DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4646#0029
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29
Mostahil, and is generally most disgusting to his wife. Burclchardt's
Arabic Proverbs p. 21. Tradition and law books abound with fetid
commentaries illustrative of this subject, and with checks against
the intermediate marriage and cohabitation being merely nominal.
Some commentators hold the practice as described by Burckhardt to
be illegal; whether legal or not, we m ty hope for the interest of
morality, that it is not so frequent as he represents it to be. But its
existence is undoubted, and it has existed, in a more or less revolt-
ing form, ever since the verse which I have quoted was revealed. A
case is mentioned by tradition in which Mahomet himself insisted on
the fulfilment of the condition of cohabitation with another husband,
before the orignal union could be returned to, in language which
I am willing to believe the- prurient tradition has fabricated for him.
It must not be forgotten, that all the immorality of speech and action
connected with this shameful institution, and the outrage done to
female virtue (not necessarily as a punishment for any fault of the
wretched wife, but often from the passion and thoughtlessness of the
husband himself) is chargeable solely and exclusively to the verse of
the Koran quoted above. It is a very sorry excuse that Mahomet
wished thereby to check inconsiderate divorce ; a good object is not
to be sought for through such abominable means."
The Judge : Then it appears that under some circumstances, a
man may be regarded as a temporary husband by the orthodox
Mahomedan law 1
Mr. Howard : Yes : Next I will refer to the Dabislanor School of
Mariners ; certainly one of the most interesting and amusing books I
ever read. At pages 87 and 88, of the 3rd vol. of the Dabistan it is-
said :—" His Majesty Akbar said one day that he heard from Shaikh
Abdul Nabi, that one of the chief lawyers of the Sonnites declared
the taking of nine wives to be legal, whilst other learned men denied
it, and quoted the passage in the Koran.
"Take in marriage such women as please you, two or three, or four."
There is a note to this passage my Lord, which says. "Others
translate, " two, and three and four" consequently, nine wives ; as the
conjunction, va. in Arabic, may mean or as well as and." " The text
goes on to say.
" As even eighteen wives were said to be legal, then the learned
gave the decision that it may be admissable, by the mode of matdh, a
29
Mostahil, and is generally most disgusting to his wife. Burclchardt's
Arabic Proverbs p. 21. Tradition and law books abound with fetid
commentaries illustrative of this subject, and with checks against
the intermediate marriage and cohabitation being merely nominal.
Some commentators hold the practice as described by Burckhardt to
be illegal; whether legal or not, we m ty hope for the interest of
morality, that it is not so frequent as he represents it to be. But its
existence is undoubted, and it has existed, in a more or less revolt-
ing form, ever since the verse which I have quoted was revealed. A
case is mentioned by tradition in which Mahomet himself insisted on
the fulfilment of the condition of cohabitation with another husband,
before the orignal union could be returned to, in language which
I am willing to believe the- prurient tradition has fabricated for him.
It must not be forgotten, that all the immorality of speech and action
connected with this shameful institution, and the outrage done to
female virtue (not necessarily as a punishment for any fault of the
wretched wife, but often from the passion and thoughtlessness of the
husband himself) is chargeable solely and exclusively to the verse of
the Koran quoted above. It is a very sorry excuse that Mahomet
wished thereby to check inconsiderate divorce ; a good object is not
to be sought for through such abominable means."
The Judge : Then it appears that under some circumstances, a
man may be regarded as a temporary husband by the orthodox
Mahomedan law 1
Mr. Howard : Yes : Next I will refer to the Dabislanor School of
Mariners ; certainly one of the most interesting and amusing books I
ever read. At pages 87 and 88, of the 3rd vol. of the Dabistan it is-
said :—" His Majesty Akbar said one day that he heard from Shaikh
Abdul Nabi, that one of the chief lawyers of the Sonnites declared
the taking of nine wives to be legal, whilst other learned men denied
it, and quoted the passage in the Koran.
"Take in marriage such women as please you, two or three, or four."
There is a note to this passage my Lord, which says. "Others
translate, " two, and three and four" consequently, nine wives ; as the
conjunction, va. in Arabic, may mean or as well as and." " The text
goes on to say.
" As even eighteen wives were said to be legal, then the learned
gave the decision that it may be admissable, by the mode of matdh, a