WHY DID THE PAGAN ARAB COMMIT FEMALE INFANTICIDE?

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Quran,Translation and Commentary in Brief (Vol. 03)
WHERE FEMALE BIRTH WAS A SIGN OF SHAME (VERSE NO. 56 - 60) Verses 61-64

      In their state of perpetual war, sons were a source of power to them. On the other hand their daughters made them the subject of humiliating raids. Many a time it happened that in a war their young ladies were taken as captives by the enemy, and when the war was over; she was not returned, or she preferred to stay with the enemy and serve him some how, in the form of a concubine or else. This was due to having an oppressive husband or master, who could not consider a woman as a human being! It was such reasons that made the heart-rending female infanticide customary among the Pagan Arabs, who lived before Mohammad. (AS)

      This burying bussiness of daughters, left a black spot of disgrace on the record of Mankind, till the advent of Mohammad, who worked hard and even fought against that evil custom. The Messenger of God could convince those wild people that, both man and women are of the same kind and have the same human rights. Historians tell us of many heart-breaking instances of this evil custom. an incident of which follows:ِ In the, AL-QURÄN YOVÄKIBODDAHRِV 2ِP 214

      It has been narrated that, a man came to our prophet and converted. A few days later he came again to the prophet, and asked:ِ

      ``If I have done a heinous sin will Allah forgive me for my Islam and repentance?''

      In answer to him the prophet said:ِ ``Allah is All-forgiving Merciful.'' The man said:ِ ``O, Messenger of God! But my sin is a very great one! The prophet told him:ِ ``God's Forgiveness is far greater than your sin, whatever it might be.'' The new Muslim explained the sin he had committed thus:ِ

      ``O, Messenger of God! I was on a far distant journey that my wife, whom I knew was pregnant, gave birth to a female child. She knew how much I hated having a daughters. She therefore had concealed her, telling me that the baby died!''

      Four years later when I returned home, once I saw a beautiful girl in my house who seemed to be very intimate with my wife. I asked my wife whose daughter was she? The wife said, that the girl was our neighbour's! But I saw her very aften in our house, and very friendly with my wife! When my spouse found that I was very serious to know her, she confessed that she was our own daughter who was born during my absence in that long journey.''

      The man continued saying to the prophet:ِ

      ``That very night I could not sleep at all for the inconvenience of having a daughter. Now I had a difficult choice to decide on, either to keep the poor girl as a thing of sufferance and contempt that would bring disgrace to the family, or to get rid of her by burying her alive!

      At last I took my decision and it was to bury her alive! So next morning, before the sun rise, I went to her bed and waked her up, and asked her to come with me to our palm-grove. There I began to dig a grave for her, and when she saw me perspired and tired of digging, she helped me removing the earth. When the grave was dug, I cast my daughter in it, and held her with my left hand not to move, and with my right hand I heapt the soil upon her!

      She was struggling continuously, and weeping and saying to me; Father! What are you doing!? So did I, until she was entirely silent.''

      The prophet was shedding tears all the time that his holiness was listening to the sad story of the new convert; and finally drying his eyes, he said to the famale infanticider:ِ

      ``If God's Mercy had not taken precedence of His wrath, His punishment would have seized you so far!''

      Another instance of female infanticide, was that of GHAIS-IBN-ASIM, a chief of the tribe of BANITAMIM, who confessed to the prophet, saying:ِ

      ``In the past our fathers practiced female infanticide. I too, got twelve daughters and buried them all alive, and one after another! My wife then gave birth to my thirteemth child secretly. This too was a girl and therefore my wife had given her to her own family to retain and look after. After a few years I was informed of her existence. I kidnapped her and buried her alive, while she was entreating me to have mercy on her!''

      The prophet who was shedding hot tears in hearig that; said to GHAIS``He who shows no mercy to others, will receive no mercy! O, GHAIS! You have a very bad day to meet in future.''

      GHAIS, said; ``O, Messenger of God! What is to be done now, to reduce the evil consequences of my heinous sins?'' The prophet said:ِ ``You better buy thirteen slaves and set them free.''

      With the advent of our prophet Mohammad (AS), Islam strictly prohibited female infanticide, and declared it to be religiously unlawful as a most heinous sin. In the Islamic Era no more report has been received or recorded of such evil deeds.

      In the last verse of the above group, (NO.60) the argument reflects again on having faith in Allah and His just judgement, which is a remedy to all these mental diseases of Man:ِ

      ``.... And the most sublime likeness of attributes belong to Allah who is All-mighty, All-wise.''

      That is to say:ِ ``We should not use any parable of ourself, when we speak of Allah, because He is above any comparison, and the highest and noblest attributes belong to Him.''

 

 

 

 

 

WHERE FEMALE BIRTH WAS A SIGN OF SHAME (VERSE NO. 56 - 60) Verses 61-64
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