To provide a preamble to this series, it doesn’t require total enlightenment to know the hatred of women is a core aspect of Islam. Simply looking at a Muslim woman tells a tale of oppression and indignity. After all, what is the veil they wear representative of? The Muslim woman’s place as little else other than a possession of her husband. Worse still, many Muslim women have greatly internalized their oppression and inflict these barbarisms on their daughters and sons in turn.
It’s so severe in some Islamic cultures that a woman has to make sure even her feet are covered over at home, when she kneels to pray each and every of the obligated five times a day. Not even the barest hint of an ankle can be seen in some Muslim countries. If a woman shows even an inch of skin, she’s accused of tempting innocent men into adultery. Within Islam, men are totally blameless if they rape a woman. It’s only a crime if the woman was already married (owned) by another man.
Honor killings, stonings, floggings, rape, slavery, genital mutilation, torture. The list of crimes inflicted on Muslim women the world over is bottomless, and the precise flavor of it can vary from nation and denomination. One could write a whole series of books on the endless atrocities of it all. There’s a whole section of the Quran itself simply titled “Women”. One can only imagine the content therein.
Or, you would have to imagine, were the point of this article not to go through near every instance of blatant sexism in the Quran. I focus on the Quran itself for one key reason. Various sects will argue over the Hadith and cultural norms, but the Quran, ultimately, is the poisoned wellspring from which all of Islam pours into our world like sewage.
It’s important to know the extent of it. Not only because Islam invades the West, but because, sooner or later, all the world will need to take responsibility for itself and clean up its messes. Even in the darkest corners of the world where ignorance is near enough to blot out the very sun, there are still those fighting for better tomorrows. One needs only look to the brave women of Iran, daring to do what few around the world would, standing up to the Islamic tyrants that have dared to decree themselves their masters. The flame of liberty will always burn brightest when the surrounding night is at its darkest.
Many in the West have developed deafened ears on the matter of women’s rights. Western pop-feminism has blared its siren loudly, and many have, sadly, grown either apathetic or outright spiteful to these topics. This is a mistake. Already, as the “incel” mindset has spread among sections of the Right, and it’s these sectors in which Islam has found an easy garden bed to take root and spread its weeds. Not all have fallen for it, but enough have falsely been lured in by it that it must be remarked upon.
Not only this, but the Left too, has sold out everyone that it claimed to stand for, women most of all, in the pursuit of appeasing Islam. How can an entire political spectrum which identifies itself as being “staunchly feminist” not only defend, but usher in a religion to the West that believes female genital mutilation is an acceptable norm? They sanitize Islam in their minds, and choose to tolerate intolerance.
Turn your attention to the reality of Islam, and accept there’s nothing of worth, not for anyone on any side of politics. To provide but a single example from the millions, in 2016, in Kabul, Afghanistan, a 14 year old was tortured before being burnt to death, because she tried to elope with someone she loved instead of agreeing to an arranged, underage marriage. Her name was Zahra, and she was pregnant. (Source: https://webarchive.archive.unhcr.org/20230519091202/https://www.refworld.org/docid/57a43c9b22.html )
It takes a lot of strength for a grown man to torture and kill a pregnant 14 year old girl, doesn’t it? That is the reality of Islam, and a plague upon all the houses of those who dare suggest it as a correction of the West’s perceived misgivings. It doesn’t create strong men, it creates weaklings who rape and kill defenseless little girls. To this very day, you still hear stories coming out of Pakistan of women who were violently raped, only to go home and be executed by their family for “shaming” them. Yes, because she was raped. Honor killings plague this country, and many others.
https://www.amnestyusa.org/updates/shocking-surge-of-honor-killings-in-pakistan/
All this, all of it, in some form or another, traces its origins back to the Quran itself. The intent here is to pick it apart, and to hammer the point home until people get it through their heads that no one of any folk, any nation, or any side of the political fence, should allow Islam to trespass upon civilization.
One should pray, to Satan, to all the ancestral Gods and Goddesses of gentile humanity, that the people of the world, especially the mothers and daughters, know a world without Islam. Most of all, I dedicate this series to Lady Astarte Herself, for not only is She insulted within the Quran itself, but for Her pure and simple existence being the last and penultimate destruction upon the very pillars of which Islam stands.
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As a final note before commencing, it’s worth specifying that the English translations of the Quran are heavily sanitized from just how barbaric the original Arabic are. It’s a wilful act of deception on their part to choose the softer translations, but I’ll make it apparent just how odious it is regardless, having gone to the effort of having read multiple translations before committing to commentary. Verses will be done in order of appearance.
This list will be exhaustive, even to the point of being repetitive, and will even cover the more “boring” verses. But seeing as nothing of this sort exists online, it is work that must be done regardless for the sake of awareness and easy citing.
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وَبَشِّرِ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَٰتِ أَنَّ لَهُمۡ جَنَّـٰتٖ تَجۡرِي مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُۖ كُلَّمَا رُزِقُواْ مِنۡهَا مِن ثَمَرَةٖ رِّزۡقٗا قَالُواْ هَٰذَا ٱلَّذِي رُزِقۡنَا مِن قَبۡلُۖ وَأُتُواْ بِهِۦ مُتَشَٰبِهٗاۖ وَلَهُمۡ فِيهَآ أَزۡوَٰجٞ مُّطَهَّرَةٞۖ وَهُمۡ فِيهَا خَٰلِدُونَAnd give glad tidings (O Muhammad) unto those who believe and do good works; that theirs are Gardens underneath which rivers flow; as often as they are regaled with food of the fruit thereof, they say: this is what was given us aforetime; and it is given to them in resemblance. There for them are pure companions; there for ever they abide.
Quran 2:25
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What this means is simple. Believe and do “good works” (that is, good works in accordance to Islam and Muhammad’s virtues, which generally mean killing infidels), and you will be rewarded with “pure companions” in Paradise (Heaven). To note, many translators do not translate companions as such, they translate it directly as spouses instead, which makes it even more apparent what this means.
For further elaboration, the word “pure”. Yes, as you may have guessed, it does indeed mean “virgin”. But Islam takes it a step further. The actual terminology, in this context, means without a menstrual cycle, without any need to defecate or pass urine. By what Muhammad meant, real women are simply too disgusting, but don’t worry, if you blow yourself up, the virgins you get in Heaven won’t have any of those nasty biological functions.
Additionally, is the word “abide.” These make-believe women, of course, do not have any say in the matter. They are simply gifted to the Islamic man on his entry to Paradise, for him to freely have sex with as he desires.
To those who have heard of it before, specifically in the context of Islamic terrorism, this is one such verse which birthed the oft-repeated “72 virgins” phrase, which is drawn from Hadith material provided by a particular scholar of Sunni Islam (Al-Tirmidhi).
Effectively, this is Islam’s perception of women at some of its most obvious. Women are objects of pleasure, to be handed out as gifts, meant only for eternal obedience.
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أُحِلَّ لَكُمۡ لَيۡلَةَ ٱلصِّيَامِ ٱلرَّفَثُ إِلَىٰ نِسَآئِكُمۡۚ هُنَّ لِبَاسٞ لَّكُمۡ وَأَنتُمۡ لِبَاسٞ لَّهُنَّۗ عَلِمَ ٱللَّهُ أَنَّكُمۡ كُنتُمۡ تَخۡتَانُونَ أَنفُسَكُمۡ فَتَابَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَعَفَا عَنكُمۡۖ فَٱلۡـَٰٔنَ بَٰشِرُوهُنَّ وَٱبۡتَغُواْ مَا كَتَبَ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمۡۚ وَكُلُواْ وَٱشۡرَبُواْ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ ٱلۡخَيۡطُ ٱلۡأَبۡيَضُ مِنَ ٱلۡخَيۡطِ ٱلۡأَسۡوَدِ مِنَ ٱلۡفَجۡرِۖ ثُمَّ أَتِمُّواْ ٱلصِّيَامَ إِلَى ٱلَّيۡلِۚ وَلَا تُبَٰشِرُوهُنَّ وَأَنتُمۡ عَٰكِفُونَ فِي ٱلۡمَسَٰجِدِۗ تِلۡكَ حُدُودُ ٱللَّهِ فَلَا تَقۡرَبُوهَاۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَتَّقُونَIt is made lawful for you to go in unto your wives on the night of the fast. They are raiment for you and ye are raiment for them. Allah is Aware that ye were deceiving yourselves in this respect and He hath turned in mercy toward you and relieved you. So hold intercourse with them and seek that which Allah hath ordained for you, and eat and drink until the white thread becometh distinct to you from the black thread of the dawn. Then strictly observe the fast till nightfall and touch them not, but be at your devotions in the mosques. These are the limits imposed by Allah, so approach them not. Thus Allah expoundeth His revelation to mankind that they may ward off (evil).Quran 2:187
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It’s okay to have sex with your wives during the (un)holy month of Ramadan, but only after sunset, for some reason. Apparently abiding by this command wards off evil, which, if you understand the Quran well enough and know that in Abrahamic religion at large that women are basically the source of all evil here, this begins to make more sense (after all, the first “sin” was Eve being tempted in the Garden of Eden, thus, everything after in history that has plagued mankind was the fault of women, in the eyes of Christians, Jews and Muslims).
Here’s a few details the first time reader may miss in this verse. Wives is in plural. This is obviously something that comes up frequently but, only men are entitled to take multiple partners. Women are strictly forbidden from it, to the point where breaking the vow for a woman is a death sentence in Islamic society.
The most revealing part however, is this. “So hold intercourse with them, and seek that which Allah hath ordained for you.”
What this is, is basically a command for you to have sex with your wives. In fact, it is your sacred Muslim duty to do so. There’s no question or not whether the women want to. They have no choice in the matter, as is always the case in Islam.
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وَلَا تَنكِحُواْ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكَٰتِ حَتَّىٰ يُؤۡمِنَّۚ وَلَأَمَةٞ مُّؤۡمِنَةٌ خَيۡرٞ مِّن مُّشۡرِكَةٖ وَلَوۡ أَعۡجَبَتۡكُمۡۗ وَلَا تُنكِحُواْ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ حَتَّىٰ يُؤۡمِنُواْۚ وَلَعَبۡدٞ مُّؤۡمِنٌ خَيۡرٞ مِّن مُّشۡرِكٖ وَلَوۡ أَعۡجَبَكُمۡۗ أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ يَدۡعُونَ إِلَى ٱلنَّارِۖ وَٱللَّهُ يَدۡعُوٓاْ إِلَى ٱلۡجَنَّةِ وَٱلۡمَغۡفِرَةِ بِإِذۡنِهِۦۖ وَيُبَيِّنُ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَتَذَكَّرُونَWed not idolatresses till they believe; for lo! a believing bondwoman is better than an idolatress though she please you; and give not your daughters in marriage to idolaters till they believe, for lo! a believing slave is better than an idolater though he please you. These invite unto the Fire, and Allah inviteth unto the Garden, and unto forgiveness by His grace, and expoundeth His revelations to mankind that haply they may remember.
Quran 2:221
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Religious intolerance and sexism in one verse. Now, for those confused about some of the terminology, I will elaborate. “Idolatress/Idolater”, in the context of Islam, refers to Polytheists, that is, those with multiple Gods (ie, Pagans, or “Shirk” as Muslims call them). Some versions outright translate the term as Polytheist, so nobody can claim that it’s vague. To note, the concept of “worshipping idols” is entirely Jewish superstition with no basis in reality that has overlapped into its proxy religions. Pagans did not worship the statues they created as Gods. This is Abrahamic idiocy.
Back to the verse, this is an outright command for Muslims not to marry Pagans, but it gets quite a lot worse than that when you read between the lines a little. I quote, “wed not… till they believe”. What this is, is both a further command and an insinuation. What this is, is a not-so-subtle demand that you simply convert the Polytheists to Islam by force. “Till they believe” is an open statement that the conversion, in their eyes, is in fact, a simple inevitability. Which says a lot about the nature of Islam and its proliferation.
Pagan women are so lowly in the eyes of Muslims, that it’s openly stated that it doesn’t actually matter how good they are to you, that even the lowest member of society, a bondwoman/slave is better than any Pagan.
Of course, it ends with one last little bit of hatred to spew, blatantly declaring the mere company of Pagans will invite you to the Fires of Hell. When you’re told by your scripture that you cannot rub shoulders with people of another faith without risking eternal damnation of yourself, where do you think this leads? Random acts of violence.
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وَيَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلۡمَحِيضِۖ قُلۡ هُوَ أَذٗى فَٱعۡتَزِلُواْ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فِي ٱلۡمَحِيضِ وَلَا تَقۡرَبُوهُنَّ حَتَّىٰ يَطۡهُرۡنَۖ فَإِذَا تَطَهَّرۡنَ فَأۡتُوهُنَّ مِنۡ حَيۡثُ أَمَرَكُمُ ٱللَّهُۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلتَّوَّـٰبِينَ وَيُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُتَطَهِّرِينَThey question thee (O Muhammad) concerning menstruation. Say: It is an illness, so let women alone at such times and go not in unto them till they are cleansed. And when they have purified themselves, then go in unto them as Allah hath enjoined upon you. Truly Allah loveth those who turn unto Him, and loveth those who have a care for cleanness.
Quran 2:222
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Straight out of the gate, is an outright factual error. Menstruation is not an illness. To anyone with a functioning brain, this should immediately debunk all of Islam. Menstruation, is, in fact, necessary for procreation. It’s simply the female body preparing for the possibility of pregnancy each month.
In Islam, however, a woman who is currently undergoing her bleeding is classified as “impure” and is forbidden from prayer and other duties, and isn’t allowed to visit the Mosque, etc. Until it stops, a woman is effectively sanctioned. I’ve heard sickening rumours of some cultures so severe that they basically lock a woman away until it’s over. In the mountains of Pakistan for instance, girls can be locked away without food or warmth in isolated, cold rooms which result in their deaths.
This bizarre, harmful culture surrounding menstruation was even an aspect of Zoroastrianism, another anti-Pagan, odious religion that inspired Islam. Or, more accurately, Islam stole much of its content from it.
Consider how antithetical to life, this all is. A woman is considered routinely impure due to a necessary biological function she cannot control. What these Muslim idiots don’t consider, is that their baby production machines wouldn’t be capable of such if they lacked this process.
I want people to acknowledge the maturity that Paganism, thousands of years before Islam reared its ugly head, handled this matter with. The Goddess Artemis, in Ancient Greece, was a protector of women during the transitional periods of their lives. Virginity, periods, childbirth. Her Temple was entirely a protective space, and she was prayed to by women during times of feminine hardship. The point is, the Ancient World had a natural understanding of all of this, and it was not stigmatized as “impure”.
Obviously, this perceived “impurity” stems back to Muslim men finding the whole thing gross. Part of their justification for having multiple wives evidently stems back to wanting sex so frequently they cannot wait for one wife to simply be done with her period. Again, no thought is given to how the woman feels. Menstrual cramps, hormonal imbalances, anything typical of the cycle for many is not considered.
The only thing that is considered, is that when it’s finally over, the Muslim man can freely rape their wives again. Just like in Surah 2:187, they are commanded to do so. Some translations more-or-less simply say, go have sex with them as Allah has ordained.
Lastly, I’d make a point here about the irony of Allah supposedly “loving those with a care for cleanness.” Muslim “cleanliness” is derided the world over. Many Islamic cultures seldom engage in proper showering or bathing and believe simply wiping themselves with a towel will suffice. And let’s not even get into the wiping after defecation habits Muslims have. Again, cleanliness here does not refer to literal cleanliness as a hygienic person in the West could perceive it. It’s simply an indictment on women who have dared undergo a normal biological process. Allah loves the man who waits out his wife’s period at about equal measure to how much he hates the woman on the period. What a nice guy.
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نِسَآؤُكُمۡ حَرۡثٞ لَّكُمۡ فَأۡتُواْ حَرۡثَكُمۡ أَنَّىٰ شِئۡتُمۡۖ وَقَدِّمُواْ لِأَنفُسِكُمۡۚ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَٱعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّكُم مُّلَٰقُوهُۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَYour women are a tilth for you (to cultivate) so go to your tilth as ye will, and send (good deeds) before you for your souls, and fear Allah, and know that ye will (one day) meet Him. Give glad tidings to believers, (O Muhammad).
Quran 2:223
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If you don’t know what a tilth is, it basically refers to a place where you grow crops and tend the earth. One particularly revealing translation of this particular line I read was “Your wives are your fields, so go into your fields whichever way you like.”
The Quran truly is filled with limitless flattering analogies for women. You’ll be seeing plenty more. In this one, your wives are nothing but a field for you to plow whenever you desire. Yet again, the desire of the woman is irrelevant. This analogy is very, very deliberate, as land is a possession. In Islam, so are women. So just as you own a vacant lot of farmland that you can cultivate as you wish, your wife is effectively the same. Something you own, plow and plant your seed in with no mind of its own.
With the obvious above exception if they’re on their period of course. Then the analogy falls flat. I suppose Allah’s poetic skills are a bit lacklustre.
Some translate the final lines to be reminders of brainwashing the next generation, once your woman, like a plot of farmland, gives you the “produce” of children. If you don’t do the “good deed” of creating another pious generation (of jihadists), Allah will be angry.
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لِّلَّذِينَ يُؤۡلُونَ مِن نِّسَآئِهِمۡ تَرَبُّصُ أَرۡبَعَةِ أَشۡهُرٖۖ فَإِن فَآءُو فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٞ رَّحِيمٞوَإِنۡ عَزَمُواْ ٱلطَّلَٰقَ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٞThose who forswear their wives must wait four months; then, if they change their mind, lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
And if they decide upon divorce (let them remember that) Allah is Hearer, Knower.
Quran 2:26-2:227
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So, if a Muslim man has decided that, for whatever reason, he doesn’t wish to have sex with one of his many wives anymore (likely because she turned 18 and thus became too old and haggard for Muhammad), Allah’s request is simple.
Just wait four months. Maybe you’ll change your mind! Obviously women aren’t afforded the same right.
But just to make this excruciatingly clear, many translations of “forswearing” your wife outright specify a cessation of sexual relations. The Sahih International Quran’s line reads “for those who swear not to have sexual relations with their wives is a waiting time of four months.”
Meaning, despite marriage being a “sacred vow” in Islam, all it takes is for a man to not want to have sex with his wife anymore for the vow to then be justifiably broken in Allah’s own eyes.
How is something at all sacred when it’s simply broken by the man deciding he doesn’t find his wife attractive enough to legally rape her anymore? Yes, the Quran could have specified any reason, any reason at all, but it specifies sexual disinterest as the key reason to drop your spouse. Personality, arguments, breakdowns, none of that apparently matters. After all, women exist just for sex anyway, so it really is the only thing that matters. Don’t think for a second the lack of mentioning anything else is unintentional.
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وَٱلۡمُطَلَّقَٰتُ يَتَرَبَّصۡنَ بِأَنفُسِهِنَّ ثَلَٰثَةَ قُرُوٓءٖۚ وَلَا يَحِلُّ لَهُنَّ أَن يَكۡتُمۡنَ مَا خَلَقَ ٱللَّهُ فِيٓ أَرۡحَامِهِنَّ إِن كُنَّ يُؤۡمِنَّ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأٓخِرِۚ وَبُعُولَتُهُنَّ أَحَقُّ بِرَدِّهِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ إِنۡ أَرَادُوٓاْ إِصۡلَٰحٗاۚ وَلَهُنَّ مِثۡلُ ٱلَّذِي عَلَيۡهِنَّ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِۚ وَلِلرِّجَالِ عَلَيۡهِنَّ دَرَجَةٞۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌWomen who are divorced shall wait, keeping themselves apart, three (monthly) courses. And it is not lawful for them that they should conceal that which Allah hath created in their wombs if they are believers in Allah and the Last Day. And their husbands would do better to take them back in that case if they desire a reconciliation. And they (women) have rights similar to those (of men) over them in kindness, and men are a degree above them. Allah is Mighty, Wise.
Quran 2:228
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Two immediate things need to be clarified here. One is “keeping themselves apart” directly refers to sexual relations. Monthly courses here, obviously refers to menstrual periods. Again, many translations spell this out more literally.
The imbalance of rights and expectations is grossly apparent yet again. Men can continue to have sex with all their wives (and rape their slaves and war captives), but a divorced wife cannot have sex at all, period. One key reason is Muslim men are simply too precious to take another Muslim man’s sloppy seconds and it makes it feel better if they’ve been dry of relations for a time.
But, in the situation where a woman skips one of her filthy menstrual periods, Allah allows men to maintain the right to take back their wives anyway. In fact, some Islamic jurists don’t actually legally recognize the marriage as terminated until the third menstrual cycle begins. Like you’ve seen, women are just property, tilled farmland. If they’re set to make produce, suddenly they have value again. Nevermind the whiplash of being put through divorce proceedings. Even though a woman has no rights, a man can take her on whatever divorce rollercoaster he wishes.
Don’t assume this is an irrelevant thing, either. Given the lack of societal rights women have in Islamic society, women are outright dependent on their husband to do everything. Traditionally, Muslim women do not hold jobs outside of home-run businesses (as Khadijah, who bank rolled Muhammad’s career, was a businesswoman), and thus cannot have financial independence. Some Islamic cultures will not even let their wives answer the door to the delivery man. The point is, Islamic society does not create the circumstances for a woman to be independent in any scenario. Without the right support network, divorce can mean death for Muslim women.
This is one of the instances where the Quran spells it out and still tries to deceive people. You don’t have “similar rights” if your rights are confessed to be inequal. There are some actual lunatics out there who try to gaslight the population into thinking Islam is somehow feminist.
“Men are a degree above them.” Simply, men are better and have more rights. There’s nothing feminist about that.
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ٱلطَّلَٰقُ مَرَّتَانِۖ فَإِمۡسَاكُۢ بِمَعۡرُوفٍ أَوۡ تَسۡرِيحُۢ بِإِحۡسَٰنٖۗ وَلَا يَحِلُّ لَكُمۡ أَن تَأۡخُذُواْ مِمَّآ ءَاتَيۡتُمُوهُنَّ شَيۡـًٔا إِلَّآ أَن يَخَافَآ أَلَّا يُقِيمَا حُدُودَ ٱللَّهِۖ فَإِنۡ خِفۡتُمۡ أَلَّا يُقِيمَا حُدُودَ ٱللَّهِ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيۡهِمَا فِيمَا ٱفۡتَدَتۡ بِهِۦۗ تِلۡكَ حُدُودُ ٱللَّهِ فَلَا تَعۡتَدُوهَاۚ وَمَن يَتَعَدَّ حُدُودَ ٱللَّهِ فَأُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَDivorce must be pronounced twice and then (a woman) must be retained in honour or released in kindness. And it is not lawful for you that ye take from women aught of that which ye have given them; except (in the case) when both fear that they may not be able to keep within the limits (imposed by) Allah. And if ye fear that they may not be able to keep the limits of Allah, in that case it is no sin for either of them if the woman ransom herself. These are the limits (imposed by) Allah. Transgress them not. For whoso transgresseth Allah’s limits: such are wrong-doers.
Quran 2:229
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What this means is, a woman can only be divorced by the same husband twice. If it happens a third time, then the divorce is final. Except under certain circumstances, more on that later.
This part of the verse is honestly irrelevant to the problematic part, but it required explanation. Where the problem begins here, is the “ransom”.
A man can freely divorce his woman up to three times. However, if a woman wishes to separate from her husband, it’s a much, much different story. A woman has to effectively buy her way out of the relationship. And since Islamic women, particularly at the time of writing, don’t have many means of making money, this payment was in the form of whatever dowry they received or other gifts and belongings they received during the marriage.
If a man doesn’t want his wife to leave, he could always just set the bargaining stakes so high that she cannot hope to pay. Alternatively, he could agree to let her go, so long as she’s left with absolutely nothing and loses all she had. As with every other issue, the man is exempt from these concerns.
All said, the “ransom” keeps the economic power completely in the hands of the husband. If a wife wishes to leave on her own terms, it will be made sure she’s left with nothing. If a man divorces a woman however, he doesn’t have to give her a single thing in the process.
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فَإِن طَلَّقَهَا فَلَا تَحِلُّ لَهُۥ مِنۢ بَعۡدُ حَتَّىٰ تَنكِحَ زَوۡجًا غَيۡرَهُۥۗ فَإِن طَلَّقَهَا فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيۡهِمَآ أَن يَتَرَاجَعَآ إِن ظَنَّآ أَن يُقِيمَا حُدُودَ ٱللَّهِۗ وَتِلۡكَ حُدُودُ ٱللَّهِ يُبَيِّنُهَا لِقَوۡمٖ يَعۡلَمُونَAnd if he hath divorced her (the third time), then she is not lawful unto him thereafter until she hath wedded another husband. Then if he (the other husband) divorce her it is no sin for both of them that they come together again if they consider that they are able to observe the limits of Allah. These are the limits of Allah. He manifesteth them for people who have knowledge.
Quran 2:230
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The exception to the rule. Nevermind the last verse, you can actually marry your wife for a fourth time. Providing she’s married, and then been divorced from, another man. Allah must have changed his mind.
For clarification, “come together again” is often translated to directly imply sexual union. So this verse specifically regards a situation where it’s permissible by Allah to have sex with your four-times divorced wife. One wonders what was happening with marriages at the time for such specificity to be required.
Of course, if you view Islamic marriage as something where the woman has no choice (in many cases women are slaves or war captives or simply sold by families prior to marriage), what this means is, if a woman is dumped by her husband, gets picked up and subsequently dumped again by the new one, the old one can freely swoop in, forcibly re-marry her and then have sex with her against her will.
This becomes particularly problematic when you consider additional Surahs to come. More on those soon.
Hilariously, some Islamic commentators have perceived this line in such a way that they’ve had to add their own input, and state that if there’s “sexual trickery” afoot in the process, and a man divorced his wife on purpose just so someone could specifically marry and then divorce her again and return her to them, that this wouldn’t be allowed.
So, if you’re a Muslim with a cuckolding fetish, you’re probably out of luck. The fact this had to be specified so particularly really makes me wonder how endemic it was.
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وَإِذَا طَلَّقۡتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَبَلَغۡنَ أَجَلَهُنَّ فَلَا تَعۡضُلُوهُنَّ أَن يَنكِحۡنَ أَزۡوَٰجَهُنَّ إِذَا تَرَٰضَوۡاْ بَيۡنَهُم بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِۗ ذَٰلِكَ يُوعَظُ بِهِۦ مَن كَانَ مِنكُمۡ يُؤۡمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأٓخِرِۗ ذَٰلِكُمۡ أَزۡكَىٰ لَكُمۡ وَأَطۡهَرُۚ وَٱللَّهُ يَعۡلَمُ وَأَنتُمۡ لَا تَعۡلَمُونَAnd when ye have divorced women and they reach their term, place not difficulties in the way of their marrying their husbands if it is agreed between them in kindness. This is an admonition for him among you who believeth in Allah and the Last Day. That is more virtuous for you, and cleaner. Allah knoweth; ye know not.
Quran 2:232
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As usual, this is written so blandly it’s not actually specific to readers of any translation what this means. Actually inspecting it in the original Arabic, this is a specific commandment to the relatives of the divorced woman in question. Consider it a small window into Islamic culture on the whole. Apparently, issues of marriage and inter-family conflict were so apparent that this verse needed to be created. Given women are effectively property to be traded around and have an explicit monetary value attached to them, it becomes a bit more apparent why. You have to remember, women often came with dowries, like a new goat or a carpet or whatever.
At the end of the day, part of the Quran’s purpose is to try to minimize conflict between individual Muslim men, so they can better jihad their enemies outside the faith better. For added context, whole towns and villages could be riven by conflicts over marriage rights and dowries. This isn’t like today where two people simply meet and get hitched. Marriages were often arranged (and, disturbingly, held) when girls hadn’t even hit puberty yet. There are cultural mechanisms of shame and obligation at play here not apparent to foreign readers. In Islamic Pakistan today, women are routinely murdered by their own families for “shaming” their marriages.
Again, let me highlight the issue here, because it’s not exactly clear by the verse itself. This is referring to a specific scenario where a woman is being re-married the last husband who divorced her. Say you had a daughter who escaped a problematic marriage. Say, for whatever reason, either through death or divorce, that the second marriage didn’t work out (again, reminding you women basically had to be married in Islamic society).
The Quran is commanding the family of this woman not to stand in the way of the man wishing to reclaim her, likely against her will. It is in fact, virtuous for you just to shrug your shoulders and let it be. More on this in a moment.
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وَٱلَّذِينَ يُتَوَفَّوۡنَ مِنكُمۡ وَيَذَرُونَ أَزۡوَٰجٗا يَتَرَبَّصۡنَ بِأَنفُسِهِنَّ أَرۡبَعَةَ أَشۡهُرٖ وَعَشۡرٗاۖ فَإِذَا بَلَغۡنَ أَجَلَهُنَّ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ فِيمَا فَعَلۡنَ فِيٓ أَنفُسِهِنَّ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ خَبِيرٞSuch of you as die and leave behind them wives, they (the wives) shall wait, keeping themselves apart, four months and ten days. And when they reach the term (prescribed for them) then there is no sin for you in aught that they may do with themselves in decency. Allah is informed of what ye do.
Quran 2:234
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Women aren’t allowed to marry (and specifically, have sex) until four months and ten days until after the man’s death. Truly, the Islamic marriage is a healthy one built on love and affection when this has to be specified.
Arbitrary waiting period aside, the writer obviously knew his audience will enough, and knew Muslim men are possessive, jealous creatures, and thus would have to be reassured that your many wives having sex after you die in the next jihad is actually fine. Mind, there’s one key reason this was ensured. And that’s breeding. It’s well known Muslims tend to breed out of control. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with having children, of course. Quite the contrary.
It’s the mindset that matters. Muslims will pump out ten children to a household with the explicit purpose of creating future jihadis (think back to the previous verse I mentioned about brainwashing subsequent generations). There are mechanisms in the Quran in place to ensure this happens like clockwork, so being immune to being a baby factory just because your husband happened to die isn’t allowed. You’re still property. After a few months, you’re back on the market.
Having done further reading on this verse, there’s some additional content taken from the Hadith. There’s a modern trend, where if a woman gets raped, you’ll hear people say she “deserved it” for dressing to scantily or whatever retarded, victim blaming excuse. You can see evidence of this all the way back in the Hadith.
Summing it up, if you’re a widower, you cannot be allowed to wear colorful dresses, makeup, perfume, do your hair in a specific way, put on jewellery, etc. Because this is considered a temptation. Muslim men are so weak-willed that, if they see (or smell, I suppose) an attractive woman the temptation will be too great and they will rape her before the four month and ten day period will be up and thus shame Allah’s rules.
It gets even more ridiculous as the rules are actually even more intense than just this. Widowing women apparently aren’t even allowed to leave their homes.
Arcadia
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Continued in Part 2, and it only gets worse from here.
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