Some Sayings of the Prophet

WOMEN AND ISLAM say that he is like a lion. But there is not as much force in saying that a person is ‘like a lion’ as in saying that he ‘is a lion.’ Examples of such usage abound in every language, including English. A notable one is to be found in the poem “Morte d’Arthur” by the celebrated poet Alfred Lord Tennyson: …More things are wrought by prayer Than this world dreams of, wherefore, let thy voice, Rise like a fountain for me night and day For what are men better than sheep or goats That nourishes a blind life within the brain, If knowing God, they lift not hands of prayer Both for themselves and those who call them friends. For so the whole round earth is every way Bound by gold chains about the feet of God. In this last line, the poet does not mean that the world is physically tethered to the feet of God by chains but merely wishes to indicate the unbreakable bonds between God and this world. In referring to the chains as ‘golden,’ he suggests these bonds have great beauty and value. By referring to the ‘feet’ of God rather than any other part of Him, he suggests the humble position of man in God’s divine scheme. It is, indeed, a vibrant metaphor. To return to the metaphor of the rib, in saying that if one tries to straighten a woman, one will break her, the Prophet was referring to her delicate nature. Physically, women are weaker than men; psychologically, they are more strong