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Another example was Zayd b'Amr who made it his duty to save, the<br />
girls whenever he saw or heard a man intending to bury his daughter,<br />
he would ask him not to kill her and he (Zayd) would take care <strong>of</strong> her<br />
financially. When she grew up, he would ask the father whether he<br />
desired- to take his daughter back or whether he should carry on<br />
cherishing<br />
her.<br />
The attitude <strong>of</strong> the Mother<br />
Unfortunately, the historical sources do not give us the mother's<br />
reaction, or feelings about the atrocious murder. Was she sympathetic<br />
to her daughter ? Did she hate her and share the father's feelings<br />
and attitude ? Or was she the one who carried out the murder ? In<br />
the story <strong>of</strong> Qays which was mentioned before, we noticed that the wife<br />
kept her daughter alive and hid her and sent her to her own tribe<br />
or family for protection, which is pro<strong>of</strong> that some mothers hated this<br />
terrifying custom and many loved their babies dearly which. <strong>of</strong> course, is<br />
a natural reaction. But there was another story which gives us the<br />
opposite view about a mother's reaction. "That Kac; rah bint Abu<br />
Su. fy; il said to the prophet that she had buried four children alive in<br />
Jahilyyah time. The prophet ordered her to emancipate four slaves. " 2<br />
It is possible to assume a normal reaction for a mother to be afraid<br />
ahd worried about her baby girl, which is an innate. God-given<br />
feeling, but this does not protect her from being influenced<br />
by the society in which she was living. Since the major worry <strong>of</strong> the<br />
tribe was existence in time <strong>of</strong> war, and with the general assumption<br />
in mind that girls cannot fight and protect themselves and their tribe,<br />
4-<br />
1. See Kaýhalah. al-MaAh fleilamy al-fArab wad al-lslZno VOle 1, P. 10<br />
2. Al-Hu-fi. 289<br />
0<br />
57