e unbelief of their husbands dissolved the
previous marriage; they now might legally contract fresh nuptials with
believers, provided only that restitution were made of any sums expended
by their former husbands as dower upon them."[284] But there is nothing
either to show that the women had their husbands at Mecca, or to prove,
that, on account of their husbands' unbelief, their marriages were
annulled. As marriage with women with husbands is forbidden in Sura IV,
verse 28, and the verse LX, 10, under discussion, does not designate
them as married women, I fairly conclude that this verse treats only of
such as were not married. It is not the Law of the Koran that the
unbelief of either party dissolves their previous marriage. It only
enjoins neither to marry idolatresses, nor to wed Moslem daughters with
idolaters until they believe.--(Sura II, 220.)

[Sidenote: 87. Stanley defended.]

Sir William Muir, after quoting Sura LX, 10-12, says, "Stanley on
Corinthians (1 Cor. VII, 1-40) quotes the above passage, and says that
the rule it contains "resembles that of the Apostle," Vol. I, page 145.
But there is really no analogy between them; the Gospel rule differs
_toto coelo_ from that of Mahomet:--"If any brother hath a wife that
believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her
away.--And similarly the case of a believing wife with an unbelieving
husband. (1 Cor. VII, 12-16.) Whereas Mahomet declares the marriage bond
_de facto_ annulled by the unbelief of either party, which indeed was
only to be expected from his loose ideas regarding the marriage
contract."[285] I think Stanley is quite correct, and the Gospel and the
Koranic rule resemble each other in this respect. Because the order,
"they (the believing women) are not lawful for them (unbelievers), nor
are the unbelievers lawful for these (believing women)," does not relate
to the women already married; and the words, "do not retain any right in
the infidel woman ... if any of your wives escape from you to the
infidels ..." are to the same purport as 1 Cor. VII, 15, "But if the
unbelieving depart let them depart. A brother or a sister is not under
bondage in such cases."[286]

[Sidenote 88. Marriage a strict bond of union.]

Mohammad had no loose ideas regarding the marriage tie. He had made the
marriage contract more firm and irrevocable, except under very
exceptional circumstances, than it was under the Arab society; and
called it "a str