WOMAN
I. Man and
Woman - A Comparative Study
For ages, men did not treat the woman-folk with
justice and fairness. That woman was inferior to man in intelligence, was, for
long, regarded as a self-evident truth. All the dull and uninteresting tasks
were, therefore, assigned to her. In the civilisation man built up, woman had to
be content with an inferior role. It is only recently that woman has begun to
assert her rights and claim equality with man. Though the intellectual climate
of the present age is generally favourable to woman's demand for equality, the
question of its validity has not quite emerged from the smoke of the
controversy.
No doubt, there are differences between man and
woman, but they are in fact far fewer than those which used to be quoted. Even
these few are largely biological. A potent difference is that in physical
prowess. The male surpasses the female not so much in his capacity for endurance
as in the intensity of his muscular action. He generally runs faster and punches
harder. His red blood corpuscles which carry oxygen from the lungs to the
muscles are ten percent more abundant than those of the female. Then her
feminine (biological) peculiarities and maternal duties not only consume her
energies to no inconsiderable extent, but also confine her indoor for long
periods. All these factors supposedly keep her weaker of the two. Hence the
tasks demanding great physical strength or regular out-door activities, such as
fighting and hunting, were naturally assigned to the man, while the woman
generally took over the lighter and domestic tasks, such as cooking and washing.
As physical strength was an essential value for a primitive group constantly
threatened by other hostile groups, man soon secured for himself a dominant
position in the tribal set up. As this state of affairs continued for long ages,
men consolidated their position of dominance and ruled over the women-folk with
a high hand. Gradually women were reduced to the position of serfs.
The truth slowly dawned on man's mind that he had
over-estimated the value of physical strength and military prowess. He realised
that other abilities are equally valuable. In modern society, intelligence is
valued more than bodily strength. The psychologists tell us that woman is man's
equal in intelligence and some other abilities. Man is superior to woman in some
abilities but inferior to her in others. For instance, he excels her in
mechanical skill while she surpasses him in linguistic ability.
It is now generally admitted that woman is, on the
whole, man’s equal. Nevertheless, deep down in her unconscious, the inferiority
complex handed down from the immemorial past is firmly lodged. In the advanced
countries of Europe and America, women are working shoulder to shoulder with men
in the fields of science, industry and administration, but they too are impelled
by an unconscious urge to make themselves attractive to men. The greater part of
the money they earn is wasted on dress, make-up and finery. All the time they
can spare, they devote to beautifying themselves. Obviously their main purpose
is to make themselves fascinating and glamorous. This is because women have been
told all the time, on religious authority, that God originally created man and
woman was created subsequently because man felt lonely. She is, therefore,
driven to the belief that she does not exist for herself but only to fulfil the
wishes of man: hence her unconscious desire to become as attractive to man as
possible.
The inferiority complex from which woman suffers
has its roots in the remote past. The social framework which has remained
basically unchanged assigned to her a status much lower than that of man. Man
regarded her occasionally as a goddess, usually as a slave, but rarely as a
comrade. In this man-made society, the dice were heavily loaded against her. The
powerful forces of custom, law and religion were ranged against her. She could
not own property in her own right. She could not choose her own mate. The father
could give her in marriage to any one he liked. If the husband died even when
she was still young, she was not permitted to remarry. Widowhood was her lot for
the rest of her life. Sometimes she was even expected to die with her husband.
The barbarous custom of Sati required her to sit on the funeral pyre of
her dead husband and be burnt alive. Religion too was not kind to her. The
Biblical story of Adam and Eve is hardly fair to her. It is said that God first
created Adam, and then, out of his rib, He created Eve. The rib is crooked and
so devout men were quite prepared to admit the same crookedness in the nature of
woman. The sequel of the story shows that woman is not only crooked but also
weak. She quickly succumbed to the seductions of Satan and tempted Adam into
sin. The story of Adam and Eve, in which Eve plays the role of a temptress, is
widely believed in throughout the Christian world. The attitude of the
Christians towards women is, therefore, tinged with fear and hostility. To
preserve their purity, devout men thought it necessary to avoid all contact with
women. Marriage was looked upon as a necessary evil. Celibacy came to be
regarded as a virtue. Woman was a hindrance to spiritual progress so, at least
the priest, whose sole concern was the soul, had to remain unmarried.
Such ideas have been in vogue for centuries and,
until recently, were to be found in all parts of the world. The Quran completely
changed man's attitude towards woman. It placed the relation between man and
woman on a basis of equality, exalting neither over the other.
The Quran does not say that man was created first
and so has precedence over woman. It tells us that for every one, life
originated from a mono-cell. The distinction between male and female came at a
later stage, and when it appeared, both of them were very much there :
God created you from a single life-cell and
from it created its mate (for man a woman and for woman a man) and from them
twain, has spread abroad a multitude of men and women (4:1)
Thus, in the matter of creation, neither had any
preferential treatment; nor was woman responsible for man’s first act of
disobedience and his consequent expulsion from paradise. Both are said to have
been led astray by Satan (2 : 36). According to the Quranic view, man and woman
are equally capable of following the right path and equally liable to fall into
destructive ways. Of course, they are not absolutely the same: in some things
men are superior while in others women surpass them. It is a necessary
consequence of the fact that their roles in life are complementary to each
other. They are equal in worth although different in particular qualities :
God has so created you that one excels the
other (in certain respects) (4 : 34).
Not that man excels woman but one excels the other
in certain respects and is surpassed by the other in other respects. For
thousands of years, man has told woman that she is inferior to him not only in
physical strength but also in intelligence and other abilities. Only recently
has she realised that she can equal man in many walks of life. The Quran instils
into her mind ideas of her essential worth and her own capacity. The Quran
liberated woman from her age-long bondage to man. it says :
If men have the potentiality to develop their
personality by harmonising themselves with the Laws of Allah, then women also
have a similar potentiality ; if men can be members of a movement that aims at
world peace according to the inviolable Laws of Allah, then women also can
participate in it by becoming its members; if, men can restrain their
capabilities so as to develop them within the Laws of Allah, so can women ; if
men can vindicate the truth of their conviction through its practical
implementation in life, so can women vindicate it; if men can remain steadfast
on the path they have chosen, so can women; if men have the in-exhaustive
capacity to be more and more in harmony with the Laws of Allah once they are set
on this path, so have women this inexhaustible capacity ; if men can sacrifice
lower values for higher values, so can women; if men can exercise control and do
not violate the limitations set on them, so can women ; if men can keep their
sexual urge within the desired limits, so can women; if men can understand the
Laws of Allah and focus their activities in life on them, so can women. Now if
both men and women have equal capacities and potentialities, their results
should also be the same for both of them. Hence both will enjoy protection and
security, and all other such benefits and joy that will come out of their deeds
(33 : 35).*
This verse puts it beyond doubt that men and women
are equal in all things that really matter in social activities. The path of
progress is open to both alike and the reward for achieving it is the same for
both:
And whoso does good work, whether male or
female, and he (or she) is a Believer such will enter Jannah and they will not
be wronged so much as the dint in a date-stone (4 : 124).
The Quran also leaves no doubt in the matter of
her right to possess:
What man earns will be his and whatever the
woman earns will belong to her (4 : 32).
It will thus be seen that Quran treats man and
woman as equals in all respects. The fact is that mankind will attain human
stature only when it speaks about man and woman in terms of human beings, and
not with reference to sex distinction. Woman (like man) has her own,
personality, and the relation of personality to personality cannot be a relation
of means and end; all personality is an end in itself.
II. Woman
(Mother)
The rudiments of family life are also found even
in the animal world. The young of most animals are helpless when they are born
and cannot survive if they are left to themselves. The task of looking after
them is performed sometimes by the female and, in some cases, by both together.
Among the birds, male and female participate in bringing up the young. In some
kinds of fish, the female is indifferent to the young, while the male provides
for them and protects them from danger. Among mammals, care of the young is the
chief concern of the female. Some animals, however, let their young fend for
themselves at an early age. The human infant remains helpless and in need of
parental care for a much longer period. The protracted infancy of the human
child necessitates close association of parents with the children over a number
of years. In this close companionship, tender emotions germinate and develop.
Strong ties of love and affection bind the parents and children closely and
permanently. Home is the stage on which the members of the family play their
respective roles. Home symbolises happiness, peace, security and mutual
sympathy. It is the field for satisfying social contacts and fruitful
co-operation. Under parental care, the individual not only attains physical
maturity but also becomes a humanised and socialised being. The family is the
matrix in which his personality is shaped and moulded. Membership of the family
prepares him for membership of society. Society is only the family enlarged. By
virtue of the training he has received in sympathy tolerance and co-operation,
he takes his rightful place in society as a free and responsible person.
The family is all-important to the human child,
and, in the family, the major role is played by the mother. One cannot
over-emphasis the influence she exercises over her children. She inspires in
them the ideals and imparts to them the culture of her society. It mainly
depends on her whether they will become useful members of the society or will be
only misfits therein.
The Quran fully recognises the mother's vital role
in the family and in society. The Quranic term for the community of Muslims is
Ummah, and is derived from Umm, which means mother. The mother
influences the family directly and the community indirectly, but not less
effectively.
The child develops a balanced personality only
when peace reigns in the home atmosphere and there is harmony and concord
between the parents. Discord between the parents is the main cause of
personality disorders in children. The Quran, therefore, advises man to choose a
congenial mate who shares his views and ideals and is in agreement with him on
all important matters (2 : 221). Marriage is a contract freely entered into by
both man and woman. The woman is, therefore, absolutely free to marry any one
she likes. Man cannot marry a woman against her will (4 : 19). It is the duty of
the married couple to provide a happy home for their children.
As the woman has to devote most of her time to the
care of children, the duty of providing them with the means of subsistence,
obviously, falls on man. This division of labour is in the interest of the whole
family:
Men are responsible for the maintenance of
women (in the home) (4 : 34)
If, however, a woman can spare the time to earn
her own living, she is free to do so. Whatever she earns belongs to her (4 :
32). Man and woman are equal partners to work as a team in running the home.
Neither of them should try to dominate and exploit the other. Woman's rights are
to be respected as much as man's. The husband cannot encroach on the rights of
his wife:
Women have rights against men like as men have
rights against them in reason and law (2:228)
The relationship between husband and wife has to
be closer and reciprocal:
They are raiment for you and you are raiment
for them (2 : 187).
As stated above, marriage is a contract entered
into by voluntary agreement of the partners. It is a solemn contract. It can
still be annulled, but for good reasons when there is no way out and all
attempts to save it have failed. Even when such a situation arises, the husband
and wife should try to save the contract by an agreeable compromise. When this
attempt has also failed, the society should intervene to bring about a
reconciliation. They—the husband and the wife—should each choose a
representative, and the representative should try to settle the dispute in an
amicable way (4 : 35). If their efforts too are fruitless., the marriage may be
formally dissolved.
As we have already seen, the purpose of marriage
is to create and live in an atmosphere of love, harmony and companionship to
fulfil the higher purpose of life. The idea of a man having more than one wife
at a time does not fit into the purposeful scheme of such a partnership.
Monogamy—one man with one woman—is, therefore the normal rule according to the
Quran. There might, however, arise an occasion in which a relaxation of this
rule becomes a necessity in the over-all interest of the society. For instance,
prolonged war may reduce considerably the number of young men in the society
thereby leaving a large number of widowed women, generally with children, and
unmarried girls un-provided for. These women and girls must be protected and
looked after in the fulfilment of their human needs without hurting or
undermining their dignity and honour. Establishing orphanages, or "old age
homes," or even making these destitute otherwise economically independent, is
only remedy. Obviously, the problem is not economic only: it is much wider and
deeper. It would be for the society to handle this delicate situation protecting
the individual dignity of those affected, as well as the moral fabric of' the
society. For this, the Quran has suggested a feasible alternatives by relaxing
the rule of monogamy:
And if you fear that it will not be possible to
find an equitable solution of the problem of widows and orphans in the society
other-wise, then marry from amongst them those who seem suitable, by twos,
threes or fours (as the situation demands),. but if you fear that you will not
do justice, then marry only one (4 : 3).
This is the only verse in the Quran that bears on
t he question of polygamy. It will be observed from the concluding portion
thereof that even where a State does make this relaxation, it is still not
obligatory on men to take, more than one wife. They may marry only if they can
do justice. It is obvious that if a man marries in such an abnormal situation,
it will be as a service to the nation, both on his part and the part of his
first wife. She will consider it her duty to provide shelter to one of her
unfortunate sisters who has been driven to such a pitiable condition through no
fault of her own. It may be argued that we will rarely find a woman who will
agree to a rival being brought into her home. The argument may seem valid in the
present pattern of life wherein personal interests come first. But it looses its
ground in the revolution of ideas brought about by the Quran in which:
The believers prefer others over themselves
though they might have to undergo hardships (59 : 9).
History tells us that in the Quranic society in
Madina at the time of the Rasool, such a new-comer to the house of a
Muslim, in the circumstances stated above, was greeted with blessings by those
already in it. The new-comers also did not enter the house as rivals: they were
rather laden with a sense of gratitude. This was the result of change which
Iman brought about in their heart.
The principle embodied in the verse cited above
was exemplified in the life of the Rasool himself. When he was twenty
five, he married Khadijah, a widow who was much older than him. For
twenty five years she was his only wife. He remarried only after her death. The
conditions in which he took to himself more than one wife were such as are
specified in the verse to which we have referred. The small Muslim community
settled in Madina was constantly at war with enemies on all sides. War takes a
heavy toll on the youth of a country. There was a sharp decrease in the number
of men. Besides this, there was an influx of refugees, mostly women, from Mecca.
The large number of widows and unmarried girls created a problem for the
Muslims. It was a situation fraught with danger and a drastic remedy had to be
applied. It was in such an (emergency that polygamy was permitted to give
protection to the unprotected women-folk by giving them safety and social
status. Those for whom the Rasool himself provided a home in this way are
briefly described below :
Saudah and her husband had
fled from the persecution of the Quraish and taken refuge in Abyssinia. On the
death of her husband, she was left absolutely helpless.
Hafsah was the daughter of
'Umar and the widow of Khunais. Khunais was killed in the battle of Uhud.
As she was in distress 'Umar tried to give her in marriage to one of his friends
but did not succeed. He approached another friend but he too was unwilling to
marry her. The Rasool came to the help of 'Umar and provided a home for
her.
Zainab. Her third husband
too was killed in the battle of Uhud. She was left destitute. She was,
therefore, taken under protection by the Rasool, but she died two months
after.
Umm Salamah. With her
husband she had sought refuge in Abyssinia. After their return, her husband was
killed in the battle of Uhud. She was in great distress when the
Rasool came to her rescue.
Zainab II. She belonged to
the family of the Rasool. Her husband, who had been once a slave had
divorced her. As the wife of an erstwhile slave, her social position had been
lowered in the general estimation. To bring home to the society at large that
this traditional attitude was repugnant to the spirit of Islam, the Rasool
himself chose her for marriage, demonstrating thereby that no one loses caste by
entering into matrimony with a freed slave.
Umm Habibah. She was the
daughter of Abu Sufyan, one of the leaders of the Quraish. She had migrated to
Abyssinia with her husband. Her husband embraced Christianity and deserted her.
She returned home but no one from her family would welcome her and give her
protection. The Rasool gave her status and a home.
Maimunah. When her second
husband died in Mecca, she was left penniless. The Rasool provided her
with a home by giving her a legal status.
Juwairiyah was also a
widow. Her husband had been killed in a battle. She was the daughter of the
tribal chief of Bani Mustaliq.
Safiyyah’s father, brother
and husband had all been killed in the war. She had no one to support her.
A'ishah was the only
virgin whom the Rasool married. He had married her before he migrated to
Madina, when she was about 19 years old.
The facts speak for themselves. With the solitary
exception of A'ishah, the women whom the Rasool married were all
elderly widows, homeless and friendless. (The Quran does not specify the number
of wives the Rasool had at a time). Social life was in a chaotic
condition and lie had to make economic adjustments. As the war continued, the
small community had neither the time nor the resources to provide home and
subsistence to the widows and orphans. When conditions reverted to the normal,
the Rasool offered to divorce them if they so desired. They rejected the
offer and remained with him.
III. Slave
Girls
Before the advent of Islam., slavery prevailed all
over the world. To men in those days, it seemed perfectly normal for the strong
and wealthy to have slaves whom they had captured in war or purchased in the
market. The Greeks were the leaders of thought in the ancient world. No Greek
thinker had ever raised his voice against the institution of slavery. The Quran
proclaimed the equality of all men in the sight of God. It struck at the root of
slavery by recognizing the moral worth of man as man. However, there were, at
the time of the advent of Islam, numerous slaves, both men and women, in Arabia
as elsewhere in the world. The Arab economy was based on slavery. To abolish it
at one stroke was impracticable. It could not be done without plunging the whole
society into confusion. Yet, in every conceivable way, the Quran discouraged
slavery and improved the lot of the slaves. The Muslims were urged to be kind
and considerate to their slaves. They were told that to emancipate a slave was a
meritorious act. They could atone for some of their offences by setting a slave
free. Thus the number of slaves was gradually reduced and society was made less
dependent on slave labour. The words "whom your right hand possessed" occurring
in the Quran are in the past tense and refer to those who had already been
enslaved. When they were emancipated through a gradual process, slavery died a
natural death. The main source of slaves-men and women-was prisoners in war. The
Quran laid down that they should be set free either for a ransom or as a favour
(47 : 4). The door for future slavery was thus closed by the Quran for ever.
Whatever happened in subsequent history, was the responsibility of the Muslims
and not of the Quran.
Islam brought about a revolution in human
relations placing master and slave, man and woman, on a footing of equality
before God. In Arabia, as in most other countries, man had been accustomed to
look on women just for the gratification of his lust. Marriage was a device to
prevent men from quarrelling for the possession of desirable women. The Quran
raised the status of women in society and made them equal partners of men in the
enterprise of living.
IV. Sex and
Society
The sex urge is part of the instinctual equipment
of man and woman. The continuity of the race is ensured by the individual's
desire to engage in procreative activity. It is the means by which the torch of
life is carried forward. In the classical classification of instincts on the
basis of the ends they subserve, the sex urge belongs to the class of instincts
of race preservation.
It is now generally admitted that the sex motive
is a powerful determinant of human behaviour. For a long time, however, under
the influence of Puritanism and rationalism, the sex life of man was not
considered worthy of serious study. In good society, the subject was
scrupulously eschewed. At the beginning of the twentieth century, however, a
reaction set in and the fashion now is to exaggerate its importance in human
life. Some psychologists, led by Freud, regard it as basic in "human nature" and
ubiquitous in human life. The psychoanalyst digs up the sex motive in such
simple activities as eating and playing. He tries to lift the veil from sex and
discovers it in unexpected places. The mathematician pondering over lines and
curves and the mystic absorbed in meditation may both be satisfying the same
urge, though in different ways. Libidinal energy, repressed and diverted into
socially approved channels, creates culture and civilisation.
The Western people, it would seem, have swung from
the extreme of cold indifference to sex to the opposite extreme of intense
preoccupation with it. The Quran steers a middle course. It assigns to sex its
rightful place in life but no more. In this attitude it is supported by science.
Experimental studies of animal behaviour show that the, sex drive, though a
strong one, is by no means the strongest. It is weaker than hunger and thirst.
It is also weaker than the parental instinct.
Another point to be noted in this connection is
that man cannot live without food or water for more than a few days. But the
satisfaction of the sex urge maybe postponed indefinitely without injury to his
physical or mental health. Some great men have led a perfectly normal life,
without sex indulgence. Celibacy has been the normal way of life for some men.
It would seem that the energy of the sex drive is displaceable and can be
diverted into other channels.
There is another angle also. An excessive
indulgence in matters other than sex will harm the intemperate man himself. But
misbehaviour in sex will also have concern for society at large. Sex love being
monopolistic would give rise to the strong and sometimes uncontrollable forces
of rivalry and jealousy which are so destructive for the society.
It is necessary to call, attention to another
aspect of sex. Sex primarily subserves the biological end of race preservation
but the activity to which it leads is eminently pleasurable to the individual
also. It is nature's device to induce the individual to engage in an activity
which is mainly beneficial to the race and not to the individual. Man, however,
values sex for his personal pleasure it yields. This pleasure becomes his main
goal. For the sake of enjoying it, he artificially stimulates his sex appetite
and so perverts it and deflects it from its natural end. Sex, thus, becomes an
impediment to man's progress in self-realisation.
If the considerations urged above are borne in
mind, we can understand and appreciate the Quran’s attitude to sex. We will see
that the restrictions it has imposed on sex expression are perfectly reasonable
and in the best interests of the human species. Of course, the sex behaviour of
man - has been regulated in every society. The Quran, however, never loses sight
of the biological end of the sex drive. Some great religions have taught that
sex is essentially evil and that "spiritual" progress is only possible in
celibacy. The Quran rejects this view and regards the sex urge as a natural
appetite which may be gratified, albeit, in moderation and under conditions in
which it does no harm to any one who is affected thereby. In the West, adultery
is penalised but not fornication. The Quran forbids all sexual relations outside
of marriage. Man is permitted to have such relations only with his lawful wife.
Even here, he is warned against making pleasure his goal. He is advised to keep
in mind that he is helping to bring into existence a responsible rational being.
For years, he will have to devote himself to the task of bringing up and
educating his son or daughter so that he or she eventually becomes a useful
member of the society. If it is not possible for him to give his child a fair
start in life, he should not have begotten him. The Quran seeks to instil a
sense of responsibility into the minds of both partners engaged in an activity
which will lead to the production of a new being. They are admonished to look
beyond the immediate pleasure and realise the responsibility they are
undertaking. Pleasure is permissible, but it is wrong to become a slave to it.
The Quran tells man that he can and should control his sex drive and attend to
it moderately, thinking seriously of the duties that will devolve on him in
consequence of it.
V. Chastity
Consistent with this view, the Quran lays
particular stress on chastity. It is regarded as a cardinal virtue and as such
helps forward the moral and mental progress of man. Chastity is essential for
moral purity and mental health. The Freudian theory of sex has, rightly or
wrongly, encouraged men to think that sexual abstinence is harmful to mental
health. It is supposed to be a fruitful cause of neurotic troubles. Those who
hold this view are doing an injustice to Freud. He himself did not defend
licentiousness. It is not sexual abstinence but repressed sexuality that
produces neurotic disorders. This is what Freud actually taught. Some medical
men, who have only superficial knowledge of the psychoanalytic doctrine,
actually advise their neurotic patients to overcome their sexual inhibitions and
let themselves "go" : no wonder that the patients sometimes get worse instead of
getting better. Because of a constitutional bias the neurotics are obsessed with
sex and are also prone to repression. Sexual abstinence does no appreciable harm
to normal men. Rather, abstinence is conducive to mental health.
What a man is to do if circumstances do not permit
him to marry? The Quran advises him to guard his chastity and to abstain from
gratifying his sex appetite till it is possible for him to get a suitable mate:
And let those who cannot find a match keep
chaste till Allah enriches them by His grace (24 : 32).
The drives of hunger and thirst are imperative and
must be satisfied under any circumstances. The satisfaction of the sex drive,
however, can safely be postponed for a fairly long period, or even for ever.
Unlike the drives of hunger and thirst, sex appetite never rouses itself : it is
excitable by conscious volition. The point needs further elaboration. A man,
even when busy and deeply absorbed in his work, will feel thirstily when his
system needs water, irrespective of the fact whether he is conscious about the
need or not. At first the feeling will be mild, but as time passes, it will
become unbearable so much so that he will have to leave aside his work and
attend to it if he wishes to survive. The same will hold good in the case of
food. But the sex urge is quite different. It never becomes a compelling drive
on its own unless it receives a stimulus, mental or physical. The most important
exciting factor is the thought of sex itself which has to be held in check. This
is why chastity is not a physiological or psychological impossibility. The
Quran, by emphasising the importance of chastity, also helps to solve population
problem. Chastity is not only in extramarital relationship, but even a married,
couple should turn towards the sex urge only when they are ready to welcome an
addition to the family. This ideal will benefit both the body and the human self
alike and also make a sensible check on the growth of population. Today, with
the current state of morals, this may seem a counsel of perfection. It is so
only because the pursuit of pleasure is the dominant aim. Self-indulgence has
dimmed the vision of the purpose of life which is to befit oneself for a higher
plane of existence. The Quranic advice is meant for those who are alive to the
demands of this purpose. It is not just a pious advice. The Quran gives it a
practical shape. The first thing is to cultivate the right attitude towards sex.
The way to do this is to bear in mind that the purpose of the sexual activity is
procreation and not mere pleasure. It will exercise a moderating influence on
passion and will engender a sense of responsibility in us. Knowledge of the
possible consequences of our intended action will restrain us from acting
thoughtlessly and so assuming duties which we cannot properly discharge. In
animals, the sex impulses are controlled by nature and the sex drive arises only
when nature wishes to bring about conception. Animals, therefore, cannot rear a
"planned family". Man, on the other hand, possesses freedom of choice, including
sexual matters, so that he may bring children into the world according to his
own plans. He may, however, abuse his freedom and indulge in sex for the sake of
pleasure, which results in accidental and unwanted births with all the
miss-adjustments that follow for the individual as well as for society.
To save man from such a ruinous situation and to
bring about, instead, healthy results, the Quran asks us to practice
self-control. If self-control is practised, the sex impulse can be directed into
healthy channels. Needless to say that it will prove to be beneficial to the
individual as well as to the society at large. It will strengthen the moral
fibre of man and, at the same time, avert the danger of overpopulation.
To sum up, the Quran seeks to regulate the sex
behaviour of man in the following ways :
1. It asks man to keep his eye fixed steadily on
the purpose of life. It assures him that he can achieve this purpose by pursuing
absolute values.
2. It assures women that she is not a tool for the
sex gratification of man; that she too is a free, independent and rational
being. "She is an end unto herself." Her aim in life should not be to make
herself a. source of temptation to men but to impart meaningful partnership.
3. The Quran condemns lewdness, indecency,
pornography and all things that excite and ponder to
the sex passion:
Say, my Rabb forbiddeth indecencies, such
of them as are apparent and such as are within (7 : 33).
4. It affirms the value of chastity and commands
men and women equally to lead a pure and chaste life. It regards chastity as
essential for the development of human personality, both for man and
woman.
5. It reminds man of his duty to his children. He
is enjoined to bring up his children properly, to educate them, to inculcate in
their minds the human level of life (as against the animal level) and permanent
values, and to give them a fair start in life.
Some modern writers, after an extensive study of
the sex life of primitive as well as civilised men, have come to the conclusion
that chastity is essential to the progress of humanity. J.D. Unwin of Cambridge
University, has studied the sex life of some eighty primitive tribes and of
sixteen civilised nations. He has set forth his views in his book Sex and
Culture. In the Preface he writes:
Briefly stated, my final conclusion is that the
cultural behaviour of any human society depends, first, on the inherent nature
of the human organism, and, secondly, on the state of energy into which, as the
result of its sexual regulations, the society has arrived 1
The conclusions he draws from his study of the
primitive peoples are as follows:
1. That group was on the lowest level of culture
in which sexual intercourse without marriage was openly permitted;
2. the tribe in which there were some restrictions
on sexual relations without marriage were on the middle level; and
3. On the highest level were the tribes which
insisted on pre-marital chastity.2
Summing up the results of his investigation, he
says:
I submit, therefore that the limitation of the
sexual opportunity must be regarded as the cause of the cultural advance.3
Again :
No society can display social energy unless a
new generation inherits a social system under which sexual opportunity is
reduced to a minimum. If such a system be preserved, a richer and yet richer
tradition will be created, refined by human entropy.4
Unwin's concluding remarks deserve careful
consideration :
If a vigorous society wishes to display its
productive energy for a long time, and even for ever, it must re-create itself,
I think, first by placing the sexes on a level of complete legal equality, and
then by altering its economic and social organisation in such a way as to render
it both possible and tolerable for sexual opportunity to remain at a minimum for
an extended period, and even for ever. In such a case the face of the society
will be set in the Direction of the Cultural, Process; its inherited tradition
would be continually enriched, it would achieve a higher culture than has yet
been attained ; by the action of human entropy its tradition would be augmented
and refined in a manner which surpasses our present understandings. 5
The Quran, by granting to woman the status of a
free responsible citizen, by placing the sexes on the level of complete legal
equality, and by reducing sexual opportunity to the minimum,, is only seeking to
set up the conditions which find support from human research.
References
1. J.D. Unwin, Sex and Culture, p. xiv.
2. Ibid, pp. 300-325.
3. Ibid, p. 317.
4. Ibid, p. 414.
5. Ibid, p. 432.