This is the sixth article of the series:
"The Foreigner woman in Bible versus Quran"
In the previous articles of this series, we have seen that Language-wise, the "foreign" woman or the "strange" woman is the alien or the exotic or the outsider woman. However, the Bible has another opinion.
As determined by the Bible: the "foreign" woman or the "strange" woman is the non-Israelite woman or the non-Jewish woman.
As a result, all non-Israelite or the non-Jewish women are "foreign" women or "strange" women.
This indicates that the women in the Bible are but one of two categories; they are either Legitimate (genuine) or Foreign (strange).
According to the inspired word of God (Nehemiah 10 and Nehemiah 13), the Bible asserts thatNehemiahsaid:
And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinim, and all they that hadseparated themselves from the peoples of the landsunto the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, and every one who hadknowledge, and understanding; They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into acurse, and into anoath, to walk in God's law, and that we wouldnot give our daughters unto the peoples of the lands, nor take their daughters for our sons;
On that day they read inTorah that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the congregation of God. In those days, I saw the Jews who hadmarried women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. And half of their children spoke thelanguage of Ashdod, and they could not speak in theJews' language, but only the language of each people. And Iconfrontedthem andcursedthem andsmotesome of them andpulled out their hair. And I made them takeoathin the name of God, saying, "You shall not give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. Did notSolomonking of Israelsinon account of suchForeign Women? Among the many nations there was no king like him. Nevertheless,Foreign Womenmade even him tosin. Shall we then listen to you and do all thisgreat evil and act treacherously against our God by marrying foreign women?" And one of the sons of Eliashib thehigh priest, was the son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite (i.e. married a foreign woman). Therefore Ichased himfrom me. Remember them, O my God, because they havedesecrated the priesthoodand the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites. Thus Icleansed them from everything foreign, and I established the duties of the priests and Levites, each in his work.
In addition, Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible says: "Israel was a peculiar people, and not to mingle with other nations."
It should be emphasized that although the Bible says that no Ammonite or Moabite shouldforeverenter the congregation of God; however,the righteous "Ruth", the grandmother of King David and the ancestor of the Lord Jesus wasMoabite!!
On the other hand, the Quran says that all women are equal.
In the whole Quran, the idiom: "foreign woman" or the "strange" woman is not mentioned therein; all women are equal in their rights and duty regardless of race, color, location etc. For details, read the previous articles of this series.
However, the exception in the Quran is only for Muhammad's wives who were peculiar women.
Muhammad's wives werepeculiar women
Verses 33:28-31 of the Quran talk about how peculiar were the wives of the Prophet Muhammad.
Although Muhammad was a very rich man, he had a lot of money, and he could live a very luxury life with all of the life adornments and splendors; however, he lived a tough life, a life of asceticism; and he used to give all of his money to the poor people. His wives asked him, one day, for some of the adornments of this world like the other women who lived around. Then, Allah gave them in the Quran two options to choose one of them.
The first option:O Prophet Muhammad! Say to your wives: ‘If you desire what is in the life of this world (and its adornment) and its splendors; come! I will content you with divorce and will release you in a gracious manner; I will divorce you and will not coerce you to stay. This was the first proposed option.
The second option:But any of you that is devout in the service of Allah and his messenger, and works righteousness, - to her shall we grant her reward twice: and we have prepared for her a generous sustenance. This was the second proposed option; and Muhammad's wives have got it.
Not only that, but the Quran continues:
O you wives of the Prophet! Whosoever of you commits manifest lewdness; whoever of you commits manifest indecency, the punishment for her will be doubled. In other words, twice the chastisement for other women; and that is easy for Allah.
And whosoever of you is submissive, obedient unto Allah and His messenger and does right between herself and her Lord, Allah shall give her reward twice over a double reward, and Allah has prepared a noble provision for her, in Paradise, in addition to the twofold reward.
Hence, Muhammad's wives werepeculiar women; their punishment is twice and their reward is twice too; and both areeasy for Allah.
Moreover, the Quran (Verse 38:30) talks about Kings Solomon and says: What an excellent servant is, Solomon! Truly he was a penitent soul, always returning [to Allah] with glorification and remembrance at all times. He was ever turning in repentance (towards Allah) he is ever betaking himself to Allah and engaged in His obedience.
Herein there are two important ethical issues.
1) If the Quran is Anti-Israelite, and since King Solomon is an Israelite king, then the Quran would have exaggerated all the negative attributes of him that are mentioned in the Bible and would say: this is the behavior of the Israelite kings! But, the truth is the truth.
2) According to the Islamic teachings (Quran and Hadith), anyone says or believes that King Solomon (or any other Prophet) did evil, did not follow his Lord, built high places for other gods because of his 700 foreign wives is categorized as disbeliever and he or she will dwell in the Eternal Hell in the Afterlife.
For more details, you can read on the internet my series of 25 articles about King Solomon in the Quran; just type on Google search engine: "Not in Bible But in Quran" + King Solomon + my name.
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The Bible: Nehemiah 10:28-30 and Nehemiah 13:1and 13:23-30
(King James Version)
Nehemiah 10:28-30
28And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinims, and all they that had separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one having knowledge, and having understanding;
29They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and his judgments and his statutes;
30And that we would not give our daughters unto the people of the land, not take their daughters for our sons:
Nehemiah 13:1
1On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and therein was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for ever;
Nehemiah 13:23-30
23In those days also saw I Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab:
24And their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews' language, but according to the language of each people.
25And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves.
26Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin.
27Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to transgress against our God in marrying strange wives?
28And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was son in law to Sanballat the Horonite: therefore I chased him from me.
29Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites.
30Thus cleansed I them from all strangers, and appointed the wards of the priests and the Levites, every one in his business;
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The Quran (Qarib Translation):
Verses 33:28-31
?28? O prophet, say to your wives: 'if you seek this life and its finery, come, I will release you with a fine release.
?29? But if you seek Allah and his messenger and the everlasting residence, know that Allah has prepared for those of you who do good works a mighty wage. '
?30? O wives of the prophet! Whosoever among you commits a flagrant indecency, for her the punishment shall be doubled, that is easy for Allah.
?31? but she who obeys Allah and his messenger and does good works shall be doubly recompensed; for her we have made a generous provision.
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Back to my question to the smart and interested reader:
Are the Scholars honest when they claim that the Quran quoted from the Bible?
