an: 33:28-35, 59).
Radi, they were not ordered to be as covered up, as the Wahhabis want, but just to dress carefully. I think the Wahhabis go too far.
Radi: We could argue about that, but go on. I think we should hear the rest of it.
Modi: Radi, remember that the Hypocrites were criticizing our Most Beloved something fierce. It is almost as bad as the American Senators criticizing their president, also in the middle of a war. It was outrageous.
Radi: Ha! I remember that red-nosed, fat senator. I thought he would have apoplexy every time he tried to say something. Nothing he said made any sense. He was funny.
Mani: So that gives us some idea of the abuse that our Most Beloved had to endure while he was trying to protect the people and to save Islam.
Modi: You are right, Mani. It is bad enough to try to organize defenses, listen to suggestions, worry about income, and try to soothe the feelings of your wives. To do all this and then suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous kibitzers, is more than most leaders can bear.
Radi: I can agree with that. Surely our Most Beloved was a great man.
Modi: That is right. In fact, Allah had revealed to him two verses that warned the people that He is not pleased about any of them insulting His Messenger and that he had an unpleasant punishment awaiting them for that. (Qur’an 33:56, 57)
Mani: That was only fair.
Modi: It was fair at the time, Mani. However, those ayats (verses) had unintended consequences down through the ages. The imams should have put a halt to those consequences quickly. Not doing so has done Islam considerable harm.
Radi: How could a statement from Allah have consequences that were not intended? Allah knows everything and is all merciful. Nothing He has planned should go wrong!
Modi: Radi, you will have to think a little about this. Every religion should allow criticism and reply to it. No religion or State should ever punish an outsider because he or she does not like it. Because of ayat 33:57, several people have been killed in different parts of the world for insulting Islam, Muhammad, or Muslims in general. That is wrong. We all know the greatness of our religion and of our Prophet, but the Unbelievers do not know any of this. If Americans can stand burning their flag and having nasty placards marching up and down their streets, we can ignore a few dumb insults also without getting excited. I can't believe, Radi, you got so enraged over cartoons!
Mani: Those people should be punished for insulting our Most Beloved.
Modi: When you said Pope Benedict is a criminal several months ago, should you be killed for that statement? Radi insults the pope, Christianity in general, Jews—oh, how he insults and threatens Jews. Should he be killed for those statements?
Mani: I should say not! They are true statements, not insults.
Modi: True to you, maybe, but not true to Pope Benedict or the Christians. Pope Benedict is a friend to some of our imams.
Radi: Those imams should be shot! They are heretics!
Modi: There, Radi. Under the interpretations that the Islamic judges promulgated after the Danish Cartoons—CARTOONS, by heavens!—you have insulted Islam and Muslims. I have every right to kill you for that! (Radi stares at him, confused)
Give me your knife!
Radi! What. (Modi reaches in Radi’s pocket and retrieves Radi’s knife) Now, off with your head. (both start running)
Mani: Since you are heading in that direction, swing by my house. We have lunch waiting.
HJS
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