Before we move into the final section, “Death: The Inevitable,” I want to take a moment to address some common concerns that many non-Muslim readers may have. Topics like polygamy, Sharia law, child marriage, stoning, and the Isra wa al-Miraj (the Prophet Muhammad’s ascension to the heavens) often come up. If I don’t address these, unanswered questions could linger, and the purpose of this website to provide clarity on Islam wouldn’t be fully realized.
Polygamy:
Let’s start with the Polygamy: Do muslim men really all have four wives?
There’s a common misconception that all Muslim men have four wives, but I can tell you that based on my experience living in a predominantly Muslim country for 13 years, that’s far from being correct. In fact, I’ve never came across anyone with two wives, let alone four. These days, polygamy is mostly seen among the super wealthy royal families or it can be found in certain rural areas in less developed countries, even so, it’s not something you come across frequently. Polygamy continues to exist in developed countries like the U.S., though it remains practiced by a small minority. In states such as Nevada, Arizona, and Utah, some church leaders have had as many as 20 wives, with the highest number recorded in 1890.
Historically, before the time of Islam, there was no limit on how many wives a man could have. In fact, the Old Testament mentions that having multiple wives was pretty common in ancient times. Take King Solomon, for example, he’s said to have had 700 wives and 300 concubines (according to 1 Kings 11:3). Even King David had several wives, Abigail, Bathsheba, Michal, Ahinoam, Maacah, Haggith, Abital, Egal, and these are just the ones named in the Bible. So, it was really a different time back then!”
Islam came and the Qur’an put a cap to 4 wives only: “Then marry those that please you of women, two or three or four. But if you fear that you will not be just, then marry only one…” (Qur’an 4:3) . The verse is very clear: it states that if you cannot be just, then you should marry only one. This reflects the norm in the Muslim world today, one wife not four.
The reality is that, whether Muslim or not, people around the world are facing similar challenges, having smaller families, and struggling to make ends meet, regardless of their religion.
Child Marriage:
One of the frequent criticisms raised by some anti-Muslim voices concerns Sharia law and child marriage, particularly focusing on the marriage of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to Aisha, who was 9 years old at the time. These critics often make harsh and hurtful remarks, calling the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) derogatory names mostly a “P—–l” because of this. However, they typically overlook the historical context and fail to do any basic research. If we take a look at history, we can see that, not too long ago, it was quite common for girls to marry much younger than what we consider normal today. Take my grandmother, for instance, she was from France and married at 16, eventually having 9 children. Her own mother, also from France, married at 13 and had 11 children. While the idea of a 13-year-old marrying today may be shocking or called “Child marriage”, it was actually normal and common in the late 1800s and early 1900s, which isn’t as far back in history.
In the 7th century, during the time of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), life expectancy was much lower, and it was culturally common for girls to marry once they reached puberty. This practice wasn’t confined to Arab culture; it was widespread across various societies globally. Here are a few historical examples that demonstrate it was still considered acceptable for girls to marry at that age as late as the 11th through the 14th centuries:
- Margaret of Scotland (c. 1045–1093) married Malcolm III of Scotland at age 8–9.
- Mary of Scotland (12th Century) married King William I of Scotland at around 9 years old.
- Princess Qian (Tang Dynasty, China) married the Tang Emperor at around 9–10.
- Joan of France (c. 1343–1376) married Charles the Bad, King of Navarre, at age 9.
- Isabella of France (1295–1358) married King Edward II of England at age 9 (some sources suggest 11).
You might ask: just because it was considered normal in the past for Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to marry Aisha at 9, does that mean it’s acceptable today for someone to ask a Muslim father if he’d allow his 9-year-old daughter to marry him? Honestly, I’d be curious to see anyone actually ask a Muslim father that question today. Unless the father is seriously unwell, I’m pretty sure the response would be one you’d never forget!
The Sharia Law:
Before we dive, I’d like to highlight that Sharia law actually requires Muslims to follow the secular laws of the country they live in.
Sharia law is a set of Islamic principles derived from the Quran and Hadith, guiding everything from personal conduct to criminal law and punishment. When it comes to personal conduct (like drinking, gambling, lying, eating pork), those are considered sins, not crimes under Sharia law.
The way Sharia is interpreted and applied can vary quite a bit between countries. In some places, it is fully integrated into the legal system, while in others, it exists alongside secular laws or mainly applies to personal and family matters. So, how Sharia is practiced can look very different depending on where you are, countries like Malaysia may have more lenient interpretations, while places like Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan may follow stricter practices.
Anti-Muslim critics often paint Sharia law countries as barbaric, but its primary focus is on protecting human life. In countries like Tunisia and Senegal, where they practice Sharia law at the federal government, sharia law is applied in these 2 countries mainly to family and personal matters and they abolished the death penalty. Similarly, Jordan uses Sharia law for family issues and hasn’t carried out any executions in a long time. Indonesia a non-Arab country with the largest Muslim population on earth with over 230 million Muslims, also applies Sharia law mostly to personal and family matters and has abolished the death penalty, except for extremely serious crimes or drug trafficking. Dubai (United Arab Emirates) also has a Sharia law for personal and family law, so is Qatar the country that hosted the soccer world cup in 2022.
Each country has tailored its legal system in a way that reflects its unique cultural, religious, and political environment. While sharia law is influential, they all have adapted their legal systems to be more secular in some areas, especially in the context of international business and tourism.
In other Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia, where the death penalty is still practiced, the death penalty falls under the Sharia law which gives the victim’s family options. They can choose to demand the death penalty if the offender is found guilty, forgive the offender, or accept compensation (known as “diya” or blood money). If the family decides to forgive, they can prevent the execution. Islam under the Sharia law encourages forgiveness as a virtuous act that is believed to bring rewards, but ultimately, the decision rests with the victim’s family. If forgiveness is granted by the victims’ family, the offender is free to go.
This is what the Qur’an says (the sharia law about murder):
“O believers! ˹The law of retaliation is set for you in cases of murder, a free man for a free man, a slave for a slave, and a female for a female. But if the offender is pardoned by the victim’s guardian, then blood-money should be decided fairly, and payment should be made courteously. This is a concession and a mercy from your Lord. But whoever transgresses after that will suffer a painful punishment.” Qur’an (2: 178)
Murder forgiveness as prescribed in the Qur’an cannot be found in the judicial systems of non-Muslim countries that still have the death penalty, such as the United States. In these countries, even if the victim’s family forgives the person sentenced to death, the execution will usually still take place, unless the governor or president issues a pardon. In such cases, the death sentence is typically commuted to life in prison without the possibility of parole, meaning the individual will never be released and will most likely die in prison.
For example, Troy Davis was executed in 2011 despite the victim’s family publicly forgiving him. Similarly, Carla Faye Tucker was executed in 1998 after the victim’s family forgave her, and Stanley ‘Tookie’ Williams was executed in 2005, even though the victim’s family had also forgiven him. The same applies to cases like those of Mumia Abu-Jamal, Hickok, and Smith.
As strange as this might sound, if they had lived in a country governed by Sharia law, they would still be alive today and free to walk the earth. In the end, what people see as right or wrong is shaped by their personal perspective, which is influenced by their upbringing and various external factors, mostly the media.
I do not support countries that enforce Sharia law strictly, especially since many of them lack a fair judicial system. Like anywhere, mistakes can happen, and innocent people can be wrongfully punished. What I’m getting at is, if the death penalty must exist at all, wouldn’t it be more compassionate to follow Sharia’s example of forgiveness and ultimately let the victim’s family decide to forgive or not the offender, instead of the government? After all, God is the most merciful, and shouldn’t we be too?
Like Muhammad (pbuh) said: “God will not be merciful to those who are not merciful to mankind”.
Where do the Sharia laws stand today, and can they adapt to the changes of time?
Yes, they can adapt to changing times through the practice of Ijtihad (which should not be confused with Jihad). Ijtihad allows Muslim scholars to reinterpret Islamic teachings in response to shifting circumstances, new knowledge, and evolving social needs that’s how and why in countries like Tunisia, Senegal, where they practice family sharia law they abolished the death sentence all together.
Historically, Ijtihad faced restrictions, particularly during the Ottoman Empire and later under colonial rule. In recent times, however, Muslim scholars have emphasized the relevance of Ijtihad to address contemporary issues that were not anticipated by classical Islamic jurisprudence.
Muslim scholars like Khaled Abou El Fadl, Fazlur Rahman , Amina Wadud , Tariq Ramadan, Mohammad Hashim Kamali, Ziba Mir-Hosseini recognize the need to adapt to different times and places. They argue that many rulings, especially in areas of social justice or economic policies, need to be updated to reflect modern values such as human rights, gender equality, and social justice.
Stoning:
Although this practice no longer exists, I feel it’s important to mention it to clear up a few things, as death by stoning is sometimes brought up by anti-Muslim critics when discussing Islam.
They often fail to mention that stoning was an ancient method of execution, similar to crucifixion, and existed long before Islam. In fact, there is no mention of stoning in the Qur’an.
Stoning was practiced for more than 2,000 years, long before Islam emerged in the 7th century, and I can easily prove it:
As mentioned, while stoning is not mentioned in the Qur’an, it appears 14 times in the Bible—11 times in the Old Testament and 3 times in the New Testament. There’s roughly a 1,500-year gap between Moses and Jesus (pbut) and about 500 years between Jesus and Muhammad (pbut). In the Bible, John 8:3-11, both Jesus and Moses (pbut) are mentioned in the context of stoning, therefore, stoning was carried out for at least 2,000 years before Islam came. see below:
“They said to him, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?’ …But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, ‘Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.'” John 8:3-11
I’d like to make a side note about this Biblical verse, although the crowd tried to force Jesus (pbuh), at the end, that woman was not killed.
“Anyone who blasphemes the name of the LORD is to be put to death. The entire assembly must stone them.” Leviticus 24:16
“You shall take the man or woman who has done this evil deed to your city gate and stone that person to death.” Deuteronomy 17:5
“Then two scoundrels came in and sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth before the people, saying, ‘Naboth has cursed both God and the king.’ So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death.”1 King 21:13
You can read more about death by stoning in Exodus 8:26; Leviticus 20:2-27, Leviticus 24:16; Numbers 15:32-36; Deuteronomy 13:10; Deuteronomy 22:21-24; Deuteronomy 22:13-21; Joshua 7:25; 2 Samuel 12:13-14; 1 Kings 21:13; John 8:3-11; John 10:31-39; Acts 7:58-60
In Islam, the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) emphasize a balance between justice and mercy, focusing especially on forgiveness and repentance. While Sharia law specifies certain punishments for specific offences, the Prophet’s teachings often prioritized offering individuals the chance to repent and seek God’s forgiveness, rather than immediately imposing harsh penalties. For example, just as some individuals convicted of murder can be forgiven, an adulterer can also be forgiven by their spouse, a choice considered more virtuous in Islam than carrying out the punishment of the time.
Muhammad’s Ascension to heaven (The Isra and Mi’raj): (This topic will require some advanced mathematics).
Isra and Mi’raj is one of the most pivotal events in the life of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). According to tradition, this miraculous journey took place in a single night. The Prophet was transported from Makkah to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, and from there, he ascended through the heavens (Mi’raj). During this journey, he met various prophets, including Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), and Isa (Jesus), and witnessed the wonders of the unseen, he described Heaven (Jannah) as a place of unimaginable beauty of eternal peace, and rewards beyond human comprehension.
Ultimately, he was brought into the presence of God, where he received the divine command for humans to pray five times a day as an expression of gratitude and humility.
There are two different perspectives on the Isra and Mi’raj: some believe it was either a dream or purely a spiritual journey, rather than a physical one, while others maintain that it was a miraculous physical journey.
This divide often fuels criticism from anti-Muslim voices, who ridicule the belief, questioning how over 2 billion people could be so ‘dumb’ as to accept the idea that a man travelled from Makkah (Saudi Arabia) to Jerusalem (Palestine), then ascended to the seventh heaven, out of space, and back in a single night, 1400 years ago.
From a scientific standpoint, it seems implausible, and they are not entirely wrong to poke fun at how ridiculous all this sounds, at least, until we begin to think a bit more deeply about the nature of faith and the miraculous.
Like I mentioned on the page 01 “The universe, God’s creation or a pure accident” I am originally from Batna, Algeria, and I am a Mechanical Engineer.
So, let’s consider the possibility that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) undertook a physical journey rather than just a spiritual journey or just a dream and that he did in fact travelled in one night from Saudi Arabia to Palestine to the 7th heaven and back before the next morning prayer. While the human brain is incredibly powerful, it remains limited in certain ways.
For instance, imagine you could travel 200 years back in time and tell people that in your world, you could cross the Atlantic in under eight hours, from North America to Europe. They’d probably laugh at you. Then you tell them, that it’s not only you, but another 300 people travel with you at the same time in the sky, now they’d think you are either dumb or completely out of your mind. But it doesn’t stop there. You go on to explain that this journey happens in a bird-like machine made of heavy metal, with wings that don’t even flap, and it weighs about as much as the equivalent of around 820 horses combined. At this point, you’d be the laughingstock of the era. Yet, despite their mocking, you know it’s possible because you’ve witnessed it firsthand, but they can’t quite grasp it. The same applies here, just because we don’t understand something doesn’t mean we should assume we’re so much smarter or that others are simply dumb or blind followers.
Take today, for example: engineers and scientists are discussing the possibility of travelling faster than the speed of light. It seems unimaginable, right? But the answer lies in bending space, as explained by Einstein’s general theory of relativity. Rather than viewing gravity as a traditional force, general relativity portrays it as the curvature of space-time, influenced by mass and energy. His formula is simply brilliant.
Rμν−21gμνR+gμνΛ=c48πGTμν
- Rμν: This is the Ricci curvature tensor, which represents the curvature of spacetime due to the presence of mass and energy. It is related to how much spacetime is “curved” or “distorted” by gravity.
- gμν: The metric tensor. It encodes the geometry of spacetime, including distances and angles. The metric tensor tells you how spacetime is stretched or contracted.
- R: The Ricci scalar (which is a trace of the Ricci curvature tensor). It’s a single value that gives a scalar measure of the overall curvature of spacetime.
- Λ: The cosmological constant. This represents a constant energy density filling space homogeneously. It’s often associated with the concept of dark energy, though it was originally introduced by Einstein as a “fudge factor” to keep the universe static (before he abandoned it after Hubble’s discovery of the expanding universe).
- c: The speed of light in a vacuum. It’s a fundamental constant that relates space and time.
- π: The mathematical constant Pi, which comes up in various aspects of physics, including geometry and wave equations.
- G: The gravitational constant. This constant sets the scale of the gravitational force in Newtonian physics and appears here in general relativity to relate curvature and energy.
- Tμν: The stress-energy tensor. This tensor describes the distribution of energy, momentum, and stress in spacetime. It includes things like mass, pressure, and the flow of energy through spacetime.
This equation illustrates how the geometry of space-time is influenced by the energy and momentum of matter.
If God, the almighty Creator of all these laws, wills to bend space, then it’s absolutely possible. As for us humans, we simply lack the means to achieve it at the moment, but we know for a fact that it is definitely 100% feasible. By bending space, one could theoretically travel from Earth to the seventh heaven in seconds, as quickly as it takes you to stand up and walk through a door.
So, considering all of this and understanding astrophysics and theoretical physics, do you still believe it’s impossible for Muhammad (pbuh) to have ascended to the seventh heaven?
I understand it and, therefore, I believe it is scientifically proven to be 100% possible. I can confidently say that I am a Muslim, and I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that God (Allah) exists. I also believe, without a shadow of a doubt, that Muhammad (pbuh) was His messenger, just as Jesus, Moses, and Noah were (peace be upon them)
What do you think? Do you feel ready to embrace Islam and experience the Heaven that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) described after you die?