"One in Whose Heart is a Disease" - What is this Disease?
"Oh wives of the prophet, you are not like any other women. If you are righteous, then do not speak too softly, lest lest one in whose heart is a disease (fee qalbihi maradun) will move with desire; you shall speak in an honourable manner." [Qur'an 33:32]
Those who have studied the Qur'an sufficiently will notice an important point that deserves mentioning and clarifying.
In the above Verse it can be noted that it says "one in whose heart is a disease", and we will discuss this expression at some length here.
As commonly misinterpreted, many suppose that this "disease" mentioned in this Verse of the Qur'an, is a disease which all men can carry. It is assumed to be some sort of a filthy disease where men feel aroused by the voice of a woman.
However, we will see shortly that the "disease" refered to in this Verse of the Qur'an, is far from the disease commonly supposed by those who lack the knowledge of the Scripture.
For its true intepretation, we must look at all the other Verses which mention the same expression 'those with a disease in their hearts'. When we analyse the Qur'an attentively, we find that this expression has been repeatedly used through out the Qur'an.
When we look closely, we find that this term 'those with a disease in their hearts' has been consistantly used in the Qur'an to refer to a single group of people. This group of people, are the hypocrite disbelievers during the Prophet's time.
Let's look at Verse 1:
"There are some people who Say: 'We believe in God and in the Last Day,' but they are not believers. They seek to deceive God and those who believe, but they only deceive themselves without noticing. There is a disease in their hearts, (fee quluubihim maradhun) and God increases their disease, and they will have a painful retribution for what they have denied." [Qur'an 2:8-10]
In the above Verse the expression has been used explicitly to refer to hypocrite disbelievers who are trying to fool the believers and to gain victory over them. So we learn very clearly it is the hypocrites who have a disease in their hearts.
Verse 2:
"The hypocrites, those who have a disease in their hearts (fee quluubihim maradhun) said: "These people have been deceived by their religion." But whoever puts his trust in God, then God is Noble, Wise." [Qur'an 8:49]
It is explicitly mentioned in the above Verse again, that it is the hypocrite disbelievers are who have 'a disease in their hearts'.
Verse 3:
"O you who believe, do not take the Jews and the Nazarenes as allies, for they are allies to one another; and whoever takes them as such from amongst you is one of them. God does not guide the wicked people. You will see those who have a disease in their hearts (fee quluubihim maradhun) hurrying to them, saying: "We fear that a disaster will befall us!" Perhaps God will bring a victory or a decree from Himself, then they will become regretful over what they had kept hidden within themselves." [Qur'an 5:51-52]
In the above Verse, Allah is expecting us to to interpret "those who have a disease in their hearts" from what He has explicitly told us in Verse 1 and Verse 2 that we have discussed. So this Verse is saying how the hypocrite disbelievers are the ones who are befriending with the Jews and Christian when it says "You will see
those who have a disease in their hearts (fee quluubihim maradh) hurrying to them..."
Do you think 'those who have a disease in the hearts' hurrying to Jews and Christians refered to in this Verse, is refering to 'men who get aroused by women's voice'?
Ofcourse not. Although Allah does not explicitly state who these people carrying a disease in their hearts are, He expects us to use our reason and logic to intepret this correctly using other Verses (such as Verse 1 and Verse 2 as discussed).
Verse 4:
"And when a chapter is revealed, some of them Say: "Who has been strengthened in faith by this?" For those who believe, it increased their faith, and they rejoice. As for those who have a disease in their hearts (fee quluubihim maradhun), it only increased foulness to their foulness, and they died as rejecters.
In the above Verse, Allah states that those who believe are strengthened by the Qur'an's revelations. But, 'those who have a disease in their hearts' ie. the hypocrite disbelievers, are increased in their foulness etc. Do you think 'those who have a disease in the hearts' refered to in this Verse, refer to 'men who get aroused with women's voice'?
Ofcourse not. Allah does not explicitly state it who they are but we are expected to use our intellect to work it out. We used our reason and logic and other Verses such as Verse 1 and Verse 2, which these people are.
We see that the term has been used consitantly through out the Qur'an to refer to hypocrite disbelievers. And that there are even Verses where we are expected to make this intepretation ourselves.
Now that we have found the correct meaning of this term, we can hope to understand the Verse we started of with:
"Oh wives of the prophet, you are not like any other women. If you are righteous, then do not speak too softly, lest lest one in whose heart is a disease (fee qalbihi maradun) will move with desire; you shall speak in an honourable manner." [Qur'an 33:32]
In the exact same way the expression 'those with a disease in their hearts' has been used here. It is the hypocrite disbelievers refered to in this Verse by the term 'those with a disease in their hearts'. The most important and vulnerable household during the time of the Prophet, is the Prophet's home where people visited. This unfortunatrly included disbievers acting as true Muslims who come into the Prophet's house seeking only to make trouble, and are their to take advantage of the Prophet's wives.
This Verse warns the Prophet's wives to be aware of these hypocrite disbelievers. The 'disease' is the hypocrite disbeliever's disease of disbelief leading to hypocrisy in an attempt to deceive the sincere believers.
Now, the common notion that this Verse refers to some type of 'filthy' disease that ALL MEN can carry where they get aroused by the sound of women's voice is dispelled now that we have studies the Qur'an more detail.
This is an important understanding that can only be derived by studying all the Verses of the Qur'an and pondering over them, as is due, and is very important. A lack of understanding of this Verse has lead to Muslim men and women not integrating well at all. They have been told that men can get aroused, just by the sound of a woman's voice, so they distance as much as possible from one another. They also do not bother to research the Qur'an themselves because they have left it to people who tell them what's in it, thus the perpetual spell of ignorance continues.
"See how We explain the Verses by various ways; that they may understand." [Qur'an 6:65]
"It is such that We clarify the Revelations to a people who think." [Qur’an 10:24]
See the sister article 'Muslim women permitted to sing according to the Qur'an':
http://www.islamicaweb.com/forums/ar...ing-quran.html
"One in Whose Heart is a Disease" - What is this Disease?
