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Another example was Zayd b'Amr who made it his duty to save, the<br />

girls whenever he saw or heard a man intending to bury his daughter,<br />

he would ask him not to kill her and he (Zayd) would take care <strong>of</strong> her<br />

financially. When she grew up, he would ask the father whether he<br />

desired- to take his daughter back or whether he should carry on<br />

cherishing<br />

her.<br />

The attitude <strong>of</strong> the Mother<br />

Unfortunately, the historical sources do not give us the mother's<br />

reaction, or feelings about the atrocious murder. Was she sympathetic<br />

to her daughter ? Did she hate her and share the father's feelings<br />

and attitude ? Or was she the one who carried out the murder ? In<br />

the story <strong>of</strong> Qays which was mentioned before, we noticed that the wife<br />

kept her daughter alive and hid her and sent her to her own tribe<br />

or family for protection, which is pro<strong>of</strong> that some mothers hated this<br />

terrifying custom and many loved their babies dearly which. <strong>of</strong> course, is<br />

a natural reaction. But there was another story which gives us the<br />

opposite view about a mother's reaction. "That Kac; rah bint Abu<br />

Su. fy; il said to the prophet that she had buried four children alive in<br />

Jahilyyah time. The prophet ordered her to emancipate four slaves. " 2<br />

It is possible to assume a normal reaction for a mother to be afraid<br />

ahd worried about her baby girl, which is an innate. God-given<br />

feeling, but this does not protect her from being influenced<br />

by the society in which she was living. Since the major worry <strong>of</strong> the<br />

tribe was existence in time <strong>of</strong> war, and with the general assumption<br />

in mind that girls cannot fight and protect themselves and their tribe,<br />

4-<br />

1. See Kaýhalah. al-MaAh fleilamy al-fArab wad al-lslZno VOle 1, P. 10<br />

2. Al-Hu-fi. 289<br />

0<br />

57

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