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-. There were other kinds of marriage such as al-Kh; dan, marriage
(friendship
marriage). ' This was a secret relationship between a
man and a woman based on mutual agreement between them 0- without any
legal. contract and they were known as 'secret lovers'* 1
In general,
this kind of relationship was considered as adultery rather than a
marriage because there was no dowry and no contract. Some historians
say that Jahiliyyah people forbade open adultery and condoned the
secret one. And they said blatant adultery was shameful, but secret
adultery was not harmful.
Qurlan says
2
Islam forbade all these kind of sexual relationships as the
:
"Wed them with the leave of their owners, and give
them, their dowries, according to what is reasonable:,
they should be chaste, not lustful, nor taking
paramours when they are taken-in wedlock. " 3-,; -
Another kind of marriage -was polyandry. In fact,, historians -
did not considei'this kind as a marriage, but they regarded it as
4
prostitution. '' In this, marriage, one woman chose fewer than ten
men to commit adultery with her and if, she became pregnant, she -
would send for them to choose ý one of them - to - be the - father and the man -
selected could not refuse. If the child was a boy, he'could carry
his name. but if she was a girl, she (the prostitute)a would not
inform him of-the birth. - 5, Polyandry is the opposite of-polYgamY,
where one man marries a number of women. Some sociologists supposed
that this kind of marriage was due to the custom of burying daughters
alive which diminished the number of women in the Arab society*
1. Ibid
2. Ibid
3 Q4 25
4: IAI-is Vol. 4. P. 540
59 Ibid
6. Ibid
6
27