Syed marrying non-Syed - Akhtar Khan

[Dr. Shabbir]

Email from Akhtar Khan, New Zealand

Can Non-Syeds Marry Women of Syed Families?



Q. In some part of the world, women belonging to Syed families are often told that they cannot marry anyone who is not a Syed. In fact some mullahs force the divorce of women who marry non-Syeds because they consider such a marriage a dishonor to the family. Is this right?

A. There is absolutely no truth in this tradition, which is contrary to Islamic values and principles. God has stated people's equality in many ways.

To give but one example, we may refer to the verse that states: "Mankind! We have created you all out of a male and a female, and have made you into nations and tribes, so that you might come to know one another. Truly, the noblest of you in the sight of God is the one who is most genuinely God-fearing. God is All-Knowing, All-Aware." (49: 13)

From the Islamic point of view, a man gains esteem by his actions, not by his descent. The Prophet (peace be upon him) married his cousin, Zaynab, to a former slave, Zayd. Three of his own daughters were married to people totally unrelated to him.

Nevertheless, we should give the descendants of the Prophet their due respect, but this does not exempt them from any religious or civil duty, nor does it deprive them of any right due to other people.

If a divorce is forced on a couple for no reason other than this difference of status, such a divorce is a gross injustice and its perpetrators have much to answer for before God.

Depending on the circumstances, the divorce could well be invalid. The so-called mullah who tries to enforce it is either totally ignorant of Islamic values or has some sort of interest in the matter.

Akhtar Khan
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[shez]

Nevertheless, we should give the descendants of the Prophet their due respect, but this does not exempt them from any religious or civil duty, nor does it deprive them of any right due to other people.

but he never had a son? so how come we have his direct descendents who call themselves Syed (by the way I am also Syed :-)

[Ahmed Mateen]

Salaam,

Dear Uncle! I agree with Shez, how could you say that Syed are descendants of Prophet. And why should we respect them if they are not worthy of?

May Allah increase us in knowledge

[Dr. Shabbir]

Oh, that was not my reply. It was Akhtar Khan and someone else.
:lol:

[Drcheema]

salaam
its amazing that majority of the so called "descendants of Rasool" are found only in Pakistan and india. The number of individuals who survived the so called "karbala" were very few ( if we accept the story as true), and given the fact a syed can not marry a non syed, how come we have millions of syeds in the vasts of india and pakistan.
In my home town there are three villages which are the factories of syeds, whoever lives there for couple of months becomes a syed.
With this i dont mean any disrespect to anyone, one of my own aunt is a syed . I only mean to show that there is some historical blunder.
And my brother is very right that Rasool saw did not have a son and according to the universal law only son carries the name of the family.
At the time of Rasool's departure , his uncle, Syedna Abbas r was alive, which nullifies the shiite claim of Syedna Ali's right over successor ship.
This is a cheap argument for the sake of argument when we suppose all the lies told by the dishonest historians were right
Otherwise, i dont believe if Syedna Ali had any conflict of interest with other respected Ashabah r.
regards
taseer