Moralities (3)
The Holy Qu’ran also instructs Muslims “Not to draw near unto fornication, but that they should keep aloof from occasions which give rise to such injurious ideas, and keep away from paths which might lead to commission of sin, for he who commits fornication does an extremely wicked deed, and it is an evil way [for it keeps back from attaining the desired perfection].” [17:32-33]
In another verse, the Glorious Qu’ran directs those who cannot find a match to employ other means to preserve their self-restraint over sexual desire, such as fasting or taking light food or try to apply themselves to remembrance of the fear of God’s punishment to the evil-doers. Furthermore, the Qu’ran states that some people [of the Christians] have devised methods of their own [for restraining themselves from sexual relations as by adopting celibacy or monasticism [and thus depreciating marriage], or by submitting themselves to castration, but all these methods have been invented by the people themselves and not decreed by God, and the results was that they could not observe these innovations as they ought to. Here the Almighty God declares that He did not prescribe the method of castration, etc., for had these been among the commandments of the Almighty, the people would have to observe these rules and then the human race would long since have disappeared from the face of the earth. In addition to the immorality attaching to such evil practice, it is an objection against the Creator for having put such a power in man. Moreover, it can be easily seen that there is no merit in having been unable to do am act, and credit is due to him only who has to resist the evil tendency and to overcome the evil passions from fear of God. The person who has the energy in him to do so deserves a twofold credit, viz. For the application of the energy in the proper place and for refraining from applying it where there is no proper occasion for it. But the man who has lost it is not entitled to any of these. He is like a child and deserves no credit for refraining from what he has lost the power to do. There is no resistance, no overcoming and consequently no merit or glory.
The foregoing Qu’ranic verses not only contain excellent teachings for the attainment of charity, but point out certain remedies for observing self-restraint over sexual desire: Restraining from casting unrestrained looks upon strangers and refraining the ears from listening to love stories of stranger men and women exciting lust; avoiding every occasion where there may be fear of being involved in the wicked deed and, last of all, resorting to fasting or light food and constant remembrance of the fear of God’s punishment upon evil-doers and wicked transgressors.
Here we can confidently assert that teachings upon chastity, together with the remedies for self-restraint over sexual desire, as contained in the Glorious Qu’ran, are a peculiarity of Islam. One point deserves special attention. The natural tendency of man, in which carnal appetite takes its root and over which man cannot have full control except by undergoing a thorough change, is that whenever there is occasion for it, it takes its object into serious and regrettable consequences. The divine in junction in this respect is, therefore, that it is unlawful for a Muslim to cast unnecessary free glances, whether with pure or impure looks, upon strange women. We must avoid every circumstance which may make us err at any time. Unrestrained looks are almost sure to lead to danger. The word of God, therefore, restrains the lascivious desires of man and woman to avoid the very occasion where there is danger of the excitement of the passions.
This is the secret underlying the institution of the seclusion of women in Islam. It is complete ignorance of the noble principles of that religion to take seclusion in the sense of shutting up women like prisoners in a jail. The object of seclusion is that both men and women should be restrained from intermingling freely and that members of the fair sex should not display their decoration and beauty freely to strangers.
It should further be borne in mind that “to restrain the looks,” in the Qu’ranic verse, means, in the Arabic language of the Glorious Qu’ran, the casting down of one’s eyes when the object of sight is not one which it is proper for a person to look at freely and not the refraining altogether of one’s looks on the proper occasions. The casting down of eyes on proper occasions is the first requirement of pure social life. This habit, without causing any serious disadvantages to man in his social relations, has the invaluable advantage of making him perfect in one of the highest morals, which we call chastity.