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himself, simply confirmed her and kept her from marrying,
I The Qurlan
forbade all that. "Ye who believe. ye are forbidden to inherit women
againstýtheir will. Nor should ye treat with harshness, that ye may
take away part of the dowry ye have given them. 2 That custom shows
the harsh oppression which the woman suffered from in Jahiliyyah.
There is evidence to indicate that this kind of marriage was widespread
for instance, "Amina, mother of Abu Mulayyit. was married first to
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Omayyah ibn 'Abd Slýams, and then to his son Abu Amr. and Nofayl.
c
grandfather of Caliph Umar. left a Fahmite widow who was married by his
4
son. Amr.
Islam's prohibition of this kind of marriage was first issued to
"Kabsha, -wife of Abu Qays, who went to the prophet and told him that
Abu Qaya had died and his son, who was the best of men. suited her. "
The prophet kept quiet, and then *. this. -.. verse was revealed to him: 4-
"And marry not women whom your fathers married,
except what is past. It was shameful and odious,
an abominable custom indeed. " 5
Somewhat similarly. Islam discouraged simultaneous marriage-to
sisters. When Kharash al-RelayyAj. who was. -married to two-sisters,
became a Muslim. the prophet asked him to choose one of them only to
be his wife.
6
4, al-Shigt;; r Marriage: This was a type of marriage in which men
exchanged their daughters or sisters in marriage without paying -
dowry. 7
Its widespread practise amongst the poorer classes might be
1. Smith. op. cit., P. 106
2. Q6 4: 19
3.
- See Smith. op. cit.. P. 106
4. al-Shafi! r, al-Siraý al Ualablyyah. P. 44
5. Q, 4: 22
6, Ibn KathTr, Vol* 1, P. 373
7. Sahih al-Bukhari. Vol. 7, P. 35
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