RELIGIOUSLY SANCTIONED MALE-FEMALE INTERMINGLING

Morality and value system are two basic concepts, which keep societies morally strong and unified. Yet they can be violated easily by sexual drive or need. This is why Islamic teachings try to put some determents and precautions to those who cannot control their sexual desires. Actually, Islam recognizes the power of sexual need, the opposite sex temptation, and the danger of religiously sanctioned male-female intermingling, and accordingly gives governing rules to man-woman relationship.



Y Y Y Y Warning a man and woman from being together in a secluded place, Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Prayers be upon Him (PBUH) said, “None of you should be secluded with a strange female unless she is accompanied by a Mehrem*” [Sahih Bukhari and Muslim].



The Hadeeth clearly and briefly drives the point home. Researches and experience have shown that intermingling of men and women provokes man’s libido in such a way that threatens the well-being of society. In Sex Revolution, George Balanchine, an American author, states, “In 1962, former President J. F. Kennedy said that America’s future is in danger because its youth is indulged in secular activities and does not realize the big burden and responsibility upon its shoulder. Out of seven young applicants to the army, six are found to be unfit to join the military. This is because of their excessive degeneration in physical pleasures and hectic pursuit to fulfill their sexual desires. All of that has made them both physically and psychologically incompetent for the army.” A Lebanese newspaper commenting on co-education in American schools and universities stated that a female student in school and university is more controlled by her emotions when thinking of how to fulfill her physical and bodily desires and of the means that may satisfy her and fill in her emotional vacuum. i.e. Her emotions prevail over her intellect. The paper goes on giving data which indicate that “more than 60% of females failed their final examinations mainly because of being mentally and emotionally occupied by their sex matters more than their academic interests or even their future. This confirms what Dr. Alex Carrel claims when he says: “When man’s sexual desire is triggered, a hormone is secreted into the blood and then to the mind and thus paralyzes the ability to think rationally.”



Therefore, those who advocate intermingling of the two sexes are not guided by reason but by their corporal and lustful desires. It is evident that they have not learned from the terrible consequences of the immoral degeneration which occurred in nations legalizing or allowing religiously sanctioned male-female intermingling as well as excessively free man-woman relationship. In a report drafted by the USA Congress’ Committee concerned with Juvenile Crimes, it was stated that the most important reason of such crimes is the too much and unbridled intermingling of male and female youngsters. All of these daily criminal incidents are living evidence to the scientific and social wisdom and advantage of man’s adherence to the Hadeeth. From a human prospective, the Hadeeth definitely constitutes the sole principle and basis which define the scope of social relations in general and in particular man-woman relationship.



More over, one of the most awful symptoms of this intermingling is a female’s losing her modesty, a virtue which is socially considered the female’s most significant and strongest shield and safeguard. The loss of bashfulness particularly in females leads to abnormal and immoral behavior which results, under the context of women liberalism and civilization, in blindfolded imitation and abuse of females. In other words, a number of immoral crimes were investigated; such investigations came out with that intermingling is the main driving force behind such criminal deeds.



Accordingly, advocates of this intermingling should have considered such inferences and, thus, contemplated on the causes of the scandal of the British Minister of Industry, Cecil Parkinson (1931-), who had an affair with his secretary. Actually, one of the newspapers stated that the Minister’s secretary got pregnant and was going to have a baby by him. What is so astonishing is the stance of Margaret Thatcher, the British former Prime Minister at that time. The Times stated, “Thatcher played a crucial role in convincing the Minister not to marry his secretary, for marrying the secretary would repute him and belittle his social status.” This incident shows, on one hand, the evil consequence of intermingling of a man (whether a minister or otherwise) with a female (whether a secretary or otherwise) without a Mehrem and on the other the disapproval of such consequences, which means the disapproval of the religiously sanctioned intermingling itself.



For, although intermingling generally brings about terrible consequences on society and its members, many sincere people all over the world have called and still doing so for reconsidering, rationalizing, and controlling the relation between the two sexes within a framework that makes human society avoid evils. This is definitely a direct return to the Honored Prophetic Path stated in the Hadeeth fourteen hundred years ago.



Reference: Abdel Samad, Mohammed Kamil. Scientific Miracles in Islam and A’Sunna A’Nabaweyya







* Translator’s Note: The term “Mehrem” means a male relative who is religiously banned from marrying that subject woman under any circumstances. In Islam, a Mehrem is a female’s father, brother, son, maternal or paternal uncle, grandfather or nephew. A blood relation or a suckling relation makes the subject man a “Mehrem” i.e. a son( brother, father, uncle) by birth or a suckling son(brother, father, uncle).