A man writes with a conscience void of offense towards God and Man.
From time immemorial marriage 💑🏾 has stood at the pinnacle of male-female relationship, the Judeo-Christian format being the defacto standards even in climes without the concept of Judeo-Christianity. That is to say, the man 👨🏾 has always been the head of the home 🏠 whilst the woman is the neck providing support and guidance for the head. This in no way undermines the woman(she is a special creature and was beautifully crafted for multiprogramming aka multitasking), this doesn’t limit the woman to childbearing responsibilities(though it is her primary responsibility), neither does it make her a punching bag 🎒 for the man, tentatively
in Judeo-Christianity the woman is made to be an Help-Meet/Companion perfectly suitable for man, she is not a slave, not a captive, not a servant and most certainly not a childbearing machine.
With the advent of the fastest growing religion(by way of massive reproduction) Islam, much of the defacto marital matrix changed, prophet Mohammed allegedly under guidance from Allah devised a new husband-wife relationship. In this new matrix women could be absolutely and totally subjugated, treated as 2nd class citizens, took backseat(literally) in religious worship, and need permission to do practically anything(pray, go out, allow people inside the home, observe Ramadan etc.).
Submissive: instance of yielding to the authority of another, unresistingly or humbly obedient.
Subjugate: to bring under complete control, conquer, enslavement by unjust use of force or authority.
Now I'm certain there are people who equate Islam and Judeo-Christianity in terms of husband-wife relationship with respect to treatment of females(wives in particular), this claim is tenable and holds water if we avoid contextual merits in the Bible. These verses being the Achilles' heel and primary source of attack “11 A woman must learn quietly with all submissiveness. 12 But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man. She must remain quiet.” 1 Tim 2:11-12. Might write on that in subsequent article but the summary is as follows:-
- That was in a church setting.
- It never empowered the man to enforce it.
- It was referring to Christian theology.
- She could always ask questions even in a church.
- At home she could ask her husband for more clarifications.
- At home she wasn't under any obligations(scriptural or otherwise) to be silent.
- It was done to maintain decorum and modesty in worship.
Below I present a side by side comparison on husband-wife matrix in Islam and Christianity, yes both religions expect the woman to be submissive therefore you won't find that point here.
CHRISTIANITY: A husband should give to HIS wife her sexual rights, and likewise a wife to HER husband. 4 It is not the wife who has the rights to her own body, but the husband. In the same way, it is not the husband who has the rights to his own body, but the wife. 1 Cor 7:3-4
Commentary: the wife and husband owe to each other full rights of their bodies, both are equal, a man cannot forcefully have a woman against her will and vice-versa.
ISLAM
Translation: Your women are a TILTH for you (to cultivate) ‘SO GO TO YOUR TILTH’ AS YE WILL, and send (good deeds) before you for your souls, and fear Allah, and know that ye will (one day) meet Him. Give glad tidings to believers, (O Muhammad). Sura 2:223
Commentary: This verse was revealed when it was observed that some Muslims who had been influenced by pagan sexual rituals like anal sex, so this verse is saying the woman is like a soil, therefore the man can go in(via vagina only) as he like, irrespective of her mood except during menstruation.
TILTH: old English word for HARD SOIL being prepared for cultivation.
CHRISTIANITY
Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered(bitter) against them. Col 3:19
Commentary: Simply says there is no reason for a man to be bitter to his wife, and tentatively you can't raise your hands against her.
ISLAM
Translation: Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women). So good women are the obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah hath guarded. As for those from whom ye FEAR REBELLION, ADMONISH them and BANISH them to beds apart, and SCOURGE(beat, hit lightly) them. Then if they obey you, seek not a way against them. Lo! Allah is ever High, Exalted, Great. Sura 4:34
Commentary: Here if you SUSPECT rebellion from your wife, correct, banish them and beat them albeit lightly until they change their ways.
CHRISTIANITY
In the same way husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. Eph 5:28
Commentary: We hear of selfie, self-love, all these points to humans loving themselves, so a man should love his wife as he loves himself, you cannot hate your wife and claim to love yourself(both are ONE).
ISLAM Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "If a man Invites his wife to sleep with him and she refuses to come to him, then the angels send their curses on her till morning." Sahih al-Bukhari 5193 Vol. 7, Book 62, Hadith 121
Commentary: very self-explanatory, a woman who refuses to have sex for sake of anything other than menstruation is adjudged accursed.
CHRISTIANITY
For no one has ever hated his own body but he feeds it and takes care of it, just as Christ also does the church, Eph 5:29
Commentary: a 'normal' man simply cannot do something to harm himself, instead he pampers it, so should he pamper and care for his wife.
ISLAM Narrated Umar ibn al-Khattab:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: A man will not be asked as to why he beat his wife. Sunan Abi Dawud 2147 Book 11, Hadith 2142
Commentary: you can beat your wife, when you get to paradise, as a man you won't be judged for it, in fact it won't be asked. Happy Wife-Beating, tallies nicely with Sura 4:34. if there's no repercussion for something would logically mean engaging in it wouldn't be considered bad.
CHRISTIANITY
Do not deprive each other, except by mutual agreement for a specified time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then resume your relationship, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. To the married I give this command - not I, but the Lord - a wife should not divorce a husband 11 (but if she does, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband), and a husband should not divorce his wife. 1 Cor 7:5, 10-11
Commentary: Here Apostle Paul under the inspiration of God was speaking on sexual relation in marriage, he posited and advised that couples should not abandon sex-related activities without MUTUAL consent, he even suggested if it were to occur it should be for devotion to prayer after which it should be resumed immediately. The reason for this advice was based on simple logic, humans are emotional creatures, we need sex relations(In MARRIAGE) to keep the bond of marriage alive, oil the wheels of love, and all is done to prevent temptation from external sources influenced by Satan. Also reiterating the words of Jesus, divorce is not supported by God(unless in a wrong marriage e.g being a 2nd wife or for repeated adultery by either partner) that being said remarriage wasn't permitted either.
ISLAM Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "If a woman spends the night deserting her husband's bed (does not sleep with him), then the angels send their curses on her till she comes back (to her husband). Sahih al-Bukhari 5194 Vol. 7, Book 62, Hadith 122
Commentary: here the woman's emotional state is irrelevant, since she's a tilth to be cultivate she has to be ready for the man to preform good-deeds, just so the woman feels bad to not have sex with her husband a curse by the angels is placed thus making the woman sleeping obligatory against free-will and choice. Classic case of cognitive dissonance.
In Judeo-Christianity woman is a companion to man, while in Islam a woman is a tilth for man; that is the whole story.
Conclusion: the Bible and Islamic texts are pretty clear on how to treat a woman(wife in this case), so I'd appreciate dissenters to cite relevant and proper texts when trying to link both religions together.
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