Muslim Marriage Bill – The Good and the Bad

Written by on March 10, 2011 in News
Most of us a bombarded by information regarding the Muslim Marriage Bill. There are sms and emails that are going viral strictly condemning the bill and on the other side pro Marriage bill.. what to do, what to do? I put the good and the bad i found and decided to leave the ugly one out..
Well my opnion, we all can read. So read the Muslim Marriage Bill for yourself. I read it. I almost failed commercial law 1 but I managed to understand it. So it is easy reading.
Most will see the good, bad and ugly about it.  Go and read it for yourself and make your own informed decision and in a cool calm and collected way write to and give constructive feedback to  T Matibe and inform him what you think about it by 15 March 2010.. time is running out.  31 May 2011 (more time to procrastinate)
Breaking News from CII: The Minister of Justice has extended the closing date for submissions on the Muslim Marriages Bill from 15 March to 31 May 2011 from CII – let’s hope everyone can sit together maturely and fix it according to what will be beneficial to us inshaAllah. Personally I don’t think any bill would in effect dictate to us how we live as muslims. What do we want this bill to do for us. I only want it to recognise I am married legally without going through the hassle of getting court married.
The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development invites interested parties to
submit any comments they might have on the Muslim Marriages Bill set out below. The
Bill is currently available only in English, and the Afrikaans translation will be available
later on request. Any person wishing to comment on the Bill is invited to submit written
comments to the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development.  Comments should
kindly be directed for the attention of Mr T N Matibe, Private Bag X81, Pretoria, 0001, or
faxed to him at 086 648 7766 not later than 15 March 2011.  31 May 2011
(Electronic mail address: TMatibe@justice.gov.za )
Con

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF THE MUSLIM LAWYERS ASSOCIATIONS SUBMISSIONS AGAINST THE MUSLIM MARRIAGES BILL (MMB)
We, as the Muslim Lawyers Association are fundamentally opposed to the Bill for various reasons, some of which are inter alia:-
  • There are many provisions in the Bill which are simply un-Islamic and against the Quran and Sunnah .For example the regulation relating to maintenance, Talaq, polygamy and intestate succession to name a few.
  • The Bill makes impermissible what Allah has made permissible.
  • The outlook of the Bill is distinctly secular and materialistic and against the ethos of Islamic concepts such as RIZQ.
  • The Bill allows Non-Muslim judges who have no in-depth knowledge of Arabic and are not schooled in the Shariah to interpret Quraan and Sunnah and to make Ijtihad. The secular courts may amongst other things, pronounce on the validity of a Talaq, issue a Faskh, determine who is Muslim and interpret Islamic law. The secular courts are able to make rulings which South African law will recognise as Shariah.
  • Muslims’ Shariah rights may not be considered valid until reviewed and ratified by South African courts. This in itself is contrary to Shariah. e.g. Talaq and polygamy must be confirmed by a South African Court.
  • The MMB will subject Quraan and Sunnah to Constitutional review, which means that Allah’s Law will be subject to Constitutional analysis.With the development of the law based on the proposed Bill along with Constitutional intervention, the result will contaminate Shariah and will consist of few elements of Deen combined with secular ideas of justice, all under the banner of Islam.
  • The constitution at present allows for all citizens to freely practice their religions. The MMB would curtail such religious freedom of expression for Muslims which in itself would be arguable to be unconstitutional.Failure to abide by the provisions of the proposed Bill could result in a Muslim being found guilty of a criminal offence and/or being fined.
  • The Bill promotes a school of thought of a minority and does not cater for difference of opinion amongst scholars of the different schools of thought.
  • Existing Muslim marriages will automatically be bound by the Act, unless both husband and wife jointly opt out of it. Opting out does not stop the Courts from going ahead anyway with interpretation of Quraan and Sunnah on behalf of those who are bound by the Act, and modifying the Shariah as we know it to be more consistent with modern secular values.
  • There is selective Justice. The taking of a second wife without court permission is criminalised but adultery and fornication are not.
  • The Bill is in fact unconstitutional because it changes Muslim Personal Law instead of just recognising it. In light of the provisions not being consistent with Shariah, and being applicable only to Muslims, this will allow secular courts to systematically discriminate against Muslims, to the exclusion of all others, with sanctions which are foreign to the Shariah.
  • The MMB curtails religious freedoms.
  • The Bill will cause division amongst Muslims and between Muslims and the State.
  • The Bill will promote a brand of Islam which is more palatable to Western secular values.
  • The Bill does not allow arbitration which the MLA believes is the only possible solution.
THE MLA’S DETAILED SUBMISSIONS ARE AVAILABLE ON ITS WEBSITE
Pro
  • Shari’a rights and obligations for women are not implemented properly by the ulamā, which results in women suffering hardships. To alleviate this suffering, the Bill regulates Muslim marriages within a Shari’a framework while providing protection to women. For example, it requires marriage officers who solemnise marriages to inform parties of their right to enter into a contract. If the person is not a marriage officer, he must inform the parties of their right to register their marriage under the Bill. If the person solemnising the marriage fails to comply with these requirements, he may be fined. These requirements aim to ensure that parties know their rights so they can choose how their marriage should be governed.
  • Under the Bill, men can marry more than one wife. They must apply for court approval of the subsequent marriage by showing that they can treat their wives equally according to the Qur’an. This is to address injustices perpetrated by men who enter polygynous marriages without maintaining their wives equally. Sometimes men enter secretly into polygynous marriages and existing wives find out only afterwards. The Bill requires that existing wives be informed when their husbands apply for court approval of their subsequent marriage. Although the consent of the existing wife is not required, the Bill gives her the opportunity to provide the court with relevant information.
  • The Bill recognises a husband’s right to talaq, which is a unilateral repudiation of the wife without having to provide grounds. This right is abused by men who talaq their wives arbitrarily and without informing them of the talaq. The Bill regulates talaq by requiring men to certify the talaq, to serve the talaq on the wife and two witnesses and to institute divorce action against her. Regulation of talaq does not remove the man’s right to talaq.
  • The Bill recognises a husband’s Shari’a right to delegate talaq to his wife. It also recognises a woman’s Shari’a right to khul’a. The Bill defines khul’a as divorce initiated by the wife, which requires her husband’s consent subject to paying financial compensation to him. The Bill recognises faskh, which under Shari’a is available to men and women. Faskh requires the aggrieved party to apply to a third party for divorce. If the wife applies for faskh, she may have to pay financial compensation to her husband. Many women who apply to the ulamā for faskh experience difficulty in obtaining faskh even when they have Shari’a grounds for divorce.
  • The Bill permits parties to have their dispute mediated before finalising the divorce. Mediation is similar to arbitration, which is encouraged under Shari’a. It allows the couple to choose a third party to facilitate a discussion between them about their marital dispute.
  • Women are usually left destitute after divorce. Therefore, the Bill recommends that a wife’s Shari’a right to financial compensation be recognised, which includes maintenance that the husband did not provide during marriage, maintenance during iddah (waiting period), compensation for breastfeeding, compensation for services rendered in her husband’s or his family’s business and compensation for contributions to the maintenance or increase of her husband’s estate. If a husband contributes to the maintenance and increase of his wife’s estate, he will also be compensated.
  • The Bill proposes that a secular court should adjudicate a Muslim divorce. While this means that a non-Muslim could preside over the matter, parties can present evidence by Shari’a experts to guide the court.
  • Since Muslim marriages are not legally recognised, aggrieved parties cannot always seek redress in court. Enactment of the Bill will allow women to enforce their Shari’a rights. The Bill does not create rights or obligations that are not permitted under Shari’a. Although the Bill does not provide absolute gender equality between women and men, it will enable women to access Shari’a rights they cannot presently access. If the Bill is not enacted, injustices will continue to be perpetrated against women.
For further information, contact:
Hoodah Abrahams-Fayker, Women’s Legal Centre. Ph: 021-4245660. Email: hoodah@wlce.co.za.
Mohammed Groenewald, Muslim Youth Movement. Ph: 0738264959. Email: Moh-mym@mweb.co.za.
Kamraj Anirudhra, Commission for Gender Equality. Ph: 021-4264080. Email: kamraj@cge.org.za.
Shireen Pahad. Ph: 0837799541. Email: spahad@mweb.co.za
Nanima’s issues regarding the Bill
I have read the Bill. I have a limited understanding about law and fiqh but this is what struck me when I read the bill. My 10 issues.

Issue 1 : age limit- the prospective bride and groom must, subject to subsections (4) and (5), have

been 18 years old or older; and

Issue 2:

i don’t understand how it can be null and void:

No spouse in a Muslim marriage to whom this Act applies may

subsequently conclude a marriage under the Marriage Act or any other law governing

marriages, except this Act, during the subsistence of such a Muslim marriage.

(3) If a marriage is concluded in contravention of the provisions of

subsection (2), such a purported marriage is deemed to be null and void.

Issue 3: i though u need a wali in all marriages

If either of the prospective spouses is a minor, the Wali (guardian)

of the minor must conclude the marriage on behalf of the minor.

Issue 4: underage marriages you need minister permission

The Cabinet member responsible for home affairs or any Muslim

person or Muslim body authorised in writing thereto by him or her, may grant written

permission to a person under the requisite age to conclude a Muslim marriage if the

Cabinet member or the person or body in question considers the marriage to be desirable

and in the interests of the parties in question

Issue 5:

i don’t like the fact that the dowry will also be recorded in the act i think from a safety perspective. I am sure even lobola is kept private –

if he or she is satisfied that the spouses have concluded a valid Muslim marriage,

record the identity of the spouses, the date of the marriage, the dower agreed to,

whether it is payable immediately or deferred in full or part, and any other

prescribed particulars, and must, in the prescribed manner, register the marriage in

accordance with this Act;

Issue 6 – it is better for a muslim marriage to have an ante nuptial contract- without accrual i think.. that is best islamically ..what yours is yours and mine is mine, more aligned with Islamic will.

(wonder if this is an issue) — seems to be fine..

A Muslim marriage to which this Act applies is deemed to be a

marriage out of community of property excluding the accrual system, unless the

proprietary consequences governing the marriage are regulated by mutual agreement of

the spouses, in an antenuptial contract which must be registered in the Deeds Registry –

issue 7 – Another wife must apply to court first to get permission

(6) A husband in a Muslim marriage, to which this Act applies, who

wishes to conclude a further Muslim marriage with another woman after the

commencement of this Act must apply to court –

(a) for approval to conclude a further Muslim marriage in terms of subsection (7);

and

(b) for approval of a written contract which will regulate the future matrimonial

property system of his marriages.

Issue 8 – (10) No marriage officer may register a second or subsequent Muslim

marriage, unless the husband provides the marriage officer with the order of the court

granting the required approval in terms of subsection (7).

Issue9 –   – need a sheriff. The marriage officer may register the irrevocable Talāq only if the husband

satisfies the marriage officer that due notice in the prescribed form of the intended

registration was served upon the wife by the sheriff or by substituted service.

Issue 10: Can be fined hefty fines if do not inform about bill

(9) (a) Any person who facilitates the conclusion of a Muslim

marriage, irrespective of whether that person is a marriage officer or not, must inform the

prospective spouses that they have a choice whether or not to be bound by the provisions

of this Act.

(b) If the parties to a proposed marriage elect to be bound by

the provisions of this Act as provided for in section 2(1), the person facilitating the

marriage referred to in paragraph (a) must direct the parties to a marriage officer for

purposes of registering the Muslim marriage so facilitated.

c) The person facilitating the marriage referred to in

paragraph (a) who fails to comply with the provisions of paragraph (b), is guilty of an

offence and liable upon conviction to a fine not exceeding R20 000. 12

‎(10) Failure to register a Muslim marriage as provided for in subsection

(1)(a) does not affect the validity of the marriage.

Please read the bill yourself.

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  1. Abdullah says:

    “it is better for a muslim marriage to be COP- with accrual i think.. that is best islamically ..”

    Really? Any evidence to back this up?

  2. Nanima says:

    i think i read wrong regarding that and maybe i was a little confused.. i think you have to be married out of Community of property.. you have to have an ante nuptial contract and must be without accrual….

    from Radio Islam website – some info below

    Hence, the Islamically-correct marriage-contract would be the “ANTENUPTUAL CONTRACT WITHOUT THE ACCRUAL SYSTEM.”
    http://radioislam.orgza.info/a/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1346&Itemid=47

  3. Slms

    Firstly, I would like to applaud the person who created this blog site to discuss this issue.

    I am in favor of women rights granted to them in Islam and I acknowledge the malpractice of reportedly various U’lama bodies regarding the protection of women rights.

    It is also true that many men have married additional wives in secret and that men do not always maintain all wives with whom they are married too.

    However, the gross violations of Islamic law by Ulama and Muslim men who fail to protect the rights of women does not justify violations of Islamic law in the opposite extreme. One cannot alter Islamic law on the basis of any particular situation and in reaction to common violations.

    When it comes to the issue of polygamy, I think more U’lama should focus on teaching people how to properly practice and practically live in a polygamous situation instead of continually condemning it as too expensive and impractical.

    The problem we face is that many fair Muslim men do not want to undertake the responsibility of polygamy because their leaders openly discourage it, and then other men who merely follow their base desires practice it willy nilly, without due consideration or long term plans for their respective wives and children. Polygamy is a tremendous blessing and can be extremely positive in any society that have a basic level of responsibility and moral ethics surrounding the practice, even if they aren’t Muslim.

    Regarding the age clause of 18 an exception is there for minors who want to marry before 18 but is subject to the permission and agreement of the guardian and court. I don’t have a problem with this at all.

    I also get the impression that the position of the wali for all marriages is not enforced in this bill. I may be wrong, but after reading it three times it appears this way.

    I also notice a tendency toward gender neutral terminologies such as “spouses” and wonder if gays and lesbian who are Muslim according to the definition of bill and get married under the marriage ceremony according to the definition also have their gay and Lesbian Muslim marriages recognized.

    I noticed the bill uses “polygamy” and not Polygany and wonder if this means a man can now have a husband three wives or mix it up in any fashion he pleases and if that through the right of equality if women will be allowed several husbands. These are not explicitly either condoned or condemned in the bill.

    In the end I would like to note that the judge will only be confined to the bill and the constitution in judging in Muslim matters and so may be able to rule in this matter as he sees fit as no reference to other laws in Islam can be made. Hence, gays, Lesbian, polyandry etc.

    Lastly, the issue of maintenance of women in a polygamous union is high subjective as the level of maintenance and need for each respective wife would be subject to what each wife is comfortable with in relation to what the man can afford. I don’t think anyone except the man and his wives can decide on that issue. It is simply unrealistic and untrue that maintenance for each wife must be exactly the same as the situation that each wife would be used to will differ and the need of each wife will differ. That is the same when it comes to ones children, you don’t give them all the same, yet you do your best for all of them. It is a subjective issue.

    The MMB will not solve the problems we have, but will actually make it worse. At least now men feel confident that they can marry an extra wife should they so desire, if the law makes that impossible they would still have extra women just in an unhalaal fashion.

    The other issue I have with the bill regarding polygamy is that a the court must decide whether or not a man can have another wife which is not stipulated in Shariah at all. It is the mans exclusive prerogative and he must decide on his ability or inability to do so, not anyone else.

  4. Saifullah Islam says:

    It is for a good reason that we as muslims will not like a government that doesn’t worship our God – start dictating the ‘rules’ to our religious matrimony. It’s not a matter of us opposing the government, but rather one of us keeping our religious freedom. Millions have died so that ‘we’ can live by what ‘we’ believe.

  5. MM says:

    I am currently in idah.After almost 20 years of marriage,my ex husband gave me three thalaq in writing which was handed to me by the sheriff of the court.He has no valid reason for giving me thalaq except his family.He’s even telling everyone what a good wife I was.Can you give your wife three thalaq in one letter for being a good wife? When I married him 20 years ago he had nothing and neither did his family.Two years after our marriage we opened a business with help from my family and none from his. We were married anc with the exclusion of accruel.His mum started intefering as soon as we started making money and so did his two sisters who had nothing.His younger sister married a useless man who cant drive or give her anything. My ex took very good care of his parents but it was not enough. His mum wanted it all. He now has four shops and I am forty having worked and sacrificed my entire twenties and thirties for the businesses to give our three children a secure future.But his mum wanted only for her daughters.He has set his big sister up with a business and now has become provider and driver for his parents and useless brother in law and sister with everything that I have worked and sacrificed for.His unscrupulous family is very happy while my innocent children are devastated.How many other Muslim men have given their wife thalaq because of their greedy, intefering, unscrupulous families?The new bill should accomodate for intefering in laws to be taken to task for breaking up happy homes to satisfy their own greed.

  6. I’m tremendously sorry for what has happened to this sister. A good practice when working in a business of your husband or working for him in anyway is to ask him to write out an I OWE YOU slip for the equivalent of what your labor would be in terms of gold. Even though you may not expect him to pay you there and then, or you may never ask for the weight of your labor in gold at least your share of the business would, contractually, be secured should he decide to leave you. It is extremely unfair for a man to profit from a woman’s labor outside of her normal wifely duties and then leave her without her rightful share. In law, contracts are to be upheld provided they don’t go against the rights accorded by the constitution. If, for example, a man owns a house and is concerned that his wife might be left destitute after his passing, he can promise the wife a house in his lifetime and write it out so that she can claim the house has a debt in terms of the Will. These things weren’t necessary in the times when Muslims had families who claimed responsibility for the relatives of the deceased. In our times, you’d find that sometimes, in the name of Shariah, a wife is left destitute because her share of the inheritance will not be equivalent to the value of the house and so sometimes the relatives decide to sell the house to dish out the inheritance and as a result, leave the wife and children destitute.

  7. Shabir says:

    Slmz! Sister read your article and am sorry for what you have been threw! I have witnessed similiar situaions to yours where the women and kids are unjustly treated and the groom gets the backing of his so called islamic rite! For all i carer i have come to a point where anything thats fair is islmaic while whats unfair is unislamic! U have been a victim of a man using islamic law or law of Almity as an excuse for injustice! The law needs to be implemented coz our ulemma have failed in providing a mosule of justice pertaning towards family law and fairness!

  8. Shabir says:

    Actually! I totall disagree with you! Its a result of us unlawfully execrising our manly rites or condtradicting our beliefs and its principals and have used the name of Almity as a means of opreesing some wives and kids! As a failure from our muslim governing bodies things have gone out of hand and too many homes have been broken! Islma a religion thta clearly doesnt propmote the ruining of families so somethings gotta be done coz we have faild to ensure that!

  9. Ruqayya Dawood says:

    I would like to take this opportunity to make my submissions regarding the Muslim Marriages Bill. Islamic law is applied today as it was prescribed by our Prophet Muhammed more than 1400 years ago. There has been no changes whatsoever and this is in accordance with Islamic teachings and no changes in any circumstances may be considered as just cause for a deviation.

    My submissions against promulgation of the Bill will be as follows.

    1. The provisions relating to talaq, polygamy, maintenance and intestate succession are against the principles of Islam.

    2. In South Africa the Constitution is Supreme law of the land and our courts are subject to a precedent system.

    3. Any law inconsistent with the constitution is declared invalid in so far as it is inconsistent and in this way the MMB will also be subject to constitutional scrutiny and shall thereby be adapted/changed should any provision be declared unconstitutional.

    4. Courts interpreting the MMB (even though mention has been made to accept Islamic Scholars as expert witnesses) are not adequately trained on Islamic teachings and the ultimate decision will be left in the hands of the presiding officer who may well not have any background on Islamic teachings.

    5. These Presiding Officers who are not schooled in Islamic Law will interpret and apply the MMB. They could very well apply it incorrectly. Should a Judge at High Court level apply the MMB contrary to Islamic principles (In my opinion the Bill is already un-Islamic) this would become law by virtue of the precedent system and would be applied by the lower courts.

    6. The fact that Muslims customs and rights that have are now going to be subject to a Secular Courts decision with regard to validity is untenable in that it may well be considered a limitation on Muslim’s rights to freedom of religion.

    7. Selective Justice is evident in the Bill. The taking of a second wife is without court permission is criminalized but fornication and adultery are not. It will be worthwhile to mention at this point that under Islamic law, taking of a second wife is not punishable however fornication and adultery are. Therefore the Bill defeats its object of recognizing Islamic Law BUT is in fact changing it.

    8. The fact that the Bill is subject to the constitution and the precedent system, the Bill will promote a brand of Islam which reflects Western school of thought which is contrary to Islamic principles.

    It is my opinion that any attempt to codify Muslim Personal law is doomed to failure in that it is contrary to Islamic principles to adapt or change Islamic law. In Islam there is no such thing that the law should be adapted to suit the current trends. I believe that the Bill will be adapted for the two main reasons highlighted above i.e: Constitutional Supremacy and Precedent system. Even if the Bill is promulgated and applied as it stands it is contrary to Islamic Principles as I have pointed out above. Should the Bill be promulgated, it shall be law but will not be nor reflect Islamic Law.

    NB.: This is my personal views on the topic

    Yours Sincerely
    Bilaal Dawood

  10. Saifullah Islam says:

    Indeed! Many so-called muslims do custom suit Islamic Sharia regarding marriage to massage their ’nuffs’. As a muslim I cannot rely on non-muslim law just because people didn’t follow Sharia. Just the same there are many non-muslims who do not abide by the country’s laws.

    The problem here is not that Sharia doesnt suffice, but rather that some people will do wrong regardless of what law system they’re under.

    Men who wrong their wives & wives who wrong their husbands will always be there, regardless of which law system presides over them. We need not, and ‘should not’ turn away from the laws decreed by our God.

    If the Western laws regarding this were in any way better than Sharia, the western courts wouldn’t be packed with cases on a daily basis as they are.

    Take time, go to the courts and see how the system is serving the people…

  11. Reverted muslim says:

    I Agree with brother Shabir, something has to be done.
    I lost my children, my home, my dignity to a man that picked and chosed what Islamic law suited him. It is not to say that i didnt approach our Islamic scholars for help, but as usual was told to “make dua, Insha Allah, all will be fine and Allah knows best”. How is that Gods law? where does it say in the Quran or Hadeeth that is its permissible for a man to take a woman from her parents home (where she loved and cared for)to keep her to satisfy is whims and fancies, bear his children, take care of him, look after his property and parents like they were her own, adorn herself in islamic hijab (full) for the pleasure of Allah and her husband to then be disgraced by an affair he had OPENLY! then cast out into the street infront of people? No home,no protection, no sustenance? where does it say that, that is permissible? or Islamic?

  12. Ridwan Ali says:

    Salam brothers and sisters. I call on all Muslims to reject this bill even after they pass it. This bill is an outright attack on the religious rights of the ummah in this part of the world. How is it possible that the current president of our country can have multiple wives without ever consulting with any court, but the Muslims will now have to do so if they want to be in a multiple marriage??? When our constitution gave rights to homosexuals, it did so without dictating to them how to get it on. Yet, this is exactly what it does with the Muslims under the pretext of “recognising our marriages”!!!

    We could have the horrendously sad situation where a homosexual judge who also happens to be an atheist, will have the power to refuse a marriage to a Muslim man and woman because he is not “happy” with their case! But, that same judge could have four or more boyfriends and nobody can say or do anything about it!

    Sadly, this is what the so called “ulama” are selling the ummah and Islam out for. Yet again, they have an opportunity to stand up for the ummah and for Islam, but alas… They opt as they usually do, for any positions of “power” they think they can get from this. What we need is a bill that guarantees the rights of the Muslims to be represented by people we trust and CHOSE, instead of the traitors who are masquerading as “leaders”.

    I know some of the folks involved in drafting this controversial bill. I suggest that people should examine all of them thoroughly. Who are they? Why do they want this? Why don’t they just practice their version of Islam and leave us as we are? Why do they want the rest of us to do it their way? Who or what gives them the right to impose their will on us? Why are they using the “legal system” to thug the rest of us into complying? Those are all questions that need answering.

    The South African legal system has a truly dismal record when it comes to women’s and children’s rights. I do not need to quote the statistics for rape, sexual assault, abuse, violence and poverty etc… Yet, those people now want to pretend that this system is going to “protect” the rights of Muslim women!!! How is this system which is already failing women and children generally, going to take “special care” of Muslim women? How do they guarantee this? Or, are we supposed to take their word for it?

    Brothers and sisters. They cannot do this. It is a Human Rights issue if they try. If I have to apply to the courts to do something guaranteed as a right under Islam, then the president and his wives have to do the same. Or, is he more “equal” than me? Remember, we can resist this even when they try to impose it on us. They already know that their case is pathetic and that is why they are trying to thug us into compliance. DON’T STAND FOR IT! I swear by Allah that I will not. Amin…

  13. Ridwan Ali says:

    May Allah ease your burden sister. There can never be success at the expense of the innocent. I pray that Allah open your husband’s eyes and that he will do the right thing for his own as well as your good.

    Unfortunately, this bill is not about truth sister. It is also not about justice. It’s about diminishing Islam and making us uncomfortable outsiders in our country. The people who want to impose this on us, have never said much about the plight of abused women, except when it comes to Islam. As far as they are concerned, Islam inherently “abuses” women. Don’t expect much from them sister. Keep steadfast in your prayers for Allah does not sleep EVER. I have no doubt you will come out on top soon enough.

  14. Ridwan Ali says:

    Do you believe that this “bill” and the SA legal system can do a better job than the Sharia?
    If so, what do you base your belief on?
    Do you belief that the “cure” for all those issues you raise, is to make Islam subservient to this bill and all its implications?
    Do you believe that non-Muslims will do a better job of implimenting Islamic laws than the Muslims themselves?
    Do you believe the South African legal system is a trustworthy agency to safeguard and implement women’s and children’s rights, in light of its current track record?
    Do you believe Muslims should forego their God-given rights under Islam, and instead subscribe to this bill and the people who want it for us? Why?
    Do you believe Muslims should be the only community in this country to have such Draconian measures imposed on them while all other communities can live their private lives pretty much unhindered? Why?
    Do you believe that in order to “recognise Muslim marriages”, Muslims should be told by others how to do it? Why?
    Please tell me why the marriages of Muslims can not just be recognised without people who are not Muslim telling us what we can and cannot do?

    Please tell brother. I am honestly interested in hearing what you believe.

  15. Ridwan Ali says:

    And where does it say that ANYONE can change what Allah has made halal, just because someone else is abusing it? What will be next? Hijab in government workplaces, schools and restaurants? Monogamy, (because that is being abused too)? And who will decide these things for the Ummah? Why does this bill NOT SAY ANYTHING ABOUT CRIMINALISING AND PUNISHING ADULTERY? Why does it criminalise and seek to punish that which Allah in HIS wisdom made halal??? Whether we like it or not… If this bill recommended fines and prison terms for adultery and fornication, I would be among the first to support it. What it does instead, is seek to make haram lawful between men and women. I reject and oppose it on that basis alone.

  16. Saifullah Islam says:

    We will either be part of the people that made the deen of Islam disappear or we will be part of those who fought to keep it alive.

    Its as simple as that.

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