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elated to the economic and social conditions because there would be
no dowry required. It resembles al-Badal marriage without dowry.
Islam, forbade this kind of marriage. IbncUmar narrated that Allah's
apostle forbade al-,! Shighrw, which means that somebody marries his
married this man's daughter
daughter to somebody else. and the forme ithout paying Mahr (dowry).
ri; I *of
Again.
. Islamps prohibiticnIthis kind of marriage,, was because
it denied the woman's rights as a human being to express her opinion
or to take dowry for herself. She was being considered as a chattel.
.. C
5. al-Istibda marriage,: When a man wanted a virile line of descent,
he might send his wife to cohabit with another man until she became
pregnant by him. The child in this case was considered the husband's son.
This is clear in the Hadith ofgAisha "where a man is,
told to say to his
wife after she had become clean from her period, send for so and so,
and have sexuai relations with him. Her husband wou'ld'then'ke'ep away
from her and would not sleep with her until she got pregnant from the
other man with whom she was sleeping. When her pregnancy became
evident. her husband would sleep with her if he wished. Her husband
followed this procedure so that he might have a child of noble breed
and courage inherited from their high chiefs. However, this kind of
marriage was common in the slave class. where the masters used to send
their women to any man who was known to have courage and strength.
When they had their children, they would belong to the Masters and
2
when they grew up. he might sell them or keep them. This indicates
that in this type of marriage. the woman was used purely as an
instrument to give birth to children who might please the father
without any consideration of her status as a mother and a wife.
1. Ibid
2. 'All,
op. cit., Vol. 4. P. 539
26