If words were stocks, filhaal just skyrocketed in value. Danish Taimoor’s statement on polygamy wasn’t new, but the way he framed it? Now that was something. His love and respect for Ayeza Khan were emphasized, sure, but for the time being, (filhaal) made it sound like a limited-edition commitment. Intentional? Accidental? And in a space where Ramzan transmissions blur the lines between spiritual discourse and viral entertainment, filhaal became the soundbite of the night—because nothing gets people clicking like a well-placed foot-in-mouth moment.
“If Allah has permitted something, it has been permitted. If we are not acting upon it, that is different. I say this to (Ayeza), and I will say this in front of her (Ayeza) and everyone else — I have permission to marry four times, but the fact that I am not doing it is another thing. This permission has been granted to me by Allah, and no one can take it away from me. But this is my love and respect that ‘for the time being(filhal)’ I want to spend my life with her (Ayeza). I am not doing it(remarrying), out of my love and respect for Ayeza.”
Danish Taimoor’s take on a man being allowed 4 marriages in Islam is one we’ve heard many times. In a society that is termed misogynistic, difficult for women to survive in, the debate on 4 marriages, the conditions under which it should be allowed, is one to certainly spark conversations. The fact that Danish’s thoughts were aired in public, before his smiling wife, seemed to trigger a question mark for many – why state the obvious, and that too, on national television before the very person whom you spent a good 15 minutes appreciating, also on national television?
Unfortunately we could not find the religious discussion Danish and Ayeza referred to earlier regarding marriages, since it was not included in the clip, which would lead many to wonder why this clip about 4 marriages had to be included right towards the end of a 26 minute live transmission in which Ayeza Khan and Danish Taimoor shared some endearing moments about their married life – as a couple and as parents.
It is no secret that celebrities often bid farewell to a private life in today’s mega-Instagram-able lifestyle where every move – from the child’s first day at school to what they ate for lunch, a vacation in Europe and breakfast at the beach has to be shared to hit instant likes and followers.
But one wonders who to blame when bits and pieces of conversations that could have stayed home, creep in, uninvited on live talk shows – any one who will watch the segment on YouTube will leave with a smile on their face as Ayeza Khan, who gives very few public interviews, offers to share a few insights into her day, and how the couple parents their children – the two came off as responsible, caring, mature adults who give great takeaways to young celeb couples on how to keep things sane in a life that often has everything ‘crazy’ written all over it: from managing a bustling home, to modelling, acting and overseeing a business, to parenting and taking care of the house – Ayeza Khan and Danish Taimoor were throwing instant celeb couple goals till… the tale end of the YouTube Ramzan transmission segment where Danish felt the need to proclaim his right to 4 wives, dropping a generous/arrogant(?) tone about how he respects and loves his wife (for the time being at least) to not want to indulge in another marriage, although he has every right to, if he wishes it.
But this conversation is not about our religion allowing men to have 4 wives. It is not about when and how the requirements to marry more than once are met by a man. It’s also not about the fact that a man is required to treat all 4 wives equally, to give them the same financial, emotional, physical support, and also about looking towards marrying orphans or divorcees, or mothers who have lost their husbands; mothers of orphans – this conversation is about why can we not use Ramzan transmissions as a platform to educate and inform men and women about the practices in Islam that are open to debate.
It also involves leveraging content that is known to attract clicks, go viral, be shared widely, gain engagement, and frequently be distributed out of its original context.
For example, a close look at what Danish Taimoor has to say about 4 marriages seems to have no context with the conversation before or after the 1 minute or so in which he shared his views. And without doubt, that is the one minute in the entire 26-minute segment that got maximum traction.
This conversation is not to defend a man on taking 4 wives, neither is it to condemn him for speaking out what many men love to hear (and women, not so much) on Islam allowing 4 wives. This conversation is not a debate or an informational piece on Islam. We have a multitude of websites, scholars and learned religious teachers – and the Quran itself to consult on the above points.
But this conversation is to point out:
- Why Ramzan transmissions – a prime messaging platform to get the word across to the masses, cannot be employed to clear the (mis)understandings about 4 marriages – when are they allowed, under which conditions are they recommended and when they are not advisable.
- Why Ramzan transmissions cannot throw light on related pressure points where our public is misinformed by encouraging debate and educated points of view on Blasphemy laws, the nikah nama, rights of women in Islam, and related to that, rights of a husband, parents, children, our neighbours, forced marriages, rights of young adults… and the list is endless.
- Why Ramzan transmissions cannot be curated for conversations that incite, create further rift, doubt or misunderstanding, or at least, fail to clarify the confusion regarding certain topics – social and religious (they are connected), regarding family life and marital relationships, but rather, resort to screening content that might be considered inflammatory and click-bait in many instances as well.
On a final note: When celebrities grace our talk shows, especially when they are scheduled to appear everyday, throughout Ramzan, it is a well known fact that they bring along with them, their million or so followers who love to see them onscreen; candid, unrehearsed, live, serving up a glimpse into their everyday lives, sharing a few moments with their fans. And make no mistake that these fans hang on every word their idols utter onscreen.
All the more reason to think before you speak?
Responsibility, therefore, lies on content creators, hosts, guests and participants of Ramzan transmissions to curate a show that can truly make a difference and address the pressure points in our society – the same pressure points Pakistani dramas spend all year to address, create awareness about, eradicate or at least, spark conversations about. Why is it only up to a handful of content creators to shed light on the horrific reality of mob violence, the responsibility of clerics, the challenges of a common man, and responsibility of social media, and that too, in months that are not considered the holiest of them all, while all of Ramzan, one of the holiest month in the year is dedicated to accumulating viral views, editing content to trigger a certain reaction from audiences – viral views, shares, engagement and conversations – that have little to do with clearing misconceptions among the masses, but a lot more to do with the end game – making your content open for business.
Ask content creators who view this month as a prime cash cow, here’s what we need to ask ourselves:
It’s Ramzan 2025, if you’re in the business of content creation, be it acting, producing, directing or script writing, are you taking advantage of this month to build your business responsibly, or, is it just a high season for you, to take your business to the next level and hit more views than your competitors – think fast and on your feet, you have 30 days(15 down already), and time is running out.
This conversation stems from Danish Taimoor’s remarks on polygamy during a Ramzan transmission on Green Entertainment.
