Islam's Reformers .pdf

pray for their desisting from that harmful life. When we see asinner, we should remember our own sins and think of thepunishments that will be given to us in case our faults and sinsare not forgiven! It is harâm to find fault with, to slander orbackbite (ghîba) anybody, which is a graver sin for us than theirsins. Allâhu ta’âlâ loves those who have patience, do goodness,give service to and advise others, and who have soft words andsmiling face and do favours. He does not love those whoadmire themselves. We should do the good things Allâhu ta’âlâlikes! We should be sweet-tempered. Harsh treatments andpunishments are the government’s duties. A Muslim does nothurt anybody with his tongue or hand. It is a sin to hurt anybodyand arouse fitna. And causing fitna is a graver sin. It does notbefit a Muslim to sin. He obeys the State and laws. He does notviolate any law. He is an honourable person who winseverybody’s love and regard.The Hanafî ’âlim Khair ad-dîn ar-Ramlî wrote in the subjectof “Nafaqa” in Al-fatâwâ’ al-khairiyya: “It is wâjib for thehusband to have the wife live in a house he owns or rents. Thehusband who does not supply the wife with nafaqa (livelihood,means of subsistence) is to be imprisoned. The house shouldbe among the neighbors who are sâlih. These neighbors helpthe woman in her religious and worldly affairs and prevent thehusband’s oppression. The house should contain a kitchen, atoilet, a bathroom and rooms. Anyone whom the wife does notapprove cannot live in this house. If the husband escapes ordisappears and does not supply her livelihood, the wife appliesto the court for nafaqa. She cannot demand separation from thehusband. The judge determines the amount of alimonyaccording to the customs and tells her to borrow that amount ofmoney from her rich relatives, to whom he orders to lend her.He imprisons those who will not lend her. The court finds thehusband and has him pay the lender. Because the husband hascommitted a grave sin, he is also punished with ta’zîr. If thewife, seeing her husband’s escape and fearing that he will notgive nafaqa, applies to the court demanding him to appoint aguarantor, the judge orders him to appoint a guarantor. If thehusband does not escape and does not bring the nafaqa, thejudge determines the nafaqa, that is, the amount of [money for]food, clothes and rent and makes him give it to her every- 117 -