Sor_Muslim_Depth_Study_Essay

Studies of Religion: Muslim Depth Study Teacher: Mr Blanch Word Count: 2200 Respectively the quote “The application of sexual ethics in Islam is alternatively seen as hierarchical and oppressive by some scholars and egalitarian and protective by others. An historical legacy of slavery and contemporary quests for equality contribute to these conflicting views” does raise issues and the thought for further investigation regarding sexual ethics and Islam, whether it be to disprove or prove a theory or simple curiosity to find a greater understanding of the actual extent of this alleged “oppressive regime” and “hierarchical system” that is said be carried out within the Islamic religion itself. Similar to how there are different branches of Christianity, Islam follows a similar concept and one could say there are different branches of the religion with the denominations of Sunni, Shia and Sufism being the more dominate others may say more exposed rather than dominant however it is undisputed that all Muslims follow the teachers of the Qur’an and the teachings of the prophet Muhammad. Whilst there are other sources people go to such as the Sunna or the Ijma not all Muslims have access or go by what is said there. The different interpretations of the Qur’an and Muhammad’s words are often where controversy and discrepancies emerge especially regarding sexuality and women. When looking at Islamic sexual ethics, we delve into the areas of consent, marriage, premarital and extramarital sex, individuals and societies, manipulation and personal gain, homosexuality, public decency. There are obviously more areas to be looked at for consideration such as public health and even factors of minuet importance such as flirting, are seen differently in the eyes of Islam. When trying to understand Islamic sexual ethics one huge factor that can’t be dismissed is the notion of consent. Both the consent of sexual activity and the consent of age are highly relevant issues. This area receives a lot of negative hype from critics of Islam mainly due to their interpretation of quotes such as the following which can be found quite frequently throughout the Qur’an, Sura 4:34 says: If you fear highhandedness from your wives, remind them [of the teaching of God], then ignore them when you go to bed, then hit them. If they obey you, you have no right to act against them. God is most high and great.” Which essentially translate to husbands have the right to hit their wives. Critics also like to present the quotes of “Sura 65:1,O Prophet, when you [and the believers] divorce women, divorce them for their prescribed waiting—period and count the waiting—period accurately . . . 4 And if you are in doubt about those of your women who have despaired of menstruation, (you should know that) their waiting period is three months, and the same applies to those who have not menstruated as yet. As for pregnant women, their period ends when they have delivered their burden.” This particular idea that has been presented in the Qur’an raises the direct issue of age of consent. If a young female is being forced to marry where is the consent in this' Another questionable thing that is left open for interpretation by followers is the teaching of, “ Sura 4:24 says And forbidden to you are wedded wives of other people except those who have fallen in your hands [as prisoners of war]”. Once again critics argue where is the consent in this' Women are subjected to rape, underage un-consensual marriages and beatings so more times than often it is easier to disassociate yourself with trying to understand exactly how literally these words are being taken as opposed to getting the opinions of women that are from the Islamic faith. It’s quite easy to get varied opinions on that matter from thousands of different Muslim women from all walks of life, many of them exceed expectation and are in favor of their lifestyles whilst there are still women out there who are not protected by their religion. Yes it is evident that Islam protects its followers assuming they faithfully follow the section stating it is prohibited to stare at another women lustfully, “Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: And God is well acquainted with all that they do. And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty...”(Qur’an, Nour, 24:30-31) How ever it is difficult to locate where the Qur’an teaches to protect married woman because if we were to go off general consensus we would be left with the impression that married Muslim women are treated as property and whether they give their consent or not is unneccary it seems. Consent leads onto the next issue and probably the most controversial issue of marriage within the Islamic faith. Once again there is this patriarchal ideology that is prominent within this area also, it does not help that there are so very many negative teachings within the Qur’an on how a husband should treat his wife or wives. Many Muslim women argue that they are equal to their spouses yet this is contradicted by the Qur’an itself in the lines of, “Sura 2:228 wives have the same rights as the husbands have on them in accordance with the generally known principles. Of course, men are a degree above them in status”. It immediately lowers a women’s worth in comparison to a man on those lines alone it would be enough to form an idea of exactly how much power a man possess in a Islamic marriage, but to further prove the theory there are indeed more teaches in the Qur’an to support this theory. However in order to avoid bias it is important to realize and accept there are pieces of evidence throughout the teachings suggest there is supposed to be equality in marriage between a man and a women, unfortunately it is due to misleading understandings of the texts the message is not addressed as it should be. When conducting thorough research it does not take long to see that both Muslim men and women alike are quite proud of their way of marriage and on numerous occasions both scholars and common people have stated that their women were given rights and freedoms well before women from a western civilization. Prof Abdur Rahman believes“Muslims believe that Adam and Eve were created from the same soul. Both were equally guilty of their sin and fall from grace, and Allah forgave both. Many women in Islam have had high status; consider the fact that the first person to convert to Islam was Khadijah, the wife of Muhammad, whom he both loved and respected. His favorite wife after Khadijah's death, Ayshah, became renowned as a scholar and one of the greatest sources of Hadith literature. Many of the female Companions accomplished great deeds and achieved fame, and throughout Islamic history there have been famous and influential scholars and jurists.” His belief is shared with millions of Muslim men and women who agree with him.While one side of the Qur’an shows marriage to be favorable to solely the man and women more as an asset than anything, the other depicts that the Islamic faith is pro family and that there is an equal balance in every aspect of married life even down to the unfortunate event of divorce, Muslim women still are entitled to that right. Adultery and premarital sex are forbid within the Islamic faith once again similar to Christianity. Whilst it is true men are permitted to have four fives in accordance with the Qur’an and the prophets words, “Sura 4:3 And if you be apprehensive that you will not be able to do justice to the orphans, you may marry two or three or four women whom you choose. But if you apprehend that you might not be able to do justice to them, then marry only one wife, or marry those who have fallen in your possession.” Though polygamy is not accepted in western worlds it is acceptable within the faith however both men and women will face serious consequences in the eyes of their god for adultery and sex before marriage. Also countries that rule under Sharia law can give physical punishments such as house arrest and public whipping for those found to be guilty, in extreme cases the accused can be stoned to death. The laws for this matter are pretty equal and it shows how significant these particular sets of ideals are to Muslims. However as strict as believers are about the issue, it can be argued that people should not be stoned to death because the Prophet did say, “"When a man commit adultery, Iman (Faith) leaves him; but when he leaves such evil i.e. adultery ways, Iman will return to him.” Meaning there is room for redemption but it all comes down to interpretation and in fact who actually is doing the interpreting. When looking at this section of sexual ethics and Islam, this part is criticized yes that’s true but not to the extent of other issues, while it’s not all entirely straightforward many people are better informed. Also it is consistently brought up in quotes so there is a strong emphasis on it. Many Muslims believe it opens up the doors to other sins so they despise it, and regard it as one of the ultimate sins “"Nor come nigh to adultery: for it is a shameful (deed) and an evil, opening the road (to other evils).” (Qur’an, Isra, 17:32) Another factor in relation to sexual ethics that is generally explored are individuals and societies. The section is quite broad and could potentially be able to used to explain so much about Islam and provide an in depth well of knowledge and insight however narrowing it down it would be best to use the area to explore how two different predominately Islamic countries decipher and practice the teachings of the Qur’an. When researching sexual ethics for Saudi Arabia and Pakistan the most up to date information was there ban on homosexuality, which will be looked into greater detail later on. Saudi Arabia is a country that is entirely based around Islamic teachings and law, while it is difficult to get copious amounts of information the fragments of information which has been accessible to me personally has led me to come to the conclusion that they don’t stray far from the Qur’an and that when looking into their idea of what sexual ethic are it would be derived from what their teachings tell them. Pakistan on the other hand is not a country which uses Sharia law to run the country, I dare say it is more liberal than Saudi Arabia especially in the sense that information isn’t so censored both men and women can equally express what they have to say and the presence of a patriarchal society is slightly less obvious. As for their stance on sexual ethics it is quite consistent with out Islamic states and there’s nothing out of the ordinary, which strikes me as peculiar. Once again the influence of the Qur’an and their teachings is present in all aspects of daily life. Easily the biggest modern day issue that has been receiving a lot of attention is homosexuality. To my knowledge it has been unquestioned as to whether or not Allah really did address the concerns of homosexuality because in the Qu’ran there are many quotes that teach that it is wrong and will not be tolerated. The mere idea of it entitles the guilty to the same punishment as to those who are found guilty of adultery. Numerous times throughout the texts there are writings of how Allah destroyed the homosexuals and that to lie with another man is a grave sin. “From an Islamic perspective, it is not considered right for gay people to marry their partners or adopt children to appear as ordinary families.” (derived from ISRA) Alongside homosexuality, bisexuals are equally guilty in the eyes of god and will undergo punishment as well. There is an exception to the rule however and this being for hermaphrodites and those who they believe to have a genetic disorder and can bring themselves to like and have sexual attraction for the opposite sex. Hermaphrodites have the option of choosing which sex they which to change to permanently and for the later people classed as having genetic problems are treated patiently promising they’ll rest in paradise if they do not succumb to their urges. The topic of sexual ethics in Islam can quite possibly be discussed for days with scholars agreeing, disagreeing and arguing with one and other. Also there are so many opinions from the general public to help influence you. Realistically it comes down to your own opinion and your own bias, if you searching for a way to prove that Islam and every aspect of Islam is run by a patriarchal society than you will surely find what you are looking for, however if you are open minded you will come across evidence that can quite possibly disprove your theory and show there is an equal balance…maybe' The first half of the quote is right in the sense that yes some people will view sexual ethics in Islam as hierarchical and oppressive whilst other do genuinely believe that it is egalitarian and protective. As someone coming from a western culture and introducing that perspective into the mix, personally its all about keeping an open mind and not criticizing their ethics based on western standards and what’s accepted for our culture. Bibliography * Acharay S/D.M Murdock. (2011). What does the Koran say about women. 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Last accessed 17th May 2013 Youtube Videos Watched: * MUSLIM WOMAN TELLS THE TRUTH ABOUT ISLAM‬ (http://www.youtube.com/watch'v=r7OYRknGgEc)‬ * The truth about Islam‬ (http://www.youtube.com/watch'v=IyYZulIxNCE)‬ * Women's Rights in Islam Explained‬ (http://www.youtube.com/watch'v=5Jvh3BNsSkM)‬ * No Black women or Asian women found or wanted in Muslim heaven (http://www.youtube.com/watch'v=S8lhuMG1fbQ) * Women Are Nothing In Islam‬ (http://www.youtube.com/watch'v=zXP2Ab2quf8)‬ * Morality In Islam- Moulana Ebrahim I Bham‬ (http://www.youtube.com/watch'v=GCIfTFhFkf0)‬ * Love and Marriage in Islam‬ (http://www.youtube.com/watch'v=TlNMTYOKW3A)‬