Sahir Ludhyanvi's Poem "Woman Gave Birth to Men, They Gave Her the Bazaar"

  Here is a famous poem by Sahir Ludhyanvi (1921-1980) bemoaning and protesting the plight of women during his time. Since then, I don’t think much has changed. Reading the poem reminded me of a clip I watched not too long ago  

about prostitution in the Muslamic Republic of Pakistan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88FojG1lWsA

viewer discretion advised

 I intend not to keep you from the poem, I assume an intelligent audience who can draw analysis and meaning for themselves, only that I note my translation is casual and not strictly literal. If anyone feels I have betrayed the poem in my 

attempt, kindly leave a comment. I shall see to it and amend as appropriate. 

Each person is invited to think about how they can help change the situation in their capacity. Even if this gets people to think, I will consider it one step in the right direction. Anything to get people out of their perilous complacence and apathy. 

 Lastly, I would like to dedicate this to an Afghan friend who related her moving childhood experience of feigning masculinity in order to pursue education. Keep strong!

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عورت نے جنم دیا مردوں کو، مردوں نے اُسے بازار دیا

جب جی چاہا مسلا کچلا، جب جی چاہا دھتکار دیا

The woman gave birth to men, men gave her the bazaar

He exploits as he wishes, and dumps her as he wishes

تُلتی ہے کہیں دیناروں میں، بِکتی ہے کہیں بازاروں میں

ننگی نچوائی جاتی ہے عیاشوں کے درباروں میں

یہ وہ بے عزت چیز ہے جو بِٹ جاتی ہے عزت داروں میں

عورت نے جنم دیا مردوں کو، مردوں نےاُسے بازار دیا

She is weighed in dinars in places, and sold in bazaars at others

She is made to dance naked in the courts of rich playboys

This is the humiliating thing which is shared amongst the respectful

The woman gave birth to men, men gave her the bazaar

مردوں کے لیے ہر ظلم روا، عورت کے لیے رونا بھی خطا

مردوں کے لیے ہر عیش کا حق، عورت کے لیے جینا بھی سزا

مردوں کے لیے لاکھوں سیجیں، عورت کے لیے بس اِک چِتا

عورت نے جنم دیا مردوں کو، مردوں نے اُسے بازار دیا

Every oppression for men is fitting, but even crying is a sin for women

For men is the right to every luxury, but even life is a punishment for women

Men have thousands of beds, women only have a pyre

The woman gave birth to men, men gave her the bazaar

جن سینوں نے ان کو دودھ دیا ان سینوں کا بیوپار کیا

جس کوکھ میں ان کا جسم ڈھلا اس کوکھ کا کاروبار کیا

جس تن سے اُُگے کونپل بن کر اس تن کو ذلیل و خوار کیا

(عورت نے جنم دیا مردوں کو، مردوں نے اُسے بازار دیا)

The breasts that gave them milk, those breasts are traded

The womb in which their bodies were nurtured, that womb is marketed 

The body from which they grew as soft delicate flower buds, they humiliated and disgraced that body

(The woman gave birth to men, men gave her the bazaar)

سنسار کی ہر اک بے شرمی غربت کی گود میں پلتی ہے

چکلوں ہی میں آ کر رُکتی ہے، فاقوں سے جو راہ نکلتی ہے

مردوں کی ہوس ہے جو اکثر عورت کے پاپ میں ڈھلتی ہے

عورت نے جنم دیا مردوں کو، مردوں نے اُسے بازار دیا

She is raised upon every humiliation of earth and in the arms of poverty

She turns to prostitution, a path to deliver her from poverty

It is the desires of men that are often garbed as the shameful sins of women

The woman gave birth to men, men gave her the bazaar

عورت سنسار کی قسمت ہے پھر بھی تقدیر کی ہیٹی ہے

اوتار پیمبر جنتی ہے پھر بھی شیطان کو بیٹی ہے

یہ وہ بد قسمت ماں ہے جو بیٹوں کی سیج پہ لیٹی ہے

عورت نے جنم دیا مردوں کو، مردوں نے اُسے بازار دیا

The woman is the fortune of the world, yet she remains the shame/pity of fate

She gave birth to angelic prophets, yet is daughter to Satan

This is the unfortunate mother that is lying on the bed of sons

The woman gave birth to men, men gave her the bazaar

When Calling to Good and Forbidding from Evil is Wrong

Calling to good and forbidding evil becomes negative and counter productive to social security when:

1. people are forced to follow a speculative opinion (al-qawl al-dhanni) upon which there is legitimate disagreement between Scholars, and when someone who follows a particular verdict from the disagreement - either by his personal ijtihad or taqlid - is refuted.

2. the recipient is humiliated or hurt with that which is not permissible or beyond the contours of disagreement.  

3. the command and forbidding comes as a result of espionage, encroaching on the privacy of others and exposing sins which have otherwise been kept secret.

Sheikh al-Sharif Hatim ibn 'Arif al-'Awni - paraphrased.

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يكون الأمر بالمعروف والنهي عن المنكر صورة من الصور المذمومة للوصاية على المجتمع :

١- إذا أُلزم الناس بالقول الظني الذي فيه خلاف معتبر بين العلماء ، وإذا أُنكر على من عمل بأحد أقوال هذا الاختلاف المعتبر اجتهادا أو تقليدا .

٢- إذا أُمر بالمعروف ونُهي عن المنكر بإهانة كرامة الإنسان وإيذائه بما لا يجوز أو بما يفوق حد المخالفة .

٣- إذا تم الأمر والنهي بعد التجسس والتدخل في خصوصيات الآخرين والكشف عن معاصيهم التي يتسترون بها .

Qari Tayyib on the Survival and Evolution of Religion

I recently came across an excerpt by Qari Tayyib (ra), which I felt like sharing. It bore the subtitle, "din ki asl khidmat" (the real service to religion):

بدعات ومنکرات غلو کنندوں کی تحریفات، مبطلون کے کذبات، جاہلوں کے رکیک تاویلات اور تلبیسات کا پردہ چاک کرکے اصل دینِ متین اور اصل سنتِ مبین کے چہرے سے نقاب اٹھانا یا بالفاظِ دیگر مصنوعی دین کو راستے سے ہٹا کر اصل دین و سنت اور اسوئہ نبوت کو سامنے لے آنا کسی طبقئہ خواص کی خدمت نہیں بلکہ اصل دین کی بنیادی خدمت ہے جس پر بظاہر اسبابِ دین کا بقاء اور ارتقاء موقوف ہے

I find the punchline convincing, intelligently put and appealing.  In fact so appealing that I decided to translate it into Arabic! Here you go:

إن افتضاح تحريف الغالين وانتحال المبطلين وتأويل الجاهيلين، وكشف النقاب عن أصل الدين المتين وأصل السنة المبينة أو بتعبير آخر إماتة الابتداع عن الطريق وإحياء أصل الدين والسنة والأسوة النبوية مكانه ليس خدمة الخواص من الرجال {فقط}، وإنما هو خدمة أساسية لأصل الدين تكاد تكون أسباب بقاء الدين وارتقاءه موقوف عليها. 

نقطة تأمل وخطة عمل لأخواننا العرب خاصة وللمسلمين عامة من سماحة الأستاذ محمد الرابع الحسني الندوي

"أهم شيء في صدد إنقاذ أجيال الإسلام المنهزمة أمام الغزو الثقافي الغربي، وإعادتها من مجالات الشك والانحراف والفساد إلى حظيرة اليقين الإسلامي، هو إبعاد أسباب الإغراء الحضاري الغربي عن أبصار أجيالنا وعن قلوبنا.

فإن هذه الأجيال ما دامت تسبح في بحر المغريات المادية والحضارة الغربية لا يرجى أن تنفع فيها وسائل إصلاحها وإعادتها إلى الإيمان بدينها والثقة بقيم الإسلام الفاضلة التي سبقت لها في التاريخ الماضي أروع الأمثلة.

ولكننا إذا لم نستطع إبعاد الإغراءات المادية والحضارية الغازية للنفوس والقلوب في العالم كله فيجب إيجاد قوى وطاقات يكون تأثيرها أقوى من تأثير هذه الاغراءات، ويكون جذبها أشد من جذب المؤثرات الطاغية اليوم.

وإن هذه القوى والطاقات هي قوى المعنوية الإسلامية التي تتمثل في أفراد الناس ومجتمعاتهم، فإنها تكون كفيلة بتجنيب نفوس كثيرة من الأوحال، لأنها تملك مغناطيسية الإيمان في حياتها." 

من قلم العلامة محمد الرابع الحسني الندوي، الأمين العام بدار العلوم التابعة لندوة العلماء: لكنهاؤ - الهند

Sayyid Sulayman Nadwi on the Etymology of Arabic and Arabia

Here’s a little something I prepared for my students. 

Whilst teaching Arabic, I tend to discuss why Arabic is called Arabic and briefly elaborate on what the Qu’ran means when it says “we revealed the book in clear Arabic.”

Students are acquainted with the notion that Arabic, like Sanskrit, is a mechanical and logical language in that nouns are, for the most part, *derived* or *variants* from a basic three letter root known as the masdar, or root noun. So, for example, the three letters K-T-B means to write. From here, we get derivations like KiTaB (book), maKTuB (letter), maKTaB (desk), maKTaBah (library), KaTib (scribe) and so on.

During some time off work I was able to browse through Allamah Sayyid Sulayman al-Nadwi’s Tarikh-e-Ardh al-Qur’an, which one of my colleagues, Mufti Ashraf Zaman -hafizahuallahu wa ra’aahu - had recommended. Therein I found a passage that put considerable light on the etymology of Arab.

I’m not fully convinced with Sayyid Sahib’s conclusions, however, I find it a wonderful starting point due to its comprehensiveness. Let all discussions generate from here. I’ll post up my critical observations later.

Enjoy and devour!

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Etymology of the Word Arab

Why are Arabs called “Arab”? Many explanations have been given for this.

[Theory 1]

‘Arab is derived from i’A-Ra-B (إِعْرَاب) (pronounced i’rab, and from the trilateral root ‘A-R-B), which means proficiency in language and the ability to express one’s inner feelings clearly (إعراب ما في الضمير). Given that the Arabs are masters of language and champions of eloquence they named themselves ‘ARAB and called all others ‘ajam, the latter meaning tongueless or dumb. This is nothing but hair splitting in reality. The language of every nation is just as basic as Arabic.

[Theory 2]

Genealogists argue the first settler in the Arabian lands was a person by the name of Ya͑rub ibn Qahtan, who is also considered the forefather and progenitor of Yemeni Arabs. Therefore, the people of that area and the area itself contracted their names from him. This theory, however, defies grammar and contradicts historical records. Neither Ya’rub was the first settler nor can the word Arab be considered a substitute [variation] for the noun Yemen based on any grammatical rule. Were it the case then surely Yemen, i.e. the Southern part of the Arabian peninsula, should have been the first to be called Arab. This is not the case and, as we shall see, its first usage in fact appears in the North. More detail on this will follow.

[Theory 3]

Geographers argue the noun ‘Arab was originally ‘Arabatun’ (عَرَبَـــةٌ) and ‘Arabtun’ (عَرْبَـــةٌ), and rightly so. It underwent a linguistic transformation (‘adl tahqiqi), resulting in the common usage of Arab. It was the name given to the region and people gradually contracted their affiliation from it. The pre-Islamic poetry, which is the sole dictionary of the Arabs, upholds this connotation.

Asad ibn JaHil chants:

وعربة أرض جد في الشر أهلها

كما جد في شرب النفاخ ظماء

And the vast barren land in which its people strived in mischief

like the thirsty man strives to drink pure cool water.

Here is a quateret from Ibn Munqidh al-Thawri

لنا إبل لم يطمث الذل نيبها

بعربة مأواها بقرن فأبطحا

فلو أن قومي طاوعتني سراتهم

أمرتهم الأمر الذي كان أربحا

We have camels, humility has not sullied even its elderly

with a tether; the barren lands and Abtah are its abode

And only if my people, their leaders, agreed with me

I would command them with that which is most profitable

This noun and its usage survived after Islam too. Abu Sufyan al-Kalbi (al-Alabi) eulogises the Prophet thus:

أبونا رسول الله وابن خليله

بعربة بوأنا فنعم المركب

Our Father is the Messenger of Allah and the Son of His Friend (refs. to Isma’il and Abraham)

In Arabia, he housed us; a wonderful combination/settlement it is

And the ode attributed to Abu Talib ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib (irrespective of its dubious attribution) contains the following couplet:

وعربة دار لا يحل حلالها

من الناس إلا اللوذعي الحلاحل

And the destination of Arabia, whose prohibition is not made permissible

by people except the brave genius

If the people got their name from the area, then this begs for the question as to why the area (peninsula) is called Arab in the first place?

In all Semitic languages, ‘‘Araba/Arava” (عربا) gives the meaning of desert, open, rural and barren land. In Hebrew ‘Arbaa means desert and open land, and traces of this old Hebrew usage survived in Arabic. ‘Uraabat (عُرَابَــةٌ) means nomadism or Beduin and ‘A’raab (أَعْرَابٌ) is still used for desert dwellers and rural folk till this day.

Since the majority of Arabia is a waterless and barren deserted plain, especially the area of Hijaz which is spread between the Arab desert land, Syria and Sinai, it was given the designation ‘Araba (عربا). This progressively resulted in the people of that area being called ‘Arab.

The Qur’an does not use the word Arab for the area. With reference to Prophet Isma’il’s settlement it mentions “a non arable valley” (واد غير ذي زرع) (Ibrahim:37), considered as the natural habitat of proper Arabs, and that being a clear translation of ‘Arab. This is because no proper name was given to that uninhabited country, and hence the Qur’an’s use of the above “non arable valley” phrase. Even in the Torah, Isma’il’s settlement is named “Mudd-e-Baar” which means ‘vast plain and uninhabited land’, thus making it an accurate translation of ‘Arab and a synonym to the aforementioned Qur’anic expression.

‘Arab has been used repetitively in the Torah to connote an exclusive piece of land but never comprising of the vastness with which it is assumed today. It referred to the area which expanded from the Hijaz to Sinai and Syria. Arabia in general was referred to as ‘the East‘ or ‘the land of the East‘ and occasionally as ‘the South’. This is because Arabia is situated both East and South of Palestine.

Earliest usage of the word ‘Arab stems back to the ages of Prophet Sulayman (Emperor Solomon according to Judaism) around 1000 BC, after which a generous use of it ensues in Hebrew, Greek and Roman histories. The Assyriac writings of Mickeal (800BC), for example, uses “Aribi” (عَرِيْبِيْ) for Arab. It was used to connote the entire Arabian peninsula before Islam.

That there are three references for the geography of ancient Arabia should become clear from the above. These are the Torah, Greek and Roman histories, and the Arabs themselves. It is somewhat coincidental that all three cover different periods of history. The Torah’s account spans from 2500 BC to 800 BC whilst the Greek and Roman accounts from 500 BC (Herodotus) to 200 AD (Ptolemaeus/Ptolemy).

With the exception of the more famous Arab tribes and their homes (like Ahqaf being the home of ‘Ad; Madyan, home of Thamud; Yamamah, home to the tribes of Tasm and Jadis; Hijaz, home of Jarim/Jurhum and Yemen, the home to Qahtan), even the Arab accounts informing of their ancient settlements date to the post AD period. Their non-familiarity with writing and (preservation via) documentation being the primary cause. Otherwise "the owner of the house knows most of what is inside it", it is common practice for Arab poets to recall the area of their beloved's residence and mention notable places traversed on voyage. Muslim scholars constructed a map of Arabia based on their accounts.

History of the Terra Alcorani, by Sayyid Sulayman al-Nadwi

Camel Hump Hijab Sequel: Important Rule Regarding Descriptions in Texts

In The Name of the Most Clement

 With whose name all affairs are initiated

The following analysis is an important exposition which provides context to the camel hump hijab post and summarises it in the jargon of legal theory or hermeneutical commentary. It shall prove invaluable to readers in Hadith literature, given the frequent employment of such rhetorical style and expression as found in the "camel hump hijab" narration.

I pray this brief analysis, acting as sequel, dispels any confusion from the original post --- "and this is not difficult for God". It too, like the original post, is from the pen of Sheikh al-Sharif Hatim al-'Awni. May Allah continue to extend His munificence upon him. 

اللهم علمنا ما ينفعنا، وانفعنا بما علمتنا، وزدنا علما وعملا يا أرحم الراحمين

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Descriptions may appear in the Quran and Hadith in the context of praise or blame, and they are neither of them in reality. Instead, the texts are commending or rebuking *the condition* the described person is upon.

Take for example the Hadith, "and how many of those with unkempt hair, dirty bodies, tattered clothes, and who are not attending to it, were they to swear by Allah's name He would surely sanctify it."

Despite this Hadith being in the context of praise, no one has argued that tatty hair and dirt on the body are praiseworthy attributes by themselves. Rather, it is against the Prophet's Sunnah and contradicts his blessed practice - sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam. 

It is, however, a metaphor of poverty and need or for being occupied with Allah so much as to not being able to look after one's appearance properly. This assumption is supported by the Prophet's statement at the end of the Hadith, "and al-Bara' ibn Malik is amongst them." - radhiyallahu 'anhu.

One of the ascetics was once asked about what the pilgrim's dishevelled appearance signified. He replied, "to leave beautifying oneself so that God sees your disinterest in yourself and sees that you are true in devoting yourself to struggling for Him."

In summary, to deliberately not take care of one's hair and to befoul one's appearance is not praiseworthy. However, were it to occur unintentionally as a consequence of one's engrossment with what is more important then this is not blameworthy. It may well be praiseworthy for his preoccupation with what is more important.

This rule is applicable to many descriptions that have come in the context of praise or blame. These descriptions are not intended in and of themselves. Rather it is the resultant condition that is intended." [Allah knows best.]

UN

P.S. Here's the original Arabic:

قد يرد الوصف في الكتاب والسنة في سياق الذم أو المدح، ولا يكون مذموما لذاته، ولا يكون ممدوحا لذاته، وإنما تذم وتمدح الحالة التي كان عليها صاحب الوصف

كقوله صلى الله عليه وسلم : وكم من أشعث أغبر ذي طمرين، لا يؤبه له: لو أقسم على الله لأبره 

 فمع أن السياق سياق مدح، إلا أن شعث الرأس واغبرار الجسد ليس ممدوحا بذاته عند أحد، بل هما خلاف سنته صلى الله عليه وسلم وخلاف هديه الشريف، لكنه كناية عن الفقر والحاجة، أو عن الانشغال بالله عن إصلاح الهيئة، وقد يشهد له قوله صلى الله عليه وسلم في آخر الحديث: ومنهم البراء بن مالك

وسئل أحد الزهاد عن الإشارة في شعث الحاج المحرم ؟ فقال: ترك التصنع لها، ليشهد الحق منك الإعراض عن العناية بنفسك، فيشهد صدقك في بذلها لمجاهدته 

والخلاصة: أن تقصد الشعث وتعمد الاغبرار ليس محمودا، لكن من وقع منه ذلك دون قصد، لانشغاله بما هو أهم، لا يكون مذموما، وربما كان ممدوحا لانشغاله بالأهم وهذه قاعدة في كثير من الصفات الواردة في سياق المدح والذم، أنها قد لا تكون مقصودة لذاتها بالمدح والذم، وإنما المقصود الحالة المصاحبة لها

Re: The Camel Hump Hijab

Recently a trend has emerged amongst British Muslim females of predominantly non-Arab descent to scarf in a fashion that has its origin in an exotic Arabia. This trend, which is part of a broader project of “consuming piety” and rich cultural exchanges within a global multicultural society/context, has elicited a peculiar fatwa I wish to occasion with here. It proscribes the practice of donning the Hijab in a camel hump manner, associating it with a Hadith found in Sahih Muslim.

In a culture obsessed with appearances and images, and where realities are pinned exclusively to manifestations, it is not surprising to find quasi-jurists and novice legal practitioners confound resemblance with imitation. It is thanks to my dear comrade Moulana Uzair Khan of Bra'ford who brings to my attention developments on the gender front, which are otherwise seldom noted, that I present the following passages as a token of affection and comradeship.

A more perceptible message in the form of simplified glossy posters has been the corollary of the fatwa since, one of which I append to this post. It gave rise to some discussion amongst our fraternity. A few days ago, Sheikh al-Sharif Hatim ibn 'Arif al-'Awni of Ta’if posted his response to the issue engaging with an unnamed jurist who, logically following his literal reading to its end, extended the prohibition of wearing the camel hump headscarf “to even the confines of intimacy with one’s spouse”. His rebuttal is forceful and sufficient.

A translation of it is produced here after an example of one of the gloss posters currently being circulated amongst young teens:

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Imam Muslim records in his Sahih that the Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him, said:

“There are two types of dwellers in Hell I have not seen: 1) a community who will have whips like the tails of cows, with which they will flog people and 2) naked clothed women, seducing and attracting, their heads like the titled humps of camels. These women will not enter Paradise nor will they find its fragrance --- and its fragrance can be found from such and such a distance (i.e. from very far).”

As for the clause in the Prophetic dictum "their heads like the tilted humps of camels", there is nothing in it that indicates the prohibition of wrapping hair on top of the head, lest someone claim that it is prohibited for the female to do so, even in the privacy of her home and in front of her husband. This is why no scholar has stipulated this prohibition, nor has any Hadith commentator from the great Imams --- al-Maziri, al-Qadhi 'Iyadh, al-Qurtubi, al-Nawawi, al-Suyuti, al-Munawi et al. --- asserted the prohibition of tying hair in this manner.

Otherwise, according to this understanding, it would be illicit for a woman to wear tight clothes in front of her husband due of the clause "clothed naked women", as well as talk titillatingly to him which is one of the interpretations of the clause "[women who] seduce and attract".

All these descriptions have appeared in the Hadith report.  Why, then, does he narrow the prohibition to the particular case of wearing the scarf in a camel hump fashion in front the husband alone, to the exclusion of the other descriptions?

Furthermore, given the Hadith has depicted the whip as being characteristic of one of the two groups threatened with Hell, this erroneous understanding would entail the unconditional prohibition of utilising oxtail like whips even if it is not used for abusing humans or animals.

So what is the meaning of the Hadith then?

The Hadith came to prophesise an unknown event that was/is to occur, of oppressors who will flog people with whips like oxtails and of promiscuous women that will lure strangers and draw their attention through various means.

The Hadith makes reference to some women who beautify themselves to lure strangers. Does this, however, prove the impermissibility of make-up and beautification? Or does it apply only to those who take beautification as a means to seduce others?

The Hadith has not come with an unconditional prohibition of oxtail like whips, …, nor wearing tight clothes even in front of one's spouse.

Thus, the understanding that the Hadith prohibits the gathering of hair on top of one’s head in a camel hump fashion is poor and considerably inaccurate. It necessitates several inconsistent and flawed stipulations, none of which have been held by any scholar as mentioned above.

Extending this weak understanding to the prohibition of the deed, even in the intimate company of one's spouse, then is flawed and innovative - again, owing to the fact that none of the previous scholars of note have voiced this opinion.

In fact, statements like this do not fall under the rubric of reliable ijtihad. Rather, it is an unreliable ijtihad for its innovativeness, in addition to it having no rational or textual basis.

If we are to explore the rational grounds behind the ruling and its purpose, then this approach will place the flawed opinion in complete contradiction with reason. However I have sufficed on demonstrating its divergence from the text leaving aside the rational arguments. Those interested in them can pursue them for themselves.

The purpose of this exposition is to show how the correct understanding of texts should be and how the incorrect understanding of texts contradicts not only with texts but also reason and scholarly consensus.

UN