Anabran

Marriage and the New Muslim

Date: 14 Aug 2008, 12:32 pm / Mood: hopeful

Asalaamu Alaikum Dear Brothers in Islam

Particulary New Brothers ( 2 years or less)



I am Anabran Abdul-Quarnain



I recently read an article in the Muslim link newspaper

that ached my chest as it Addressed an Issue

I consider to be a crisis in Ummah today.



That is the disasterously High divorce rates among New muslim men

Particularly from the Black american Community.



The author went into the various social/cultural baggage

that many black men wrongly bring with them to islam that keeps them from properly

implementing islam in their marriages causing them to fail and divorce.



I wont expand on those Destructive Black urban Cultural behaviors

regarding treatment of  females in the scope this particular blog because they are likely

well known to Most of us who grew up in "the hood" and later embraced islam as I did

at the  age of 42  two years ago



What I would like to address  is this problem I experienced

and continue to see new brothers experience coming from

his new muslim community.



Too often I see new brothers being strongly urged to Marry a Muslima

(any muslima) Soon after taking the Shahaddah.



within 90 days after my  Shahaddah I found myself frankly being admonished

( by well meaning brothers InshaAllah) for not "seriously" looking for a wife.



Yes Seeking Marriage is Sunnah in fact it is more than sunnah I consider it Obligation for EVERY Muslim man

,Whom Allah Asawajal has given  the means, to marry a Sister From AMONG US and our Deen

not from the Kufar.



Now what Does "Whom Allah Asawajal has given the means " really define??

Abviously the brother must have Viable income from a Halal source sufficient to support a wife Insha Allah.

But additionally and more importantly the bother MUST  have taken the time to study THE FIQH OF MARRIAGE in Islam

and the accompanying Sharia.( The Mahr, taking permission from the Wali, her role ,his role etc etc.)



This where we often fail our new brothers.

Because let me tell you Honest to Allah

spending many married or Dating/girlfriend years as a Kaffir or so called "Christian"or whatever

Is NOT Sufficient training or experience to become Amir of a Muslim family

if you have no knowledge of the broad Comprehensive Fiqh&Sharia of Marriage in Islam

given to us a Mercy from Allah Asawajal in Quran

There is no direct translation between the two lifestyles.



The Core of the Muslim Ummah is the muslim family

When there is Disarray, Weakness and ignorance at the core

the WHOLE Ummah becomes weak..May Allah Save us!!.





Consider this

What is a more important responsibility for the Muslim Man to Do???

Deliver a Khutba & lead the Salaah  on Jummah



Or produce the pure Correct seed of the next generation of the Ummah as Husband and father with ILM

(religious knowledge)of a Muslim Family.



Notice how we DO NOT go to the new Muslim

who has  4-5 Months in Islam and ask him to deliver the Khutba & lead the Salaah on Jummah .

 

Why not ??...Because We know his knowledge is basicly  ZERO (at this point) He has no Arabic

he has not memorized any Ayat or Dua he is not READY for the responsibility

for Delivering Khutba  & lead the Salaah on Jummah.



So Why do we go to the same New brother and Urge him to quickly take on the HUGE responsibilities

of becoming Amir of a muslim Family So Vital to the Core of our Ummah

when his knowledge is still so underdeveloped??



A new brother Must enter Islam Slowly with patience with focus on the basics

Ibaddah, Quran & all the five pillars. and then Ilm and specific fiqh

and then start the process of looking for a suitable Muslim wife

How long should this take ??... Allah  Knows best

I would just ask that we be patient and assist the new brothers in these fundamentals

as much as we can Insha Allah.

Jazakalah



Asalaamu Alaikum.



Anabran Abdul-Quarnain









ummleyla (02 Sep 2008, 11:22 pm):
AMEEN!I was supposed to get 10.000 kr from my ex but never got them
Anabran (14 Aug 2008, 6:33 pm):
May Allah Send ALL of our beloved sisters a rightous husband!!!
UmmMalika (14 Aug 2008, 5:44 pm):

Well I am not saying "go for the highest mahr possible" either, I dont mean that, I just mean that if he is prepared to pay 10.000 dollar for a girl from his country, apartment and car, why cant he do it for us? Just because we are inferior? Or not worthy because we been married before or have a past?

If he dont want to do that to a girl from his country either, sure, but there should be no difference.

I married young, and I was a muslim for only a year, I was still a "Quranite" at that time even, and man, was I wrong... Well Alhamdulillah we got two beautifull kids before we separated 7 years later... Because he did not want to build an islamic family, then I was branded "taliban" and "terrorist"...

Alhamdulillah, I meet a good man after that. A revert, actually :D But thats just a coincidense though!

UmmMalika (14 Aug 2008, 4:15 pm):

Salaam aleikum

Very important points given, brother. 

But I think the preasure of marriage is bigger on sisters. And sadly, all we are offered are visa-hunting loosers with no legal papers, no job, nothing. Telling us that "you cant have a Mahr because you have a child from another man" or saying that "the best Mahr is the smallest", and then after three years when they got their permanent residence (equal to greencard), its byebye and bring a virgin from back home, for the 10.000 dollars he saved while we were working our butts off to suppport him...

Did not happen to me, alhamdulillah, almost did, but I woke up before it was too late. Sadly many sisters dont wake up until it is too late... 

Miss_F (14 Aug 2008, 3:03 pm):
Masha'Allah.. I think you made a very good point there THE FIQH OF MARRIAGE . I believe both men and woman should educate themselfs and what is expected of them  in a marriage, the wife has her rights and the husband has his so it's important that they both know this before they get married.


but masha'Allah I think it was a really cool article and I enjoyed reading it

Salams

your sister in Islam

Firdausa

Anabran (27 Dec 2007, 1:12 am):
(Continued)

PART TWO
May Allah Save us
And even those Brothers who learn the Fiqh of marriage
and are ready for wives often find it Difficult because of the
Unrealistic Financial Burden placed upon them.
SubhanAllah.
 Look at some of the "matrimonial" sections of
some "Muslim publications"
 " I am seeking for my 23 year old Daughter
a man from my country who is a medical doctor or engineer etc etc."


Now if we study the Islamic Sharia
you will Find the family or Wali of the sister actually has the right to make such worldly demands on the prospective husband.
but intention is everything in Islam
Allah Aswajal knows our intentions and you cannot fool Allah
so if the intention is too just "secure" your Daughter/Neice's Financial Future
because of a mans medical degree,big house or whatever you are assigning the degree,money etc. one of the qualities and attributes of Allah and that My brothers is SHIRK.  it is Also OPPRESSION of the single Muslim females
what about their needs?? as women.

One of the signs of the hour is that Male population will decrease and Female
population will increase until one man will have to maintain 50 women
-Sahih Bukhari-

We are already seeing the beginnings of  this in Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E
where on can easily find many women over the age of 40 but  still virgins.
but there are no men left who can afford even their Mahr.
May Allah Save us

I Can only suggest we return to the book of Allah
and the sunnah of his Messenger (PBUH )and Marry for the sake of Allah
and Islam and Ask Allah Asawajal to lift the decorated veils of Shaiytan from our eyes and remove the love of Dunyah from our hearts Insha Allah.


Salams


Anabran Abdul-Quarnain

Anabran (27 Dec 2007, 1:11 am):
"very nice post bro but whats ur opinion on muslimahs because as i see u they have the same pressures and its  sometimes even worst."

PART ONE

I have been told by sisters Also  that there is tremendous family and social
pressure to find husbands,in the U.S. and world wide,
and unfortunately this strong Desire on the part of some to
"Just Be married" has led many sisters to be in a Dangerous hurry
and has lead to many destructive things like hateful jealousy of those sisters who do find husbands, "Cupid Shahadda's" ( Kuffar  men who take the Shahadda only to marry a cute muslim girl and live as Munafaq)
This Pressure also unfortunately can come from the family or Wali
of the female who for (Sometimes)worldly reasons want to get the sister from under their Care.
I am convinced that Shaiytan is successfully using
attachment to Dunyah ( the love of money,material & the American way of life)
to Weaken The Ummah of Muhammad (SAW) at its core, the muslim family.

Because of this Love of material we in our cultures
have made the Halal Difficult and the Haram easy
(See continued)
Nalia (27 Dec 2007, 12:57 am):
Salaams, I read your blog and agree with you 100%. Honestly, I married a new Muslim after being born and raised muslim and unfortunately my marriage ended in divorce for many reasons however the main one being our backgrounds were far to different which led to a multitude of other problems. I think its Very important that new muslim men and women find their balance within Islam before they marry, especially if they marry someone who was raised in Islam. I enjoyed reading your blog, inshallah check out my page and tell me what you think.  
muslimahZakirah (26 Dec 2007, 10:49 pm):

Salam walkaum wa rahmatuAllahi wa barkatoh,

I agree with some of the blog and its nicely writen... I think that its good to pressure BUT only you know if your ready to marry or not, You can not be forced to do anything. But i think another thing that needs to be adressed we have many reverts LIke me and you, that might be ready for marriage where is the ummah and community to help those to get married in a halal way. Where they can have no fitnah? We really need that to enforce to halal way for our brothers and sisters to have the oppertunity to have a postive marriage. I personally think that will help the divorce rate.

Tho a woman with out a wali should go to a masjid and ask a imam. what makes the imam uphold his duties. Some muslims are forced to going to matrominals OR not marry at all. these are both very difficat issues. and may Allah have mercy on us, forgive us and help us ameen

barakALlahu feekum for your hard work

Zakirah

aliascsc (26 Dec 2007, 10:05 pm):
Asalamo alaykum wa rahmatula wa barakatuhu....May Allah reward you for pointing this out...It is unfortunate that many new Muslims are pushed into things that should come with time and the natural progression of our faith!
Cultureboy (26 Dec 2007, 8:21 pm):
Jazakallah Khair for this good post bro.