Bhopal, July 27 (Pervez Bari): Dr. Aleem Khan Falaki, president Socio Reforms Society, has said that boycott is the call of the hour of un-Islamic weddings wherein there is exchange of “Jahez” (Dowry) coupled with extravagance.
Dr. Aleem Falaki was delivering a lecture on “Jahez Haraam Kyon?” (Why Dowry Is Illegitimate In Islam?) in the light of Holy Qur’aan & Hadees. The lecture was organised by MESCO ALEEF Bhopal Chapter at Hameed Manzil on 24th July 2017 in the wake of anti-dowry campaign.
Dr. Falaki, who is also an acclaimed Urdu poet, in his lecture stressed that just condemning the un-Islamic and extravagant weddings without boycotting it is hypocrisy. In the light of Quran and Sunnat it is obligatory on every Muslim to shun the extravagance by hand or by tongue or at least hate it in his heart. He said that the appeal of boycott is not related merely to the legitimacy in Islam, it is more related to the dignity, courage and desire to bring the revolution. How people can tolerate seeing their daughters of the community attracting towards non-Muslims, prostitution, odd jobs and the whole Muslim community is compelled to become drivers, peon, clerks, labourers due to this curse of dowry and dinners. People must stand to boycott if they have conscience.
5 pc Rich Muslims spoiling 95 pc of community
He said that there are three main obstacles in the way of eradication of “Jahez” (Dowry) and boycott of extravagant weddings wherein lavish lunches and dinners are served. First Ulema and Mashaekheen, except a few learned of them, are promoting the weddings of rich class. Second obstacle is the rich class in itself. The rich class overrules the Shariah and gathers thousands of guests on multi-dishes reception dinners. The percentage of those who can afford to spend by consent is only 5. They are spoiling the 95% of the community. While third biggest obstacle is the cadre of women. The society has become fully female dominated.
The dowry and the dinners are the roots of all social and moral evils among the Muslims. People are forced to earn by hook or by crook to fulfill the expenses of the dowries of their daughters and sisters.
If we do not take action, very soon the Muslim community will become worse than the Dalits’ both morally and financially, he cautioned.
Dr. Falaki raised the question that if the incidents of unknown Sahaba can influence the Ulema to make it a law of divorce, why not the wedding of Abdur Rahman bin Awf or Hazrat Ali did not become law of “NIKAH”?
Since a major portion of the parent’s saving is lost by paying dowry for their daughters and spending on unnecessary dinners, the sons are deprived of their right to inheritance; therefore, after the death of the parents, the sons too deprive the sisters of their right of inheritance. Both ways, this is violation of Quran. Allah has declared this act as “breaking of the line of control of Allah”, he stated.
LAME EXCUSE
He said that some people make a lame excuse that “If the dowry and the dinner are not given, the wedding of thousands of those girls will become impossible who are not of fair colour, blackish or uneducated or divorcee or widow or inferior due to many reasons”. It is not true. The dowry would have been the best solution if it were helpful to wed such girls. If it were the case that the fair colour, educated and posh family’s girls were married without any dowry while only the inferior girls needed dowry to be married, the mentioned excuse would have been acceptable. The situation is that the dowry is inevitable irrespective of the girls’ beauty, education, financial status etc.
He also pointed out that the owners of marriage halls, suppliers of gold, clothes, Basmati rice etc. are the main sponsors of terrorists like “Gaurakshak’ and other anti-Muslim movements. If the people abide by Sunnat and stop spending extravagantly, then the sponsors of un-social activities will die economically.
A large number of audiences including the ladies signed a pledge that they will not attend any marriage which involves dowry and the wedding day dinner by the bride’s father. Dr. Falaki took pledge from the audience, particularly from the women that they will not accept the invitation card of any wedding where the parents of bride will be burdened with “Mangni” or Reception dinner, dowry and other rituals.
Meanwhile, speaking on the occasion, Moulvi Mohammad Umar (Libya) said that the call for the boycott is absolutely appropriate for un-Islamic weddings wherein the Sunnat of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is not followed and indulgence in extravagance is on display. Muslims must attend only if the Nikah is in the mosque and Walima is held with simplicity. He quoted his own and his wife’s example of boycotting un-Islamic weddings for the last two years even of their closest relatives and in friends’ circle.
He categorically stated that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) did not give any “Jahez” to her daughter Hazrat Fatimah (R). There is no concept of “Jahez” in Islam, whatsoever.
Haji Mohammad Haroon, president Jamiatul Ulema Hind M.P Chapter, too addressed and showed his concern over the falling morale and economic conditions of Muslims due to extravagance in the weddings.
Saeed-uz-Zafar Siddiqui, president of Bedar Group, too addressed and pledged that the boycott campaign will be launched in Bhopal on the similar lines of Socio Reforms Society.
Dr. Sufiya Fatimah Husaini, Convenor of All India Muslim Personal Law Board Women’s wing, Madhya Pradesh unit, and Sohail Hasan, president of Share & Care NGO, also spoke on the occasion.
In the end a Questions and Answers session was held wherein ladies showed enthusiasm and stressed that the accusation on women is baseless as in most of the cases, it is the men who make it a matter of prestige and ego to gather hundreds of people in the wedding as a show of their strength and pride.
SOCIAL BLACKMAIL
Meanwhile, Dr. Falaki’s lecture was also held at other venues during his four day stay in the city. A lecture on Women’s Rights was organised for the staff members of Crescent Public School. The ladies staff evinced keen interest in the lecture and felt emboldened when told by the speaker that they were not any commodity but human beings. As such in matrimonial matters the girls should not succumb to social blackmail in the name of tradition and help parents to resist pressure tactics by the bridegroom side for dowry.
Crescent School Principal Mrs. Mahnaz Ismail, Director Shakeel Ismail and Administrator Rizwan Ismail were present amongst others on the occasion.
Another lecture was organised in the mosque of Kamla Nagar, adjacent to Hazrat Nizamuddin Colony.
At the outset Abul Ma’rif recited verses from the Holy Quran. Pervez Bari, Honorary secretary of the MESCO ALEEF Bhopal Chapter, compeered the programme.
It may be mentioned here that Dr. Aleem Khan Falaki was born in Hyderabad. He obtained Doctorate from Maulana Azad National Urdu University, (MANUU), Hyderabad. The topic of his thesis was Women’s Rights. He has Diploma in Marriage counselling from Leister, United Kingdom.
He has authored many books, several articles, papers and booklets published in various newspapers, magazines and Journals. The names of the books he penned include: Mard bhi jism bechte hain…. jahez ke liye (Urdu); Mard bhi bikte hain…. jahez ke liye (Urdu, deonagri); Life insurance and Muslims (English); Ek koshish aur…… (Counselling) in Urdu; Baat hai zamane ki (Urdu humour) & For Allah’s sake don’t make nafil Umra & Hajj a picnic (English, Urdu, Deonagri)
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He established business in Saudi Arabia living in Jeddah for nearly 40 years. He has now shifted to his native place Hyderabad.
As a film writer and producer Dr. Falaki has produced 4 short films (16 to 30 minutes) so far on the subject of dowry. Over 40 lakh viewers have seen so far on Youtube, Facebook, Motion films etc. so far. (pervezbari@yahoo.co.in)
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