Flowers for the Women Wearing Veils - Volume I — Page 178
! ! 178 can gain the most income from , regardless of whether the two are compatible or suitable for each other. Some parents are so ruthless that they do no t even consider the age difference. For instance , it is common among Hindu s to marry a five - or six - year - old child to an elderly man of eighty years. This is not marriage, but a slave trade. Shariah law does not permit slave trade , for each person has the right to freedom and no one can take this right away. Human Freedom Cannot b e Sold It is entirely possible that some people may believe that children are the parent’s property , so they have t he right to benefit from them, but that too is not allowed. M y belief is that one cannot even sell one’s own self. I do not believe that it is permitted to sell onesel f , let alone have so meone else sell you, even if they are your own parents. Parents have no right to sell the freedom and liberty of their children, but alas there exist such parents , who feel no anxiety over this. A female farmer used to visit our house from a nearby village. She would happily boast how they had married o ne daughter off for this much money and another for that much money , thus ridding them of their debts. They married them off so far away, tha t they have yet to visit them. If parents are allowed to procure the mehr u nder such circumstances , it w ould be a grave injustice and would go against God ’s will, forcing girls to suffer pain and misfortune. The Result o f Well - Intentioned Marriages There is no doubt that sometimes, parents agree to a match after much contemplation , yet that marriage still fails to be a source of comfort for her. However , it i s clearly evident that the ir intentions were not impure, and in such circumstances, she does not blame them. She believes her parents married her off after careful consideration. Beyond that, it was her destiny that her partner was not a good match. She then strives to live her life with patience and gratitude.