Sex & Chastity
An Extract From Islam-A Challenge To Religion

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.