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"But infanticide was not a new thing, nor was it limited to one group
of tribes. The mother of Amr b. Kalthum, daughter of Muhalhi, was
sentenced by her father, to be destroyed. but saved by her mother.
This must have been, about A. D. 500 or earlier. " Some reporters
have asserted that burying daughters alive was first practised by
--C
the Rabiah tribe. They claim, that the head of the tribe had a daughter
who was held captive by another tribe during a raid.
'
When the war
between the two tribes was over, that daughter did not wish to come
back to her home, and preferred to stay where she was held captive.
As a result of that, the Rabiah's head became angry and
invented this
custom. Then, he was imitated by other tribes until it became common
among all tribes.
different names.
2
This is a variant of the same storys with
3. The third motive for burying daughters alive was
ill health.
Some parents used to kill their daug4ters,. if they had been born
with- some disease, or if they_ were unhealthy or weak because they
might not get married, thus bringing shame and disgrace to their
parents, or because they would not b6 able to, endure the harsh
way of life. Such childrenwere described by the Qurlanic
commentators as the diseased, the blueish, the child with wh ite
spots or the crippled and paralysed child.
1. Smith, op. cit., P. 293
Ali, Kol. -5; 'P. 90
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