ISLAM ABHORS IMMORALITY
Dr. Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad
The New York
Times, in its issue of
In Islam, the first and the foremost immoral deed is
associating something or someone with God. After believing in Oneness of God,
and submitting to Him, we must avoid other immoral deeds from our daily life as
well. What are then those immoral deeds? To answer this question, we intend
here to discuss some of those deeds that are not only repugnant to the code of
life explained by the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet (S), but tear
apart social fabric of human society as well.
Drinking an intoxicant, such as an alcoholic beverage,
openly or secretly, is an immoral act in Islam. It is prohibited by Allah:
O
you who believe! Intoxicants and gambling and altars and raffles are an
abomination of Satan’s handiwork, so eschew such that you may prosper
(Al-Maidah 5: 90).
Continuing
in the next verse, Allah gives some reasons that these immoral acts cause
enmity and hatred among the believers as well as hinder them from remembering
Allah, and salat. The severity of its immorality can be understood by a well
known fact that every year thousands and thousands of people who happen to be
under the influence of alcohol are either killed on roads or kill others on
roads or public places like homes. All those who help in making and drinking
intoxicants must share the blame of these murders. The Prophet Muhammad (S) has
rightly said, “Woe to distiller, drinker, carrier, server, seller, buyer, and
all those involved in such an activity.” (Tirmidhi).The United States
Congress too had banned distilling and drinking of alcoholic beverages in 1918
under the Prohibition Act.
The
verse quoted here also tells us that gambling, offerings on altar, and raffle
or lottery games are all immoral acts. Gambling and lottery are based on greed. The
greed incites mostly poor peoples to lose their wealth trying to instantly
become rich. Yes, no doubt some people do become rich! But what about most of other
poor and needy people who do not win; they lose even their own wealth which was
already in short supply to them. Islam wants wealth to flow from rich to poor. In
gambling and raffle, the wealth flows from have-nots to those who already have.
Some claim that the wealth accumulated by lottery is used for some other beneficial
projects for the people. Nevertheless, no society allows a good deed by a despised
or wrong method. It is like robbing Peter and paying Paul. This, in turn, quite
often gives rise to enmity and hatred in the society.
Offering
on alters is nothing but sheer exhibition of idolatry that nullifies the notion
of monotheism.
Killing a life because of pleasure or want of
sustenance i.e. abortion by choice is an act of immorality of a very high
degree. Let a person think for a moment where he would have been had his
parents decided to abort him just for the sake of pleasure or want of
sustenance! Is there someone on this planet, who has brought his own sustenance
with him at the time of his birth? During
the days of ignorance (Jahilliyah), people in
Kill
not your children on a plea of want- We provide sustenance for you and for them
(Al-An’aam 6: 151)
Continuing
further, Allah says that a life which He has made sacred should not be taken
except by right. In principle, Islam forbids destruction of life, and teaches
that every soul brings its own sustenance.
One
can argue that abortion is an individual’s act on her body. Why can a woman not
decide about her own body? Well, first of all, abortion by choice is not an act
that affects the body of an individual woman only. It affects a life being
carried by the woman. Why should she be allowed to decree death and commit it
on another soul? This life which she is carrying is a trust with her. Certainly,
she can not be given authority to betray the trust. Moreover, in the matter of
death, she even does not have an authority over her own soul or body. Society,
in general, does not permit suicide. Islam too does not allow suicide. The
Qur’an says:
And
do not kill yourselves. Indeed Allah is merciful to you (An-Nisa
Islam
even totally condemns killing of non-human soul just for the sake of pleasure
or comfort. Abdullah bin Umar RA narrates that when the Prophet (S)
heard that people play game of killing a live running bird, he said, “Woe to
them who make a soul their target!”
Another deed of immorality is sexual anarchy or
permissiveness. Any sexual act outside the fold of marriage is an immoral act. Exhibition
of sexual acts or talks in media such as TV, radio, magazines, newspapers,
internet for the sake of pleasure or entertainment are not only highly immoral
but give rise to other obscene acts, and thus must be avoided. Similarly,
exhibition of certain parts of human body by donning improper dress leads to
sexual desire, and consequently illicit love affaires. All these give rise to
rape, consensual sex, fornication and other form of adultery which are not only
immoral but punishable by the society as well.
Islam
recognizes sexual needs of humans and regulates institution of marriage to
satisfy their legitimate needs. Islam clearly mentions these needs as (1)
seeking comfort:
And
from his signs that (Allah) has created for you a mate of your own kind to seek
comfort from her and has created love and compassion between you (Ar-Rum: 21),
(2)
and reproduction:
And
God has created for you a mate from your own kind created children and
grand-children for you from your mates (An-Nahl: 72).
Thus
the purpose of marriage is two-fold: seeking comfort and love, and reproduction
of human race. However, these needs must be satisfied by proper marriage
between the two opposite sexes. Any deviation from this type of marriage is not
recognized by Islam. The sexual relationship between a man and his wife is
purely a private matter between them, and must not be indulged in open. This is
not only for the safety of the couple, but for saving society from falling into
sexual anarchy as well. Moreover, it prohibits sexual talk, not to say of act
itself, in public as well. The Prophet (S) has said, “That person is worst who
describes his sexual relationship in open” (Abu Sa’eed Khudri, Muslim). Islam
safeguards peoples against illicit love affaires by prescribing a code of
proper dresses. This can be considerably reduced to minimum by banning the
media and people to openly exhibit human body and sexual acts and talks for
pleasure purpose only.
Sexual
attraction and indulgence between two persons of the same sex is a form of
aberration. This attraction is not natural. Such people should be treated by
experts of human Psychology. Along with other forms of adultery as discussed
above, Islam treats Gay or lesbian relationship as a form of adultery as well,
punishable by the society. The Qur’an says:
If
two men among you are guilty of lewdness, punish them both (An-Nisa
Such
relationship not only does not fulfill the need of human recreation, it leads
to annihilation of human race as well. It is regarded as transgression in
Islam, as is pointed out in the following verses:
“Of
all the creatures of the world, will you approach males? And leave those whom
Allah has created for you to be your mates? Nay, you are a people
transgressing!” (Ash-Shu’ara 26: 165-166).
In conclusion, all such immoral deeds, as
discussed above, are no doubt despised ones. In spite of all the resources,
legal power, struggle, plans and human philosophies, our American society has
failed to check immorality. In fact day by day the society is sinking deeper
and deeper in the cesspool of immorality as we have seen in the Gallop Survey
above. The only way now left to check and completely eradicate immorality from
our society is to adopt Islamic code of life, which abhors all forms of
obscenity- initial source of immorality- and teaches its complete elimination.