Family, society and relationships are fundamentally determined by how we think about sexuality. When we change the way we think about the sexual aspect of the human being, it affects how we think about marriage, gender roles, and a host of other critically important social institutions.
Due to its religious and political history, Western civilization only allows for one moral extreme or the other regarding sexuality: total abstinence or total indulgence. The abstinent, pro-celibacy stance of Christianity was the reason why Europeans historically always criticized the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ for being married and for his “love of women.” On the other hand, the sexual freedom of the contemporary West cannot accept the divine rules for appropriate sexuality that the Prophet embodied.
In the midst of these extreme perspectives, modern Muslims must realize what a great blessing we have in the sexual model set for us by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. He was not abstinent, nor did he objectify women. His fulfillment of human sexual need was in perfect alignment with the highest spiritual potential of the human being. The Prophetic model regarding human desire is the ultimate antidote to the confusion and imbalance we face today regarding sexuality.
This episode of the CONNECTIONS podcast discusses the contemporary relevance of the Prophet’s love of women, with specific reference to Dr. Fareeha Khan’s article “Sexual Responsibility and the Fulfillment of Desire” (available at thesilainitiative.org).
TEXT IN FOCUS:
“[Two] have been made beloved to me from this world of yours: women and perfume. And my true delight was made to be the Ritual Prayer.” (al-Nasa’i)
TAGS:
#SexualResponsibility, #IslamicSexuality, #theProphetsWives, #taqwa, #IslamAndWomen, #MuslimMasculinity
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