Protection (ismah): divine protection, sanctity of life and the marriage bond

العِصْمة

In the lexicon, ismah is the act of preventing and protecting; the jurists also use it of the marriage bond, as in the Qur'anic reference to the bonds with unbelieving women ¹. As a term it has three senses: the protection God gives a person from sins; the protection that makes a person and his property sacred, so that retaliation or compensation is due on violating it; and the protection that makes violating it sinful without retaliation or compensation ¹ ². The text states that the messengers are protected from sins after their mission, and that on their prior state the sound view it records is that they were free of every defect ¹ ². Sacredness of life and property is gained by the testimony of faith, and by a covenant of protection such as a treaty or safe-conduct ² ³. The marriage bond ends by annulment, as for apostasy or defect, or by divorce; the husband normally holds the power of divorce, and a wife holds it when he delegates it to her or when she stipulated it ³ ⁴.

Summary

In the lexicon, ismah is preventing and protecting; the jurists also use it of the marriage bond ¹.

Its three senses

The first is the protection God gives a person from sins. The second is the protection that makes a person and his property sacred, so that retaliation, compensation or damages are due on violating it. The third is the protection that makes violating it sinful without retaliation or compensation ¹ ².

The protection of the messengers

The text states that the messengers are protected from sins after their mission; on their state before it, it records as the sound view that they were free of every defect ¹ ².

How sacred protection is gained

A Muslim gains it by the testimony of faith; others gain it by a covenant of protection, such as a treaty or safe-conduct ² ³.

Ismah in marriage

The word is used figuratively for the marriage bond. It ends by annulment, as for apostasy or defect, or by divorce; the husband normally holds the power of divorce, and a wife holds it when he delegates it to her or she stipulated it ³ ⁴.

Where to look further

The prophets are treated under «prophets», divorce under «talaq», and delegation under «tafwid» ⁴.

Sources

al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.11644

al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.11645

al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.11646

al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.11647

Hanif (the description of Abraham)

Sha'rawi holds that the root of hanif is a bend in the lower legs, and that the sense was then carried over to anything crooked. A hanif is therefore one who turns away from the crookedness of his people. He affirms that Abraham was upright, but came into a world of idolatry and crookedness, and was a hanif by turning away from it. He adds that prophets come only where there is a deep corruption of belief and law.