Sexual Ethics in Islam and in the Western World
Chapter 1: Islam and Traditional Sexual Ethics
For Muslims, the institution of marriage based on mutuality of natural interest and cordiality between spouses represents a sublime manifestation of the Divine Will and Purpose. This is discernible in the Qur’anic verse cited below:
وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ خَلَقَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا لِّتَسْكُنُوا إِلَيْهَا وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَكُم مَّوَدَّةً وَرَحْمَةً
And one of His signs is that He created mates for you, that you may
find rest in them, and He envisaged between you love and
compassion ... (Quran, 30:21)
* *
According to Islamic tradition (sunnah), marriage has been deemed to
be an essential requirement. Celibacy has been regarded as a malevolent
condition fraught with evils.
The Islamic approach concerning marriage and morals differs from what
is known about some of the traditional moralizations of a negative kind.
Surprisingly enough, certain traditional moralists regarded sexuality as
something basically wicked. They viewed sexual intercourse; even with
ones legal spouse, as impure, evil, undesirable, destructive, and as if
it were characteristic of the guilty and fallen.
Still more surprising is the generalized view harboured in the West
that the traditional world commonly believed in the superstition that
ascribed an evil connotation to everything pertaining to sex. The famous
Western philosopher, Bertrand Russell, is no exception in this regard.
In his book: Marriage and Morals, he generalizes that:
" ... anti-sexual elements, however, existed side by side with the
others from a very early time, and in the end, where ever Christianity
and Buddhism prevailed, these elements won a complete victory over their
opposites. Westermarck gives many instances of what he calls 'the
curious notion that there is something impure and sinful in marriage,
as in sexual relations generally.
* *
In the most diverse parts of the world, quite remote from any Christian
or Buddhist influence, there have been orders of priests and priestesses
vowed to celibacy. Among the Jews the sect of the Essenes considered all
sexual intercourse impure. This view seems to have gained ground in
antiquity.
* *
... There was indeed a generalized tendency towards ascetism in the
Roman empire. Epicureanism nearly died out and stoicism replaced it
among cultivated Greeks and Romans. ... The neo-Platonists were almost
as ascetic as the Christians. From Persia the doctrine that matter is
evil spread to the West, and brought with it the belief that all
sexual intercourse is impure. This is, though not in an extreme form,
the view of the Church ..." [^1]
Negative sexual attitudes continued through the centuries to affect
masses of credulous people, in an adverse and also frightening manner of
repugnance towards sex. The high incidence of psychosomatic disorders
and spiritual ailments is largely and uniquely attributed by some
psychoanalysts to a widespread prevalence of deeply ingrained negative
sexuality.
What could have been the causative factors in the misconceptions about
sexuality? What could be the reasons for men to deny themselves the
natural satisfaction and the psychosomatic well being associated with
healthy and desirable sex? Why should people lead their lives, so as to
virtually condemn an essentially wholesome part of their lives? These
are some of the complex questions for which thinking men have yet to
provide meaningful and convincing answers. Yet, we all know that there
could be many different reasons for, and causes of, aversion to human
sexuality.
Apparently, the reasons include prejudicial thinking about sexual
desire and intercourse. The prejudice was carried to the extreme among
the Christians, in organizing their churches and the clergy.
The celibacy of Jesus Christ inspired them to the effect that married
status for saints and preachers was considered tantamount to pollution
of their chastity and piety. Accordingly, Popes are always chosen from
among unmarried priests. In fact, all the members of the Catholic clergy
are bound by their oaths of celibacy towards remaining virtuous.
Bertrand Russell says:
"Two or three beautiful descriptions of this institution (marriage)
have been culled out of the immense mass of the patristic writings; but
in general, it would be difficult to conceive anything more coarse or
repulsive than the manner in which they regarded it . ... The object of
the ascetic was to attract men to a life of virginity, and as a
necessary consequence, marriage was treated as an inferior state . ...
To 'cut down by the axe of Virginity the wood of Marriage' was in the
energetic language of St. Jerome, the end of the saint"[^2]
* *
Church approves marriage for purpose of human procreation. The need for
propagation of human species is not construed as something adequate to
lift the stigma of impurity from any sexual act. Another reason for
conceding marriage is to eliminate fornication between men and women.
Again to quote Bertrand Russell:
"Christianity, and more particularly St. Paul, introduced an entirely
novel view of marriage that it existed not primarily for the procreation
of children, but to prevent the sin of fornication" [^3]
* *
The Catholic church regards marriage as sacrosanct and binding until
death intervenes. Accordingly, dissolution of marriage, or divorce, is
not permitted. The prohibition of annulment of marriage or divorce may
have something to do with a possible desire to atone for the original
sin, resulting in the expulsion of Adam and Eve in an unmarried state.
Irrational attitudes towards women prevailed among some of the ancient
peoples. These included a notion that a woman was not a complete human
being; for, her situation as a creature might well lie somewhere between
a human being and an animal. Also, she was devoid of an articulate
spirit, so that she could never make it to Heaven! Similar other
superstitions were rampant in the past.
Fortunately, however, the aforementioned beliefs and notions were not
universally carried to the extreme. Any natural limits of women, as
identified and evaluated in the past, were not encroached upon. Any
impact of traditional ways of thinking did not go beyond cultivation of
a sense of pride by men and inculcation of a sense of inferiority among
women through generations.
Apparently, the belief in the inherent wickedness of sexual desire and
intercourse made men and women absolutely and equally distressed in
spiritual terms. Moreover, it caused a rather demoralizing conflict
between the natural instinct's urge and the religious or sectarian
belief about wickedness of carnal desire and sexual intercourse.
Spiritual ailments and unhappiness arising from the aforementioned
conflict included disharmony between genuine natural desires and
socially induced aversion towards their fulfilment. The problem assumed
extraordinary proportions, in as much as it became the subject of
intensive investigations by psychologists and psychoanalysts.
In the above context, the revolutionary logic of Islam can be of
extraordinary interest. Islam gives no slightest indication to the
effect that sexual desire is evil in itself, or that it is necessarily
fraught with evil consequences. On the contrary, the Islamic endeavour
in this regard is aimed at regulating human sexuality in a most humane
manner.
In the perspective of Islam, human sexual relations are limited only by
the genuine interests of the present society, or the posterity. In this
connection, the Islamic approach follows well known guidelines, leading
neither to any sense of sexual deprivation and frustration, nor to any
repressed or inhibited sexual desire. It is a pity that scholars, like
Bertrand Russell, who has evaluated the Christian and Buddhist morals,
have refrained from specifically commenting on Islamic ethics.
In his book: Marriage and Morals, Bertrand Russell mentions in
passing about Islam. For example, he says:
"Great religious leaders, with the exception of Mohammad and
Confucius, if he can be called religious - have in general been very
indifferent to social and political considerations, and have sought
rather to perfect the soul by meditation, discipline and
self-denial."[^4]
Nonetheless, it is true that from the Islamic point of view sexual desire is not only compatible with human intellectuality or spirituality, but is evidenced as part of the nature and temperament of the prophets. According to one tradition (hadith), love and affection for women were characteristic of the moral conduct of the prophets:
من اخلاق الانبياء حب النساء
“It is part of the morals of the prophets the love for women..” [^5]
There are several other traditions and narrations indicating prophetic
regard for women. According to some, the Prophet of Islam and the pious
Imams too have all explicitly demonstrated their love and regard for
their wives and the womenfolk. At the same time, they have strongly
disapproved of any human inclination towards celibacy or monasticism.
One of the companions of the Holy Prophet, Uthman ibn Maza’un, devoted
himself to Allah's worship to such an extent that he kept fast
practically everyday, as well as regular nightly vigils in prayers. His
wife brought the matter to the attention of the Prophet, who reacted
with visible annoyance and proceeded at once to where his companion was
and said:
"O Uthman! Know that Allah has not deputed me to encourage any
monastic life. My Shariah laws are meant for enhancing and facilitating
human accomplishment of their natural lives. Personally, I offer my
prayers, keep fast and maintain my conjugal relations. Accordingly, to
follow me in Islam means conforming to the traditions laid down by me,
which include the requirement that men and women should marry and live
together harmoniously"
* *
The Islamic position as explained above makes it clear that human
sexuality in itself neither represents any inborn wickedness, nor it
invariably signifies evil consequences. Furthermore, it clarifies that
wickedness has been traditionally ascribed to human sexuality in the
process of evolving religious morality in the Western world. Now, the
Western world has taken a 180- degree turn in reversing its extreme
traditional morals.
At present, the Western world believes in respecting and freeing sexual
desires and involvements through lifting of traditional moral
restraints. In fact, many Westerners now favour sexual permissiveness.
They contend that whatever morality has been inherited by them carries
no more than a religious connotation. They claim that today's new morals
are based on not only philosophical, but scientific reasons.
Unfortunately, the negative sexuality traditionally and recently
evolved in the West has penetrated the moral fabric of our society,
too.
This is despite all the erstwhile difficulty of international
communication. Now with the improved means of communication and regular
international contacts, the modernistic Western speculations are
virtually flooding our society, as will be explained later on herein.
[^1]: Bertrand Russell: Marriage and Morals, George Allen and Unwin Ltd., London, Paperbacks Ed. 1976, p.p. 31-32.
[^2]: Bertrand Russell: Marriage and Morals, George Allen and Unwin Ltd., London, Paperbacks Ed. 1976, p.p. 39-40.
[^3]: Bertrand Russell: Marriage and Morals, George Allen and Unwin Ltd., London, Paperbacks Ed. 1976, p.p. 35.
[^4]: Bertrand Russell: Marriage and Morals, George Allen and Unwin Ltd., London, Paperbacks Ed. 1976, p.p. 175-176
[^5]: Wasail, vol.3, p. 3