Pati Parmeshwar (Hindi: पति परमेश्वर, Urdu: پتی پرمیشور), also called Majazi Khuda (Hindi: मजाज़ी ख़ुदा, Urdu: مجازی خدا), is a concept in South Asia that teaches that the husband is akin to a deity, being next to God. This teaching of Pati Parmeshwar or Majazi Khuda holds that it is the husband's role to provide for his wife. Indian and Pakistani women thus regularly pray and fast for their husband. For a South Asian married couple, the husband is viewed by his wife as an aid in her eventual salvation with respect to the afterlife. The concept of Pati Parmeshwar or Majazi Khuda originates in Hinduism, though it has been adopted by many practitioners of Islam in the Indian subcontinent.
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References
- ^ Becher, Jeanne (1991). Women, Religion, and Sexuality: Studies on the Impact of Religious Teachings on Women. Trinity Press International. ISBN 9781563380136.
In India and Pakistan, for example, a Muslim woman learns almost as an article of faith that her husband is her majazi khuda (God in earthly form).
- ^ Kumar, Hajira; Varghese, Jaimon (2005). Women's empowerment, issues, challenges, and strategies: a source book. Regency Publications. ISBN 9788189233143.
Both Hindus and Muslims teach to their women that husband is not less than a god to them (Pati Parmeshwar and Khuda-e-Majazi ).
- Hussain, Sabiha (2008). Exposing the Myths of Muslim Fertility: Gender and Religion in a Resettlement Colony of Delhi. Promilla & Company Publishers. ISBN 9788185002866.
The husband is the 'Parmeshwar' or the 'Mazaji Khuda' who fulfils his wife's needs and desires by working hard and earning money.
- Lebacqz, Karen; Sinacore-Guinn, David (1999). Sexuality: A Reader. Pilgrim Press. ISBN 9780829812107.
In India and Pakistan, for example, a Muslim woman learns almost as an article of faith that her husband is her majazi khuda (God in earthly form).
- Arora, Sudhir Kumar (2006). A Study of Kamala Markandaya's Women. Atlantic Publishers & Dist. ISBN 9788126906482.
- Hunter, Shireen (2005). Islam and Human Rights: Advancing a U.S.-Muslim Dialogue. CSIS. ISBN 9780892064717.
The husband, in fact, is regarded not only as the wife's majazi khuda (god in earthly form) but also as her gateway to heaven or hell and the arbiter of her final destiny. That such an idea can exist within the framework of Islam — which, in theory considers the deification of any human being as shirk (polytheism), regarded by the Qur'an as the one unforgivable sin, and which rejects the idea that there can be any intermediary between a believer and God, represent both a profound irony and a great tragedy.
- Hassan, Riffat (1986). "The Basis of a Hindu-Muslim Dialogue and Steps in that Direction from a Muslim Perspective" (PDF). Ecumenical Press. p. 140.
Some of these practices (for example, demanding the dowry or bride-price for girls at marriage) and concepts (for example, the husband is the wife's "majazi khuda" or god in earthly form) are clearly unIslamic. In fact, the "deification" of the husband is tantamount to shirk (association with God) and, thus, an unforgiveable sin. However, they have become so deeply rooted in Muslim culture that their association with, or derivation from, Hindu culture has long been forgotten, and they are regarded by many Muslims to be part of the Islamic "Shari'a."