Old Testament and the Issue of Rape Revisited

Notorious South African Muhammadan polemicist Yusuf Ismail, and a Ahmed Deedat wannabe, is fond of quoting Judges 19 as an example of the Bible condoning mass rape supposedly with God’s approval, in order to divert attention away from the fact of his false prophet permitting and sanctioning the rape of captive women, even in cases where these women were married (cf. Q. 4:24). We will have more to say concerning Muhammad allowing his men to rape women a little later.

Here is the passage in question:

“Just then, an old man came in at evening time from his work in the field. The man was from the hill country of Ephraim and lived as a resident foreigner in Gibeah, but the townspeople were Benjamites. He looked up and saw the traveler in the city square. The old man said, “Where are you going, and where do you come from?’ He said to him, ‘We are traveling from Bethlehem in Judah to a remote part of the hill country of Ephraim. I am from there. I went to Bethlehem in Judah, and now I am going to the house of the Lord. No one has taken me into his home. Yet there is enough straw and fodder for our donkeys, with bread and wine for me, your maidservant, and the young man who is with your servant. We do not lack anything.’ The old man said, ‘Do not worry. I will take care of whatever you need. Just do not spend the night in the city square.’ So he brought him into his house and gave food to his donkeys. They washed their feet, ate, and drank. While they were enjoying themselves, the men of the city, who were wicked men, surrounded the house and pounded on the door. They said to the old man, the master of the house, ‘Bring out the man who came to your house, so we can have relations with him.’ The master of the house went out to them and said, ‘No, my brothers, do not commit this evil act, not after this man has come into my house. Do not commit this disgrace. Here are my virgin daughter and the man’s concubine. Let me bring them out to you. Ravish them and do to them what you please. But do not commit this vile act against this man.’ The men were unwilling to listen to him, so the man seized his concubine and brought her out to them in the street. They knew her and abused her all night until morning. As the dawn began to break, they let her go. The woman came back at daybreak and fell down at the door of the man’s house where her master was, lying there until it was light. Her master got up in the morning and opened the doors of the house. He went out to go on his way, but there was the woman, his concubine, fallen at the door of the house with her hands on the threshold. He said to her, ‘Get up, let us be going,’ but there was no answer. So the man put her on a donkey and went home. When he got home, he took a knife and seized his concubine, then cut her body into twelve pieces. Then he sent her throughout all the territory of Israel. Everyone who saw this said, ‘Nothing like this has been done or seen since the day the children of Israel came out of the land of Egypt until today. Consider it, take counsel, and speak up!’” Judges 19:16-30

Here we have a story of a woman who was raped so badly by a group of men that she ended up dying as a result. Now Ismail assumes that, since this is event is recorded in the Holy Bible, this somehow proves that the inspired authors condoned gang rape and/or molestation of women.

The problem with Ismail’s claim is that he is looking at the Holy Bible through the lenses and example of Muhammad, who went around with his murdering bandits enslaving and raping women. However, the Holy Bible is not the Quran or Muhammad’s sunna, and therefore one has to read it within its own context and not impose an Islamic interpretation upon it. Once this is done then it will become evident to any honest reader that the Bible is not like the Quran or Muhammad’s sunna, since it nowhere approves of such abominable deeds.

The fact of the matter is that, just because the Holy Bible record what ACTUALLY HAPPENED in history, THIS DOESN’T MEAN THAT THE GOD-BREATHED REVELATION CONDONES AND/OR SUPPORTS SUCH DEEDS, anymore than my documenting the gross immorality and wickedness of Muhammad means that I somehow approve of such wickedness.

This brings me to my next point, namely, evidence from the book of Judges itself proving that God never approved or commanded that such atrocities and wickedness should take place. Judges often repeats the point that Israel did what was right in their own eyes:

“In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right IN HIS EYES.” Judges 17:6

“In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right IN HIS OWN EYES.” Judges 21:25

And here is what God says about doing what is right in one’s own eyes:

“You are NOT to do all the things that we are doing here today, WHERE EVERY MAN DOES WHATEVER IS RIGHT IN HIS OWN EYES.” Deuteronomy 12:8

In fact, the book of Judges REPEATEDLY STRESSES the point that the Israelites DID NOT DO WHAT WAS RIGHT BEFORE GOD, BUT OFTEN DID THAT WHICH WAS EVIL IN HIS HOLY SIGHT!

Note the following examples:

“Then the children of Israel once more DID WHAT WAS EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD, so the LORD strengthened King Eglon of Moab against Israel because THEY HAD DONE WHAT WAS EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD.” Judges 3:12

“When Ehud was dead, the children of Israel once more DID WHAT WAS EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD.” Judges 4:1

“The children of Israel DID EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD, so the Lord gave them into the hands of Midian for seven years.” Judges 6:1

Again the children of Israel DID EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD. They worshipped the Baals, the Ashtoreths, and the gods of Syria, Sidon, Moab, the Ammonites, and the Philistines. They abandoned the Lord and did not serve Him.” Judges 10:6

“Again the children of Israel DID EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD, so the Lord gave them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years.” Judges 13:1.

The foregoing makes it crystal clear that not everything which Judges records the Israelites doing pleased God, including the mass raping of a concubine in Judges 19.

More importantly, unlike Yusuf Ismail’s example from Judges 19 where he cannot show anywhere from the context that the holy and righteous God approved of the wicked, reprehensible molestation of a concubine, I can actually show Yusuf and his fellow dawagandists where their false prophet DID RAPE AND PROSTITUTE WOMEN WITH THE APPROVAL OF HIS GOD! Here it is, adapted from one of my articles:

Muhammad permitted Muslims to take women captive and have sex with them, even married ones whose husbands were still alive!

Also (prohibited are) women already married, except those whom your right hands possess: Thus hath God ordained (Prohibitions) against you: Except for these, all others are lawful, provided ye seek (them in marriage) with gifts from your property, – desiring chastity, not lust, seeing that ye derive benefit from them, give them their dowers (at least) as prescribed; but if, after a dower is prescribed, agree Mutually (to vary it), there is no blame on you, and God is All-knowing, All-wise. S. 4:24 Y. Ali

As shocking as it may sound, this passage is basically stating that the only time a Muslim man (which includes Muhammad) can sleep with a married woman is when she happens to be one of the female slaves that he has taken captive!

Unfortunately, this verse was tragically and shamefully put into practice by the jihadists:

Abu Sirma said to Abu Sa’id al Khadri: O Abu Sa’id, did you hear Allah’s Messenger mentioning al-‘azl? He said: Yes, and added: We went out with Allah’s Messenger on the expedition to the Bi’l-Mustaliq and took captive some excellent Arab women; and we desired them, for we were suffering from the absence of our wives, (but at the same time) we also desired ransom for them. So we decided to have sexual intercourse with them but by observing ‘azl (Withdrawing the male sexual organ before emission of semen to avoid conception). But we said: We are doing an act whereas Allah’s Messenger is amongst us; why not ask him? So we asked Allah’s Messenger, and he said: It does not matter if you do not do it, for every soul that is to be born up to the Day of Resurrection will be born. (Sahih Muslim, Book 008, Number 3371 http://searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=008&translator=2&start=0&number=3371)

Abu Said al-Khudri said: The apostle of Allah sent a military expedition to Awtas on the occasion of the battle of Hunain. They met their enemy and fought with them. They defeated them and took them captives. Some of the Companions of the Apostle of Allah were reluctant to have intercourse with the female captives in the presence of their husbands who were unbelievers. So Allah, the Exalted, sent down the Quranic verse, ‘And all married women (are forbidden) unto you save those (captives) whom your right hands possess’. That is to say, they are lawful for them when they complete their waiting period. (Sunan Abu Dawud, Volume 2, Number 2150 https://www.sunnah.com/abudawud/12/110)

This same narration is found in all of the major hadith collections:

Chapter 36. What Has Been Related (About A Man) Who Captures A Slave Woman That Has A Husband, Is It Lawful For Him To Have Relations With Her?

1132. Abu Sa‘eed Al-Khudri narrated: We got some captives on the day of Awtas, and they had husbands among their people. They mentioned that to the Messenger of Allah, so the following was revealed: And women who are already married, except those whom your right hands possess. (Hasan) (English Translation of Jami‘ At-Tirmidhi, Compiled by Imam Hafiz Abu ‘Eisa Mohammad Ibn ‘Eisa At-Tirmidhi, From Hadith No. 544 to 1204, translated by Abu Khaliyl (USA), ahadith edited and referenced by Hafiz Tahir Zubair ‘Ali Za’i [Darussalam Publishers & Distributors, First Edition: November 2007], Volume 2, p. 502; underline emphasis ours)

(3) 3016. Abu Sa‘eed Al-Khudri said: “On the Day of Awtas, we captured some women who had husbands among the idolaters. SO SOME OF THE MEN DISLIKED THAT, so Allah, Most High, revealed: ‘And women already married, except those whom your right hands possess….’” (Sahih)
[Abu ‘Eisa said:] This Hadith is Hasan.

(4) 3017. Abu Sa‘eed Al-Khudri said: “we captured some women on the Day of Awtas and they had husbands among their people. That was mentioned to the Messenger of Allah so Allah revealed: ‘…And women already married, except those whom your right hands possess….” (Sahih)
[Abu ‘Eisa said:] This Hadith is Hasan.

This is how it was reported by Ath-Thawri, from ‘Uthman Al-Batti, from Abu Al-Khalil, from Abu Sa‘eed Al-Khudri from the Prophet and it is similar. “From Abu ‘Alqamah” is not in this Hadith and I do not know of anyone who mentioned Abu ‘Alqamah in this Hadith except in what Hammam mentioned from Qatadah. Abu Al-Khalil’s name is Salih bin Abi Mariam. (Jami‘ At-Tirmidhi, Volume 5, From Hadith No. 2606 to 3290, Chapter 4. Regarding Surat An-Nisa’, pp. 331-332; capital and underline emphasis ours)

To make matters worse, Muhammad granted his men permission to marry women for a short period of time for the sole purpose of gratifying their sexual cravings:

Narrated Jabir bin ‘Abdullah and Salama bin Al-Akwa’: While we were in an army, Allah’s Apostle came to us and said, “You have been allowed to do the Mut’a (marriage), so do it.” Salama bin Al-Akwa’ said: Allah’s Apostle’s said, “If a man and a woman agree (to marry temporarily), their marriage should last for three nights, and if they like to continue, they can do so; and if they want to separate, they can do so.” I do not know whether that was only for us or for all the people in general. Abu Abdullah (Al-Bukhari) said: ‘Ali made it clear that the Prophet said, “The Mut’a marriage has been cancelled (made unlawful).” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 62, Number 52 http://searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=62&translator=1&start=0&number=52)

Narrated Abdullah:
We used to participate in the holy battles led by Allah’s Apostle and we had nothing (no wives) with us. So we said, “Shall we get ourselves castrated?” He forbade us that and then allowed us to marry women with a temporary contract and recited to us: — ‘O you who believe! Make not unlawful the good things which Allah has made lawful for you, but commit no transgression.’ (5.87) (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 62, Number 13o http://searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=62&translator=1&start=0&number=13)

This practice continued to be observed until the time of Umar’s caliphate:

Ibn Uraij reported: ‘Ati’ reported that Jabir b. Abdullah came to perform ‘Umra, and we came to his abode, and the people asked him about different things, and then they made a mention of temporary marriage, whereupon he said: Yes, we had been benefiting ourselves by this temporary marriage during the lifetime of the Holy Prophet and during the time of Abu Bakr and ‘Umar. (Sahih Muslim, Book 008, Number 3248 http://searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=008&translator=2&start=0&number=3248)

Tragically, there were some instances in which women got pregnant through such unions:

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Urwa ibn az-Zubayr that Khawla ibn Hakim came to Umar ibn al-Khattab and said, “Rabia ibn Umayya made a temporary marriage with a woman and she is pregnant by him.” Umar ibn al-Khattab went out in dismay dragging his cloak, saying, “This temporary marriage, had I come across it, I would have ordered stoning and done away with it!” (Malik’s Muwatta, Book 28, Number 28.18.42 http://searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=28&translator=4&start=0&number=28.18.42)

Today such a practice would be called prostitution, plain and simple.

With the foregoing in view, it is obvious that Muhammad and his followers did to other people’s mothers, wives, daughters, nieces, aunts etc., the very thing that he did not want to be done to the mothers, wives, daughters, nieces, aunts etc. of Muslims.

In light of this, we would like to ask the followers of Muhammad such as Yusuf the very same questions that their prophet asked the young man.

Would Yusuf like it if someone contracted temporary marriage with his mother? What about with his daughters, sisters, paternal or maternal aunts? How about his grandmothers, granddaughters, female cousins, nieces etc.?

Moreover, would Yusuf be okay with a group of invaders coming to his country and taking his womenfolk captive in order to have sex with them? And would he be perfectly all right with such men taking his wives and having sex with them before selling them off to someone else (or even keeping them as their own personal property)?

So much for Yusuf’s desperate and dishonest attempt of distorting the Holy Bible in order to make it sound like the vile, wicked, immoral teachings of his god and prophet.

Source: https://answeringislamblog.wordpress.com/2017/06/28/old-testament-and-the-issue-of-rape-revisited/ 

IHS