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The View of
Man and Woman
Allah (swt)
said:
''Oh mankind! We have created you from a male and
female, and made you into nations and tribes, so that you may know each
other''. [Al- Hujurat: 13]
He (swt) says:
''Oh mankind! What has misled you from your Lord,
most Generous?'' [Al-Infitar: 6]
He (swt) says:
''Woe to mankind! What has made him reject God? From
what thing did He create him? From a clot He Created him...'' [Abasa:
17-19]
Thus, Allah (swt) has addressed Mankind with obligations and He (swt) has
made Mankind the subject of that speech and those obligations. He (swt) has
revealed the laws (Shar'a) to Mankind and He (swt) will resurrect Mankind,
account him/her and admit him/her to Paradise or Hell. Therefore, He (swt)
has made Mankind - not men or women - the subject of the obligations.
Allah (swt) has created Mankind, whether male or female, with a specific
nature which is distinct from that of animals. The woman is a human, as is
the man, and they do not differ from each other in terms of their humanity.
Nor is one distinguished from the other in any aspect of that humanity.
Allah (swt) has prepared both of them, in their capacity as humans, to enter
the walks of life and inevitably made them live in the same society. He also
made the survival of the human race dependent on their meeting together and
their mutual presence in every society. It is not permitted to view one of
them except as the other is viewed because, as humans, they possess all
human characteristics and the essential requirements of life. Allah (swt)
has created within each of them a vital energy (Taqa Hayawiya), and it is
the same vital energy which He (swt) has created for the other. So He (swt)
made in each of them organic needs such as hunger, thirst and the
need to relieve nature and He (swt) made in each of them a survival
instinct (Gharizat al-Baq'a) and a procreation instinct (Gharizat
al-Nau') and a sanctification (Gharizat al-Tadayyun) instinct. They
are the same organic needs and instincts that are present in each other. He
(swt) has granted both of them the faculty of thought, and it is the same
faculty of thought that is present in the other. Thus, intelligence is
present in a man and it is the same intelligence that is present in a woman,
since Allah created an intellect for mankind and not exclusively for a man
or a woman.
The procreation instinct can be satisfied by a man with a man, or an animal
and so on, or a woman can satisfy it with a woman, animal etc. However, this
will not serve the purpose for which the instinct has been created in
Mankind except in one case, that is if a man satisfies it with a woman and a
woman satisfies it with a man. Therefore, the relationship of a man with a
woman and vice versa from the angle of instinctual sexuality is a natural
relationship free from any abnormality. It is the only genuine relationship
by which Mankind realises the purpose for which this instinct was created,
that is the survival of the human race. So when a relationship takes place
between them in terms of sexual intercourse, that is instinctive and
natural, and there is nothing strange or odd about that. Rather, it is a
necessary matter for the survival of the human species. However, allowing
this instinct to run loose is detrimental to Mankind and his social life.
The purpose of its existence is to produce offspring for the survival of the
species. Therefore, Mankind's view of this instinct must be oriented towards
the purpose for which it is found in him, and that undoubtedly, is for the
survival of the species without distinction between men or women. As for the
pleasure and enjoyment which is obtained by satisfaction, that is a natural
and inevitable matter whether Mankind considers it or not. Therefore it is
not correct to say: pleasure and enjoyment should be dissociated from the
procreation instinct. Disassociation between them is not attainable, this is
because it is not possible. However, Man's view stems from his concept about
this satisfaction, and the purpose of its existence. Consequently, mankind
must generate a specific concept about this instinct and the purpose for
which it exists in him. This will form a distinct view concerning the
procreation instinct, so that he restricts it to the relationship of a man
with a woman, and a woman with a man. It will also form in him a distinct
view concerning the relationship between men and women in the male-female
sense, i.e. the sexual relationship, such that it is directed according to
the purpose for which it was created, i.e. the survival of the human race.
Through this view, the satisfaction of the instinct is achieved, as is the
purpose for which it was created. The community which adopts this concept
and possesses this distinct view also achieves tranquillity. The view of the
community - any human community - concerning that which exists between men
and women in terms of the male-female relationship, (i.e. their sexual
relationship), must be changed from a view focused on pleasure and
enjoyment, to one of considering pleasure and enjoyment a natural and
necessary matter, but the view is orientated towards the purpose for which
this instinct exists. This view maintains and discharges the procreation
instinct according to the correct manner for which it was created, and gives
man the opportunity to carry out his other activities and frees him to
pursue the things that make him happy.
For this reason man must possess a concept concerning the satisfaction of
the procreation instinct and the purpose for which it exists. The human
community must have a system that ensures co-operation between the man and
the woman and eliminates from peoples minds the dominance of the notion of
sex, making it the concern that overrides all other concerns. This is
because the community is of no worth (Salah) without the co-operation
between men and women, considering them as two siblings who support each
other in mutual love and kindness. For this reason, we must emphasise the
importance of complete change in the community's outlook towards the
relationship between men and the women, which will end the dominance of the
concepts of sex, turning it into a matter which is natural and necessary for
satisfaction and ending the restriction of this relationship to pleasure and
enjoyment. Instead, it will produce a view which seeks the good of the
community, not a masculine or feminine one, and it will be governed by the
fear (Taqwa) of Allah and not by enjoyment or lust. It is a view which does
not deny Man the enjoyment of sexual pleasure, but makes it lawful (Mashru),
ensuring the survival of the human race and agreeing with the ultimate goal
of a Muslim, which is to seek the pleasure of Allah .
Verses in the Qur'an came to address the marital aspect, i.e. the purpose
for which the procreation instinct was created. Thus, there are verses which
make it clear that the creation of the procreation instinct, in origin, is
for the purpose of marriage i.e. survival of the human race. In other words,
Allah (swt) has created the instinct only for the purpose of marriage. The
verses clarify this using different styles and various meanings in order to
ensure that the view of the community towards the relationship between the
man and woman, is a view which is focused on marriage and not on sex.
Allah (swt) said:
''Oh mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created
you from a single person, and from him created his wife, and from them both
He created many men and women''. [An- Nisa: 1]
He (swt) says:
''It is He Who has created you from a single person,
and He has created from him his wife, in order that he might enjoy the
pleasure of living with her. When he had sexual relations with her, she
became pregnant and she carried it about lightly. Then when it became heavy,
they both invoked Allah, their Lord: If You give us a good child, indeed we
shall be amongst the grateful''. [Al- Araf: 189]
He (swt) says:
''And indeed We sent Messengers before you and made
for them wives and offspring''. [Ar- Rad: 38]
He (swt) says:
''And Allah has made for you wives of your own kind,
and has made for you, from your wives, sons and grandsons.'' [An- Nahl: 72]
He (swt) says:
''And among His Signs is this, that He created for
you wives from among yourselves, that you may find repose in them, and He
has put between you affection and mercy''. [Ar- Rum: 21]
He (swt) says:
''The Creator of the heavens and earth. He has made
for you mates from yourselves''. [Ash- Shura: 11]
He (swt) says:
''And
that He (Allah) creates the pairs, - male and female, from nutfah (drops of
semen) when it is emitted''. [An- Najm: 45-46]
He (swt) says:
''And We created you in pairs''. [An- Naba:
8]
Thus, Allah (swt) restricted the creation of the male and female to the
marital aspect. He (swt) repeated this, so that the view towards the male
and female be focused on marriage i.e. towards producing offspring for the
survival of the human race.
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