of Nokounam, may his secret be sanctified (Session 836)
Surah Al-Imran, as a resplendent jewel within the treasury of the Holy Qur'an, contains verses that serve as guiding lights for humanity on the path to felicity. Verse fourteen of this Surah, by elucidating the natural inclinations of humans, opens a window toward a deeper understanding of their existential truth. This verse, by referring to hub al-shahawat (love of desires), mentions women, children, wealth, and other worldly possessions, and simultaneously, by reminding of their nature as mere possessions, directs humans towards the exalted eternal destination. The present treatise, through contemplation on this noble verse and analysis of related social and religious challenges, endeavours to shed light upon emerging issues in contemporary society and offer solutions grounded in Qur'anic knowledge.
زُيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ حُبُّ الشَّهَوَاتِ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ وَالْبَنِينَ وَالْقَنَاطِيرِ الْمُقَنْطَرَةِ مِنَ الذَّهَبِ وَالْفِضَّةِ وَالْخَيْلِ الْمُسَوَّمَةِ وَالْأَنْعَامِ وَالْحَرْثِ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ مَتَاعُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَاللَّهُ عِنْدَهُ حُسْنُ الْمَآبِ
For mankind, the love of desires has been beautified: women and children, and heaps of gold and silver, and marked horses, and cattle, and tilled land. That is the enjoyment of the life of this world, but with Allah is the best return.
The Holy Qur'an in this verse delicately points to the inherent human inclination towards desires. These inclinations, manifested in six exemplars including women, children, vast heaps of gold and silver, marked horses, cattle, and cultivated lands, constitute an inseparable part of human nature. These matters have been adorned for man as a splendid embellishment to lead him towards enjoying divine blessings. However, the verse's emphasis on the temporary nature of these possessions serves as a caution that such pleasures are transient and the ultimate destination is the beautiful abode with the Lord.
One common error in interpreting this verse is limiting hub al-shahawat to men alone. This perspective, rooted in patriarchal cultures, is incompatible with the spirit of the Holy Qur'an. The Qur'an, by addressing for mankind (lil-ns), ascribes these inclinations to all humans, both male and female. Women, like men, possess natural desires, and ignoring this truth constitutes a manifest injustice against half of human society.
Some commentators, influenced by patriarchal cultures, have interpreted this verse as if desires pertain exclusively to men and women are merely instruments for satisfying these desires. This understanding not only contradicts the spirit of the Qur'an, which promotes justice and equality in human creation, but also distorts the meaning of the verse. The Holy Qur'an, by emphasising human universality, rejects any form of gender superiority.
Conversely, modern feminist movements, while claiming to defend womens rights, have sometimes gone astray by promoting licentiousness and obscenity, thereby exacerbating the exploitation of women instead of alleviating injustice. This approach, which portrays women merely as instruments for pleasure, contradicts the human dignity that the Qur'an equally attributes to both men and women. The Qur'anic balance, exemplified in this verse, proposes a middle path that neither accepts patriarchy nor extremist feminism.
In the sequence of examples of desires, women precede children, and this precedence carries a profound message. The existence of children depends on women, for without the presence of women, the lineage cannot continue. This arrangement highlights the pivotal role of women within the family and society, emphasising their irreplaceable function in the continuity of human life.
Marriage, as a divine institution, pursues two goals: a short-term and a long-term aim. The short-term goal is to provide carnal pleasure rooted in human nature and facilitating ejaculation and reproduction. However, the principal and enduring purpose of marriage is procreation and the perpetuation of lineage. From a psychological perspective, carnal pleasure acts as a stimulus towards achieving the primary goal, yet its excess leads to physical and psychological ailments. As ancient sages such as Avicenna have pointed out, excessive lust destroys both body and soul.
Excess in indulging desires leads to ailments such as urinary incontinence, forgetfulness, and psychological disorders including obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression. Conversely, the absence of sexual desire results in problems such as constipation, intellectual stagnation, and hallucinations. These two extremes, like the two edges of a sword, threaten human health. Balance, as emphasised in the Qur'anic verses, is the path that safeguards humans from these harms.
Contemporary society confronts numerous challenges concerning sexual matters. Among these are the spread of homosexuality and gender identity changes, which sometimes result from societal excesses and deficiencies. These issues, rarely seen in the past, have become serious problems today. Improper responses, such as severe punishments or unscientific admonitions, neither resolve these problems nor alleviate them; rather, they exacerbate them.
One religious scholar, with a profound understanding of emerging issues, issued a fatwa permitting gender reassignment, demonstrating a humane and progressive perspective on the subject. This fatwa regards individuals with gender identity issues as patients in need of treatment rather than sinners deserving punishment. This approach has paved the way for scientific and religious solutions to these problems.
Religious knowledge, as the heir of the Prophets, is obliged to provide scientific and legal solutions in response to emerging issues. A noble hadith states: When innovations appear in my community, the scholar must reveal his knowledge, otherwise the curse of Allah will be upon him. Here, innovation refers to new issues requiring scientific and Sharia-based answers. Negligence in this regard leads to incapacity in resolving societal problems.
Mahr, as one of the main pillars of the marriage contract, should be within the financial capacity of the husband. Setting exorbitant dowries, such as hundreds of gold coins beyond the husband's means, renders the contract legally void. The mahr must be payable upon demand; otherwise, the contract is defective from a religious standpoint. This serves as a warning to society to refrain from setting unrealistic dowries.
Unrealistic dowries, which in practice are not paid, constitute clear injustice against women. Often, women are unable to claim their dowry, resulting in legal and social problems. This situation is akin to a dagger plunged into the body of religious justice and requires reevaluation of dowry culture and laws.
The right to divorce, which predominantly resides with men, sometimes becomes a tool for pressuring women. Some men condition divorce upon waiving the dowry, resulting in injustice within the family system. This situation, like a heavy shadow over religious justice, requires reform.
While Islamic jurisprudence provides solutions such as temporary marriage for men, it lacks clear solutions for women whose sexual needs remain unmet due to reasons like the spouses impotence. This jurisprudential void weighs heavily on women and leads to social problems and even sin. Religious knowledge must respond to these issues through dynamic jurisprudence.
Religious knowledge must offer legal and practical solutions for womens issues, including unfulfilled sexual needs and family matters. This duty resembles a torch that must illuminate the path for oppressed women and prevent their historical injustice.
Verse fourteen of Surah Al-Imran, like a comprehensive mirror, portrays human natural inclinations and simultaneously, by emphasising their temporality, guides humans towards the noble hereafter. This verse rejects patriarchal and extremist feminist interpretations, affirming the universality of hub al-shahawat for all humans. Social and jurisprudential challenges, such as unrealistic dowries, jurisprudential voids in meeting womens needs, and emerging issues like gender reassignment, require dynamic jurisprudence and scientific responses from religious knowledge. The fatwa permitting gender reassignment is a brilliant example of such jurisprudence that must be expanded. Religious knowledge, as the heir of the Prophets, is obliged to provide scientific and religious solutions to societal problems and prevent injustice towards women and youth.
Under the supervision of Sadegh Khademi
