THE CIVILIZATION OF IGNORANCE

The courtroom was tense. The eyes of the three men in contention were literally sparkling fire. It was clear from their explanations they were all farmers disputing over the proceeds from a farmland on the same plot in the neighbourhood. It appeared one of them was against the two others and the two were against each other. The contentious farmland was a bit distant away from the respective farms of these two. While crossing to their farms, both had always taught this fallow land probably had no owner! And if it does, it does not seem the fellow would have a need for it anytime soon!!

Because of its proximity to the river, both had intended to take advantage of the ‘free’ fertile land to grow the favourite vegetable of the season come next rain. The intention of one was hidden from the other. Just on the day following the rainy night, each of them executed his plan. The seeds were sprayed. One sowed early, by sunrise in the morning; the other just before the sunset. A week after, the rightful owner of the farmland innocently visited to plant his yam! The owner did not visit his farm often thereafter. And whenever he chose to do so, it was usually during the day. He had no reason to be there too early at sunrise or too late at sunset. He was only anticipating when the yam would germinate or the time for weeding.

Meanwhile, both men on their own part had chosen these respective time to attend to the vegetable farms once or twice in a week. They spent most of the time and long hours of the day attending to their legitimate farms. Although there was a suspicion of an intruder from both parties whenever they visited the farm, they never cared to inquire since they had no right to do so.

Days had grown to months, the vegetables flourished and nearing harvest. The yam was also prominently making its way up. It was no surprise to the owner seeing vegetable grew on his plot. He had cultivated same vegetables on the farmland many years in the past. He considered it a naturally thing that old seeds become active and germinate again. Contrarily, both men knew there was a fire on the mountain when they saw fresh yam springing up in a well-spaced patterns across the plots. They decided it was time to harvest their vegetables but one day would not be enough. To do so hurriedly and in no time is the best way not to lose all they had laboured for.

 It was during these days that the owner and the farmers knew certainly that someone else was already fetching from the vegetables. Suspecting that the owner who planted the yam may be the one responsible, the farmers cared much less. However, the owner decided to be on his farm from cock-crow till chicken goes back to the roost (tribute to Chinua Achebe) to identify the culprits. He first caught one and while in the midst of the debate, the other also surfaced.  The three men then met eye-to-eye for the first time!

In their defence against accusation of thefts, each aggressively claimed ownership of the seeds. This is a strange claim that neither the party nor the owner of the farmland would agree to until they were eventually dragged to the court of law. How does the law settle this kind of tussle? Even if the owner of the farmland would eventually be given the fair right to own the seeds, would there ever be peace in the land again? He would sell and eat from their sweats while they watched with bitterness, grievances and hatred. Had the fire of mutual acrimony and insecurity not been perpetually lit?

You have just read a fiction. An unreal story from my imagination to metaphorize the danger of polyandry-an advanced legal adultery. The women are like farmlands. Their genital is the opening through which seeds of humanity are planted. Men are meant to be the cultivators who sow their seeds into these openings-one for each for a given period. This is exact analogy used by God. ‘Your wives are a place of sowing of seed for you, so come to your place of cultivation however you wish’ (Q2:223)

God’s design for humanity is procreation through legal, human, man-woman marriage. The same natural law holds for every other lower living being to mate with opposite gender of its own kind. For men, this divine purpose is better observed by polygamy apart from the natural need of woman for support and maintenance from men. A man can have many wives just as he can own and farm different plots at a time with his seeds. In contrast, a woman cannot so switch from one man to another concurrently at the same given time just as a single land cannot be given to many farmers to cultivate with their different seeds sown into it at the same time. Many lives have been lost to crisis arising over controversial ‘land’ or its ‘products’.

To use a man’s right to more than one wives to argue the case of a single woman for more than one husbands at a time must be close to emotions and naivety than wisdom and critical thoughts. When a farmer acquires more than one farmlands legitimately and responsibly takes care of each of them, he may be lucky to have more fruits. As with as many seeds as he can plant, he can approach his farm and sow it. It is an honour as he goes from one to another and each one bears fruits for him, if God wills. He feels kingly even as an ordinary man because it is no typical of kings, emperors and the powerful, from old till date, to have one ‘land’.

The analogy of what is good for the geese is good for the gander in the name of equal rights, freedom or liberation for women to support deviant marriage like polyandry prominently echoes the retrogression of our society into civilization of ignorance worse than existed in the dark ages. The dark ages were not covered in dark clouds. Perhaps the ambience of the weather conditions was even better. There was a safer and natural environment than we have in the contemporary threats of climate change. People in those ages may not have as much exposure as we have today but certainly there were people with minds brighter than ours. The darkness or brightness of minds of men is a reflection of their moral character and sense of values. If civilization is about exposure, we are civilized people in the age with darkest of minds.

In our own clime, the exposure had filled us with so much confidence to find the forbidden fruits. Not only that we went near and touched, we ate, took its seeds and replanted in the homes, schools, markets and everywhere. The present world taunted as society 5.0 of the civilization has slipped into the age of Lot when same sex marriages were practised. It had sunken into the abyss of ignorance in the old mecca when women kept their door open for different men to sleep with them as a societal norm. There were voices advocating for this again in our time in the names of rights and freedom.

Polygamy, polyandry and sodomy existed as old practices in the religious and historical texts. However, there is a distinct demarcation. While polyandry and sodomy were attributed to people of low esteem and value, polygamy were practiced by eminent people like the prophets of God. Solomon, Abraham, David and many others were married to multiple wives. The biblical accounts put the wives of David to six while attributing 700 wives and 300 concubines to Solomon! 1000 women to one man!! Although according to Islam, this number is not more than 100.

To ensure sanity and regulate self-control, Islam came on board to protect polygamy from becoming an abuse and in defence of women folks. Polygamy was restraint to four women at a time with emphasis on justice and responsibility. Polyandry and same sex marriages of those ages ever remain out-lawed. Yet, people with dark minds in our civilization age still puzzle their legality with desperate vigour and valour.

While the polygamy beyond four women is excessive, reckless and greedy, and a monogamy is just fine as a default and basic standard, in between the two are the options for those who desire to fulfil the wish of God for humanity to procreate in abundance while taking full responsibility for the assets and liability that come with each and every of the extra woman added. Polygamy entails fidelity, finance, commitment, stewardship, sacrifice, responsibility, accountability, fairness and equity. No man has faith in the after-life encounter with God and take it as a mere privilege to discharge a worrying emotional fluid. 

A well-practiced polygamy is civil. Polyandry is evil. No better way to practice a bad and outlawed scheme. Polygamy is the correction. Polyandry is the crisis and corruption. When more than one seeds are sowed into a same plot of a farmland, who owns the produce? When these produces are not claimed, what becomes of the society where multiple of them exist? Anarchy, rape, juvenile delinquencies, criminality and insecurity. What is the occupation of men of the street, born by everybody born to nobody?

Why does God legislate that women remain inside their matrimonial homes for three months in case of divorce or four months and ten days in case of death of their husband before they can leave or be remarried? This is to complete repeated mensural cycles and observe the occurrence of pregnancy lest a woman is remarried while carrying the seed of another man and eventually bear a controversial fruit. Due to its gravity, God further admonished the women not to engage in this mischief deliberately lest they cause tension in this world and face trouble in the next: ‘and it is not lawful for them to conceal what Allah has created in their wombs if they believe in Allah and the Last Day’ (Q2:228)

This is why polyandry- a legalized adultery is a recipe for crises due to confusion of paternity. It is clear that those who advocate for it are only seeking a legal backing for promiscuity and prostitution. Their goal cannot be at par with marriage where children are legitimately desired. Who expects a child from a prostitute? Oh sorry! They are now commercial sex workers! When a madman is a called a bridegroom, he feels more dignified and many more could adopt his style!!

In our civilized age, sex has become a legal commodity for tender, advertise, display and exhibit for sale! We had read in the news that these ‘workers’ sometimes declare ‘free services’ as bonuses for the regular customers during special periods!! An example was when the National Association of Nigerian Prostitutes announced the three-day of such contribution to national development to celebrate the victory of Muhammadu Buhari in the presidential election in 2015!!! I read with repugnant the following remarks from the association from the news page: https://www.ibtimes.com/buhari-wins-nigeria-elections-prostitutes-offer-free-sex-nationwide-celebrate-1867988

‘As part of our earlier promise, we will be declaring a three-day free sex nationwide. We want all our members to honor this directive… We want to use this privilege to beg the president-elect to look into the welfare of this association. We believe his victory will surely better this harmless struggle’

When a family of an African decent can watch a member of his household belonging to such an association and there are public fights in the religious circles over ‘intimate affairs’ involving men of god, it is indeed the era of civilization of ignorance. This article was inspired by a video of a woman who paraded her seven husbands in the recent week. When next they query the increasing incidences of wild misconducts in our society, ask what can be better expected from young folks with controversial paternity-The black sheep dragging everyone into mud. Only the legitimate ones are conscious to regard their fathers ‘names and remember the sons and daughters whom they are.