Ethics

Adopted from the book : "A Glance at the World of Youth" by : "Al-Balagh Foundation"

Islam regards the issue of sex, and sexual rights, among the fundamental issues in human life, as well as, enacting the necessary laws and system for satisfying the sexual instinct and controlling its zest. In order to shed more light on the subject, let us examine some Islamic laws and their sources which discuss the issue of sex, sexual rights, enjoyment and beauty, and which show the pure sexual civilization free from sexual complications and which are present in some communities and ideologies, as well as, free from sexual declination and pollution.

The Qur'anic texts, Prophetic traditions, as well as, the legal laws extracted from the Qur'an and hadith, shed light on this issue. Indeed, this attention to sex laws confirms the importance of the sexual instinct in human life and the way Islam deals with the sexual issue and solving its problems, although giving detailed analyses to this issue needs a separate book. But, here, we will present an outline of statements and laws, as well as, sexual culture in Islam. Allah, the Most High, says: "And one of His signs is that He created mates for you from yourselves that you may find rest in them, and He put between you love and compassion..." Holy Qur'an (Rome 30:21)

"...Then as to those whom you profit by, give them their dowries as appointed..." Holy Qur'an (The Women 4:24) "And leave what your Lord has created for you to be your mates?..." Holy Qur'an (The Poets 26:166) "And they ask you about menstruation. Say: It is a pollution, therefore keep aloof from the women during the menstrual discharge, and do not go near them until they have become clean, then when they have cleansed themselves, go into them as Allah has commanded you..." Holy Qur'an (The Cow 2:222) "And marry those among you who are single and those who are fit among your male slaves and your female slaves..." Holy Qur'an (Light 24:32) "....so marry them with the permission of their masters, and give them their dowries justly, they being chaste, not fornicating..." Holy Qur'an (The Women 4:25)

"Your wives are a tilth for you, so go into your tilth when you like..." Holy Qur'an (The Cow 2:223) "Or He makes them of both sorts, male and female..." Holy Qur'an (Consultation 42:50) "And let those who do not find the means to marry keep chaste until Allah makes them free from want out of His grace..." Holy Qur'an (Light 24:33) There are tens of verses in the Holy Qur'an which discuss the issue of sex under the title of marriage, and, also, on the subject of woman and her relationship with a man. Also, the prophetic traditions discuss this issue technically, as well as, legally. But, when elaborating on these principles, it is necessary to understand that all these are not only advices and sermons, rather, they are laws and systems which the society, as well as, the individual must build their lives upon, and everyone will be taken to account, like they will be taken to account in the Hereafter.

To elaborate more we quote, here, some prophetic traditions, that the holy prophet (s.a.w.) said: "I like three things in this your world: perfume, women and prayer." 19

"Whoever marries has completed half of his religion." 20 "Whoever wants to meet Allah in purity, he should meet him with a wife." 21 Ummu Salma related to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) that a group of his companions prohibited women from eating in the day time and sleeping at night with themselves. The holy prophet (s.a.w.) addressed them, saying: "Are you running from women when I am coming to the women, eating in the day time and sleeping together in the night. Whoever turns away from my tradition (sunna) is not of me," and, so Allah revealed this verse: "... Do not forbid (yourselves) the good things which Allah has made lawful for you and do not exceed the limits, surely Allah does not love those who exceed the limits ..." 22

Holy Qur'an (The Table Spread 5:87) Surely, from the above texts, we can detect the following expressions and terms which show the importance of sex in human life, they are: "...that you may find rest in them..." Holy Qur'an (Rome 30:21) "...then as to those whom you profit by,..." Holy Qur'an (The Women 4:24) "And leave what your Lord has created for you to be your mates..." Holy Qur'an (The Poets 26:166) "...Your wives are a tilth for you..." Holy Qur'an (The Cow 2:223) "So go into your tilth when you like..." Holy Qur'an (The Cow 2:223)

All these principles call for legally respecting sex and satisfying the sexual urges and, at the same, warn against fornication, deviation and other sexual vices, as well as, pointing out the severity of punishments for illegal sexual relations like fornication, homosexuality... etc. And, also, through the statistics recorded by the institutions of health and crime, we can deduce why Islam prohibited these illegal conducts, and why it prescibed hard and severe punishment for them. Surely, if we understood the tragic and harmful effects of those illegal actions, we would be able to detect the justice and wisdom of those laws and that they are enacted for man's security and benefit not for rejecting and proscribing his sexual rights.

Notes :

19. al-Hur al-Amili, Wasail al-Shi'a, vol. 7, page 9.

20. Ibid., vol. 7 page 5.

21. Ibid, page 6.

22. Ibid, page 8-9.