Earlier I posted an announcement for this meeting. I am now glad to post the outcome of the meeting. Let us hope the ajami Muslims of the subcontinent will take heed. Violence against women centering on dowry dispute has become a kind of national entertainment in India and Bangladesh.
Farida Majid
Date: Wed, 27 Jul 2011 04:32:12 -0700
A resolution was signed by the scholars and audience both saying "The wedding parties will be boycotted where there will be dowry or wedding day dinner if given by the bride's guardians".
He said the dowry and wedding dinner is a bribe, Israaf (extravagance, a need that is not genuine but created for the sake of pomp, show off for the sake of maintaining the status in the society), reversing of Quranic verses (Quran defines the "man" as who spends from his pocket on women but due to the dowry system the women have become "man" as they are spending from their pocket to buy the man), social blackmail and male prostitution (the price of the groom is fixed on the basis of the qualification, earning, family status etc, and vice versa if the woman Is less beautiful or less educated or widow or divorcee, she has to pay more to the groom), therefore the dowry is Haraam. He presented 2-point Resolution
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Farida Majid
Date: Wed, 27 Jul 2011 04:32:12 -0700
Raise voice against dowry
People urged in a resolution to boycott attending the un-Islamic marriage parties.
Dowry and Reception day dinner forced on bride's parents is illegitimate.
Scholars belonging to various schools of thought gathered on one stage and declared unanimously that the system of dowry prevailing in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh is not Islamic. It is corrupt, therefore, illegitimate. Presided over by Mr. Ahmeduddin Owaisi, organized by Socioreforms Society of Jeddah on 20th July, 2011 at Asian Delight Restaurant, Jeddah will be remembered by many with the incident that the electricity broke down before the start of the prog. People sat in severely hot and humid hall for two hours, sweating heavily, still did not move from the seats until the last speaker.
A resolution was signed by the scholars and audience both saying "The wedding parties will be boycotted where there will be dowry or wedding day dinner if given by the bride's guardians".
Aleem Khan Falaki who presented the resolution said in his opening speech that the dowry and the Reception day's dinner is allowed in Islam if spent by the bride-groom. This system has been reversed, the bride's parents are compelled to spend, therefore it is not legitimate in Islam. Highlighting the worst consequences, he said the people are crushed financially due to this extravagance. As a result there is alarming Increase in the rate of divorces, prostitution, immoral activities among the youths, girls' marrying to unmatched men without parents permission, court cases of strained relations etc. The witchcraft or satanic magic holders are exploiting the society by luring them to make the grooms slave to the bride. Most important damage is that the inheritance rules in Islam which Quran describes as Line of Control are spoiled due to the dowry system. Once the girls are paid lot of dowry they are deprived of the inheritance of the father. On the other hand the sons too are deprived of the money which they could use to start the business, but they are bound to search odd jobs as the parents are compelled to spend whole saving for the daughters' marriages.
He said the dowry and wedding dinner is a bribe, Israaf (extravagance, a need that is not genuine but created for the sake of pomp, show off for the sake of maintaining the status in the society), reversing of Quranic verses (Quran defines the "man" as who spends from his pocket on women but due to the dowry system the women have become "man" as they are spending from their pocket to buy the man), social blackmail and male prostitution (the price of the groom is fixed on the basis of the qualification, earning, family status etc, and vice versa if the woman Is less beautiful or less educated or widow or divorcee, she has to pay more to the groom), therefore the dowry is Haraam. He presented 2-point Resolution
- Boycott the dowry ridden marriages and let the inviters feel guilty
- Boycott the wedding day dinner if given by the parents of the girl, this type of dinner is against Sunnah.
All the scholars overwhelmingly supported the resolution in the light of Quran and Hadees.
Maulana Mohammed Banayeem, a well known Khateeb and scholar of Jameeatul Ulema-Hind based in Jeddah said the dowry system has become a cancer, Mere admonitions or advises will not effect, it needs operation, the boycott is must. He quoted the Prophet's saying "make the Nikah (marriage act) so much easy that the adultery becomes difficult" but today those who are spending a lot on the wedding day dinner and dowry are helping the adultery to become easy.
Maulana Fazlurrahman from Pakistan's Jamaat Ahle-Hadees said that the Prophet had instructed to make the criteria of piousness instead of money, beauty etc in the selection of boy or girl. Otherwise Allah imposes fitna and fasaad . Today whole world is engulfed in the punishment of Fitna. Every act which is not on the method of the prophet is a mutiny against Islam. When no government can tolerate any mutineer, how Allah will tolerate any mutiny against him? He supported the resolution on the basis of pomp and show off.
Sheikh Hidayat Sheikh Hamed, well known scholar and orator of Shia community said "people make excuse of the dowry items given to the Prophet's daughter Fatima peace be upon her". He said it is a biggest lie. All scholars of Sunni and Shia religions agree that the dowry purchased was from the money given by Ali peace be upon him as Mehr. He said dowry is defined as that thing which is from Man's money, not woman's otherwise it is illegitimate.
Well known scholar of South India's biggest and oldest Islamic university "Jama Nizamia" Maulana Abdul Qadeer Tahir Qadri said the practice of dowry or eating on the expense of girl's parents' expense is an act of begging. Begging is illegitimate in Islam. He quoted the Prophet's saying that "Giver's hand is better than takers hand". Whether it is given with consent in the name of the system or it is demanded, in both cases the taker is lower and giver is better and higher. It is against the self diginity and insult to the man's pride of manlihood.
Sheikh Arshad Basheer Madani, a well known ETV Urdu scholar from Medina University and MBA from England strongly supported the resolution and said the horrible damages to the society due to the dowry system are just uncountable. This has indulged the whole community in many morally corrupt activities. He showed how the Government of India too has introduced strict laws to curb this but, since the people do not hesitate to violate the Prophet's own instructions, how can they abide by the Government laws? He presented the statistics of feticide, infanticide, dowry deaths, harassments and court cases etc and proved that the dowry has scattered an imbalance in the society.
Chairman Mr. Ahmeduddin Owaisi hailed the anti-dowry campaign and assured that AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi is taking up this campaign to every locality. He said that the dowry, as said by the scholars, is totally unIslamic, and until a few years ago there was neither such dowry problem nor there were the compulsions of lavishly dinners. The excess of money is generating the extravagance. He supported the resolution and appealed to everyone to support to eradicate the dowry and wedding day dinner from the society.
In the conclusion over 200 men and 50 women pledged to boycott the dowry and dinners by raising hands and signed the pledge.
On the vote of thanks by Dr. Haroon Sayeed and Saleem Farooqi, the successful function came to an end.
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