I know that I look at my muslim sisters and my heart is filled with a wholesome fondness for them. Many of them are as precious as gems. But, I am wondering about the concept of she being "half our deen".
The concept does seem to take on a kind of nebulous persona. I mean it starts off: (1.) Marriage is half of your deen; then, it goes to (2.) Marriage is half your religion; then, (3.) Marriage is half of your faith; then, it's (4.) Your wife is half your deen. And men and women often refer to their spouses as their better half. (But, I have always perceived this statement to be within the context of "relationships"); then, as it so turns out on Muslima.com, Singlemuslim.com and other sites it just so happens that some of the sisters are looking for "Soul Mates". At this point I am thinking who is the brother doing the negotiating on behalf of the men of the Ummahtul Nabi Muhammad (infinite saws) because he seems to be losing or selling us short...and who the heck is he negotiating with? [Just a reminder to the leader brothers, only negotiate with muslim women of faith in Al-Islam for muslim men of faith in Al-Islam.] Thus, if the sisters are looking for "Soul Mates", has marriage become (5.) "Half our Souls"? Well, as it turns out if you have the instant feature on the Google search engine and you type in "Marriage is half" it will come up with the options of either faith, deen, or religion. But, I know that the inference is still a possibility for those females who mean mischief...and not all women mean mischief, but, there are some females that do.
The quote goes, "The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"When a man marries, he has fulfilled half of his religion, so let him fear Allah regarding the remaining half.""
(Marriage quotation from Bayhqi)
I seem to recall the Quranul Kareem saying something to the effect of "Libas" or covering for each other. It reads, "Permitted to you, on the night of the fasts, is the approach to your wives. They are your garments and ye are their garments. God knoweth what ye used to do secretly among yourselves; but He turned to you and forgave you; so now associate with them, and seek what God Hath ordained for you, and eat and drink, until the white thread of dawn appear to you distinct from its black thread; then complete your fast Till the night appears; but do not associate with your wives while ye are in retreat in the mosques. Those are Limits (set by) God: Approach not nigh thereto. Thus doth God make clear His Signs to men: that they may learn self-restraint." ~ Surahtul Baqarah Ayat 187
That certainly is a lot different than "Half your deen". When a man of Islam marries a woman of Islam they become one unit, and when children arrive they are more, evidently, defined as one family unit. Though, I comprehend the meaning of both statements (the one coming from the hadith and the one coming from the Quran), but, the hadith statement can be distorted to construe something other than what was intended on a spiritual level. For example, what if the muslim brother is very astute about his faith practice, but, the wife is not? Or, likewise, what if the sister is very meticulous about her faith, but, the husband is extremely negligent? Don't you think that it should be that each person is responsible for his or her striving towards Allah and with respect to deeds, each of them have personal accounts with Allah? Allah is the Source of the Ruhhul Amin; Ruhhul Quddus; Ruhhul Ghulab; and all of the other Ruhhs that fill our spirits, lives, bodies, homes and paths. If sourcing for Ruhh (Spirit) or Nafs (Soul) is taking place to other than Allah (swt), the ones doing this in religion expose themselves to being categorized as mushrikun, and, in addition, this raises the question of the "Forbidden Fruit" on earth in a spiritual exchange (of this type between people) without Allah (swt) being the Source; or going to the wrong Tree for life. We are seeing a lot of programs on the concepts of vampires, like Vampire Diaries and Twilight (series), etc. (may Allah be refuge from Shaitan), but, sourcing another human for spirit, whether going through the blood or whatnot, perhaps is a similitude of the Tree of Forbidden Fruit in the Garden of Eden of days of old Tree of Forbidden Life, Again?. If beings that drank blood were not a problem, then, Allah (swt) would not have revealed Leviticus 17 to Nabi Musa (infinite saws); or Surahtul Baqarah Ayat 173 to Nabi Muhammad (infinite saws). Because perhaps it is not the blood itself that is sought, but, the life that flows through the blood. Leviticus 14 reads, "The life of every creature is in the blood. That is why I have told the people of Israel never to eat or drink it, for the life of any bird or animal is in the blood. So whoever eats or drinks blood must be cut off." From this it is obvious why when Nabi Muhammad (infinite saws) was offered a choice between wine and milk, from the ArchAngel Gabriel Jibril (infinite as), Nabi Muhammad (infinite saws) chose milk. Below I recount the hadith. Thus, I am not saying that all women (in Islam, etc.) are blood-suckers (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon the the women of Islam) but, I am saying that some females of the earth are and have been in the past (may Allah be refuge), "O ye who believe! Truly, among your wives and your children are (some that are) enemies to yourselves: so beware of them! But if ye forgive and overlook, and cover up (their faults), verily God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. ~ Surahtul Taghabuni 14" May Allah guide the earnest seekers of true, wholesome, lawful, just, right and healthy marriage.
No. 3626 - Narrated Abbas bin Malik:
Malik bin Sasaa said that Allah's Apostle described to them his Night Journey saying, "While I was lying in Al-Hatim or Al-Hijr, suddenly someone came to me and cut my body open from here to here." I asked Al-Jarud who was by my side, "What does he mean?" He said, "It means from his throat to his pubic area," or said, "From the top of the chest." The Prophet further said, "He then took out my heart. Then a gold tray of Belief was brought to me and my heart was washed and was filled (with Belief) and then returned to its original place. Then a white animal which was smaller than a mule and bigger than a donkey was brought to me." (On this Al-Jarud asked, "Was it the Buraq, O Abu Hamza?" I (i.e. Anas) replied in the affirmative). The Prophet said, "The animal's step (was so wide that it) reached the farthest point within the reach of the animal's sight. I was carried on it, and Gabriel set out with me till we reached the nearest heaven.
When he asked for the gate to be opened, it was asked, 'Who is it?' Gabriel answered, 'Gabriel.' It was asked, 'Who is accompanying you?' Gabriel replied, 'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has Muhammad been called?' Gabriel replied in the affirmative. Then it was said, 'He is welcomed. What an excellent visit his is!' The gate was opened, and when I went over the first heaven, I saw Adam there. Gabriel said (to me). 'This is your father, Adam; pay him your greetings.' So I greeted him and he returned the greeting to me and said, 'You are welcomed, O pious son and pious Prophet.' Then Gabriel ascended with me till we reached the second heaven. Gabriel asked for the gate to be opened. It was asked, 'Who is it?' Gabriel answered, 'Gabriel.' It was asked, 'Who is accompanying you?' Gabriel replied, 'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has he been called?' Gabriel answered in the affirmative. Then it was said, 'He is welcomed. What an excellent visit his is!' The gate was opened.
When I went over the second heaven, there I saw Yahya (i.e. John) and 'Isa (i.e. Jesus) who were cousins of each other. Gabriel said (to me), 'These are John and Jesus; pay them your greetings.' So I greeted them and both of them returned my greetings to me and said, 'You are welcomed, O pious brother and pious Prophet.' Then Gabriel ascended with me to the third heaven and asked for its gate to be opened. It was asked, 'Who is it?' Gabriel replied, 'Gabriel.' It was asked, 'Who is accompanying you?' Gabriel replied, 'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has he been called?' Gabriel replied in the affirmative. Then it was said, 'He is welcomed, what an excellent visit his is!' The gate was opened, and when I went over the third heaven there I saw Joseph. Gabriel said (to me), 'This is Joseph; pay him your greetings.' So I greeted him and he returned the greeting to me and said, 'You are welcomed, O pious brother and pious Prophet.' Then Gabriel ascended with me to the fourth heaven and asked for its gate to be opened. It was asked, 'Who is it?' Gabriel replied, 'Gabriel' It was asked, 'Who is accompanying you?' Gabriel replied, 'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has he been called?' Gabriel replied in the affirmative. Then it was said, 'He is welcomed, what an excel lent visit his is!'
The gate was opened, and when I went over the fourth heaven, there I saw Idris. Gabriel said (to me), 'This is Idris (i.e. Prophet Enoch); pay him your greetings.' So I greeted him and he returned the greeting to me and said, 'You are welcomed, O pious brother and pious Prophet.' Then Gabriel ascended with me to the fifth heaven and asked for its gate to be opened. It was asked, 'Who is it?' Gabriel replied, 'Gabriel.' It was asked. 'Who is accompanying you?' Gabriel replied, 'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has he been called?' Gabriel replied in the affirmative. Then it was said He is welcomed, what an excellent visit his is! So when I went over the fifth heaven, there I saw Harun (i.e. Aaron), Gabriel said, (to me). This is Aaron; pay him your greetings.' I greeted him and he returned the greeting to me and said, 'You are welcomed, O pious brother and pious Prophet.' Then Gabriel ascended with me to the sixth heaven and asked for its gate to be opened. It was asked. 'Who is it?' Gabriel replied, 'Gabriel.' It was asked, 'Who is accompanying you?' Gabriel replied, 'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has he been called?' Gabriel replied in the affirmative. It was said, 'He is welcomed. What an excellent visit his is!'
When I went (over the sixth heaven), there I saw Moses. Gabriel said (to me),' This is Moses; pay him your greeting. So I greeted him and he returned the greetings to me and said, 'You are welcomed, O pious brother and pious Prophet.' When I left him (i.e. Moses) he wept. Someone asked him, 'What makes you weep?' Moses said, 'I weep because after me there has been sent (as Prophet) a young man whose followers will enter Paradise in greater numbers than my followers.' Then Gabriel ascended with me to the seventh heaven and asked for its gate to be opened. It was asked, 'Who is it?' Gabriel replied, 'Gabriel.' It was asked,' Who is accompanying you?' Gabriel replied, 'Muhammad.' It was asked, 'Has he been called?' Gabriel replied in the affirmative. Then it was said, 'He is welcomed. What an excellent visit his is!'
So when I went (over the seventh heaven), there I saw Abraham. Gabriel said (to me), 'This is your father; pay your greetings to him.' So I greeted him and he returned the greetings to me and said, 'You are welcomed, O pious son and pious Prophet.' Then I was made to ascend to Sidrat-ul-Muntaha (i.e. the Lote Tree of the utmost boundary) Behold! Its fruits were like the jars of Hajr (i.e. a place near Medina) and its leaves were as big as the ears of elephants. Gabriel said, 'This is the Lote Tree of the utmost boundary) . Behold ! There ran four rivers, two were hidden and two were visible, I asked, 'What are these two kinds of rivers, O Gabriel?' He replied,' As for the hidden rivers, they are two rivers in Paradise and the visible rivers are the Nile and the Euphrates.'
Then Al-Bait-ul-Ma'mur (i.e. the Sacred House) was shown to me and a container full of wine and another full of milk and a third full of honey were brought to me. I took the milk. Gabriel remarked, 'This is the Islamic religion which you and your followers are following.' Then the prayers were enjoined on me: They were fifty prayers a day. When I returned, I passed by Moses who asked (me), 'What have you been ordered to do?' I replied, 'I have been ordered to offer fifty prayers a day.' Moses said, 'Your followers cannot bear fifty prayers a day, and by Allah, I have tested people before you, and I have tried my level best with Bani Israel (in vain). Go back to your Lord and ask for reduction to lessen your followers' burden.' So I went back, and Allah reduced ten prayers for me. Then again I came to Moses, but he repeated the same as he had said before. Then again I went back to Allah and He reduced ten more prayers. When I came back to Moses he said the same, I went back to Allah and He ordered me to observe ten prayers a day. When I came back to Moses, he repeated the same advice, so I went back to Allah and was ordered to observe five prayers a day.
When I came back to Moses, he said, 'What have you been ordered?' I replied, 'I have been ordered to observe five prayers a day.' He said, 'Your followers cannot bear five prayers a day, and no doubt, I have got an experience of the people before you, and I have tried my level best with Bani Israel, so go back to your Lord and ask for reduction to lessen your follower's burden.' I said, 'I have requested so much of my Lord that I feel ashamed, but I am satisfied now and surrender to Allah's Order.' When I left, I heard a voice saying, 'I have passed My Order and have lessened the burden of My Worshipers." ~ Sahih Al Bukhari Book of the Merits of the Ansar
No. 3165 - Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Apostle said, "On the night of my Ascension to Heaven, I saw (the prophet) Moses who was a thin person with lank hair, looking like one of the men of the tribe of Shanua; and I saw Jesus who was of average height with red face as if he had just come out of a bathroom. And I resemble prophet Abraham more than any of his offspring does. Then I was given two cups, one containing milk and the other wine. Gabriel said, 'Drink whichever you like.' I took the milk and drank it. Gabriel said, 'You have accepted what is natural (or wholesome), (True Religion i.e. Islam) and if you had taken the wine, your followers would have gone astray.'" ~ Sahih Al Bukhari Book of the Prophets
My hesitation or reservation about the last hadith must be expressed through Surahtul Baqarah Ayat 285, "The Apostle believeth in what hath been revealed to him from his Lord, as do the men of faith. Each one (of them) believeth in God, His angels, His books, and His apostles. "We make no distinction (they say) between one and another of His apostles." And they say: "We hear, and we obey: (We seek) Thy forgiveness, our Lord, and to Thee is the end of all journeys."" Thus, infinite (saws) upon Nabi Musa and Al Masihu Isa Ibn Maryam and upon Maryam.
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