strongest. It is weaker than hunger and thirst. It is also weaker than
the parental instinct.
Another point to be noted in this connection is that man cannot
live without food or water for more than a few days. But the
satisfaction of the sex urge may be postponed indefinitely without
injury to his physical or mental health. Some great men have led a
perfectly normal life without sex indulgence. Celibacy has been the
normal way of life for some men. It would seem that the energy of
the sex drive is displaceable and can be diverted into other channels.
There is another angle also. An excessive indulgence in matters
other than sex will harm the intemperate man himself. But
misbehaviour in sex will also have concern for society at large. Sex
love being monopolistic would give rise to the strong and
sometimes uncontrollable forces of rivalry and jealousy which are
so destructive for the society.
It is necessary to call attention to another aspect of sex. Sex
primarily subserves the biological end of race preservation but the
activity to which it leads is eminently pleasurable to the individual
also. It is nature's device to induce the individual to engage in an
activity which is mainly beneficial to the race and not to the
individual. Man, however, values sex for his personal pleasure it
yields. This pleasure becomes his main goal. For the sake of
enjoying it, he artificially stimulates his sex appetite and so perverts
it and deflects it from its natural end. Sex, thus, becomes an
impediment to man's progress in self-realisation.
If the considerations urged above are borne in mind, we can
understand and appreciate the Qur'an's attitude to sex. We will see
that the restrictions it has imposed on sex expression are perfectly
reasonable and in the best interests of the human species. Of
course, the sex behaviour of man has been regulated in every
society. The Qur'an, however, never loses sight of the biological end
of the sex drive. Some great religions have taught that sex is
essentially evil and that "spiritual" progress is only possible in
celibacy. The Qur'an rejects this view and regards the sex urge as a
natural appetite which may be gratified, albeit, in moderation and
under conditions in which it does no harm to anyone who is
affected thereby. In the West, adultery is penalised but not
fornication. The Qur'an forbids all sexual relations outside of
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