Why Sexual Misconduct is Prevalent in Society? - How To Prevent Indecency

Despite the awareness which is out there about this issue, clear policies about sexual harassment in the workplace, still the problem remains prevalent. And to the extent that, especially if you look at the United States of America sexual harassment at workplace has been illegal for 53 years now. Yet, it happens every day. And this is where the question comes up, where is the problem? Is it with the legislation or is it with something else?

Actually it is not about making laws and passing very strong legislation on this issue. The fundamental problem is the mindset of the people.

If right values are not ingrained in minds of the boys and the girls from very early stages of their lives, about the nature of male-female relationship, then you can have the strongest of legislation but it is not going to work. It is the issue of Tarbiyat [upbringing]. It is the issue of giving the right values and morality to the society.

So the problem with the West at the moment is that when you look at secular morality especially based on the views of Sigmund Freud and even philosophers like Bertrand Russell, they have looked at this whole issue of sexuality and the human desire, and they say that the problem is that this desire has to be fulfilled, and we have to remove all the restrictions in male-female relationship. As long as there is mutual consent, doesn't matter. And only when these desires are fulfilled people actually then will get away from all these problems.

They were actually reacting to what they had in the Western part of the world. Unnatural and unlocked restrictions put on them from their own Church. A Church which was promoting celebrity is a higher value than marriage. A Church which was saying that marriage is lesser of the two evils, and so marriage was tolerated. And with that, there was negativity to this whole process of fulfilling the natural desires. And when the Church lost its power in the society, the secular-minded thinkers came in and they said they went to the other extreme.

We would like to remove all restrictions. Remove restrictions and things will be okay because people's desires will be fulfilled. As long as there is mutual consent. It doesn't matter whether you are single or married. It doesn't matter at all. But we have seen people like Freud and Russell have died more than 50 years ago and the Western society still is suffering with these problems.

You look at the modern lifestyle and the promiscuity that it has. This free attitude towards morality as far as sexuality is concerned does not resolve the problem. Look at Canada or US or many other Western countries. They are the best of universities around the world. Most advanced science and technology, as far as method and invention is concerned, and a very high standard of living.

In spite of all this when it comes to the issue of sexual harassment, it is there. So it is not ignorance, it is not poverty, it is not lack of science and technology, or money. It has everything to do with morality, and the morality which should be based on the divine teachings.

What does Islam have to say about it? Islam did not ignore this phenomenon in human life. Islam does not say that these desires that we have, are evil. Rather, we believe that these desires have been created by Allah, Subhana wa Ta'ala, Himself and He has allowed us to fulfill them. But within the sacred bounds of marriage between a man and a woman. I should make it clear here, any other way of fulfilling that desire. Is considered to be a majour sin.

So yes, Islam took away that negativity from that relationship. But within the parameters of the marriage bonds, that is actually considered to be the ayat of Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala. It is a sign of Allah's power and glory. However, we have to remember: the desires are there. The right way of fulfilling the desire is there. But there is someone else. Whether you like him or not, he is always there with you, and that is Shaytan. Shaytan is always there to ignite the spirit of rebellion against divine commandments. And therefore Islam says you have to constantly train yourself, when it comes to the issue of Tarbiyat, and to be aware of this temptation of the Shaytan.

Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala, in Sura Ash-Shams, that we recite in Namaz [prayer] of Eid, He is very clear about it, where He says: "Wa Nafsin, wa ma sawwaha" (91:7). By the soul of the human being that He created. "Fa la hamaha fujiraha wa taqwaha" (91:8). He inspired to the soul of every human being the basic understanding of what is evil and what is good. And then He says: "qad aflaha man zakkaha" (91:9). Successful is a person who keeps that Nafs and soul purified, with the teachings of Revelation and the prophets who come. "Wa qad khaba man dassaha" (91:10). And failure is the person who lets that Nafs become corrupted with sins. People like Harvey Weinstein, these are examples of that failure. Money is there, knowledge is there, everything is there. There is total loss in this Dunya and Akhira.

And remember this issue of temptation of the Shaytan. Nobody is immune from it. Neither a teacher, nor a coach. Neither a priest or a mu'allim of Qur'an, neither a president sitting in the Oval Office, or a bishop in the sanctuary of his own cathedral, in Boston. Neither you are talking about the medical professionals, or policemen. Every field of this Dunya, every area of human society, Shaytan has his own traps for every kind of people.

And this is where we see that Allah, Subhana wa Ta'ala, talks about this issue. How to prevent this? And Islam has taken this very seriously. If you look at the words of Allah, Subhana wa Ta'ala, in the Qur'an about it, you will see that he actually talks about this issue in a more serious manner than many other examples. Salawat [Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa Aali Muhammad].

You will see there are many, many commandments in the Qur'an where Allah says: don't do this, don't do this, don't do that. He just simply says: "la taqtulu" (4:29; 5:95; 6:151; 12:10; 17:31; 17:33), don't kill, don't do that. "La tashriku" (4:36; 6:151). Do not do Shirk. But when it comes to the issue of this temptation of the Shaytan, Allah, Subhana wa Ta'ala, uses a different language there, different style. In Sura Isra', Sura Bani Isra'il, Sura number 17 ayat 32, He says: "Wa la taqrabu az-zina, innahu kana fahishatan wa sa'a sabeela" (17:32). He doesn't say don't do zina, don't have illicit relationships. Rather, He says la taqrabu, do not even go close to it. Everything else He says: don't do it. Here, He says: "la takrabu" do not even go close to it.

In Sura al-'Araf [Al-An'am], Sura number 6, ayat 151, Allah, Subhana wa Ta'ala, before and after this Ayat, actually has what we call Ten Commandments of Islam. You talk about the Ten Commandments of Moses, even in Sura al-'Araf, ayat number 150, before and after it, you have the Ten Commandments there. Well, Allah, Subhana wa Ta'ala, says: "La tashriku" (6:151), Do not do Shirk. "Wa la taqtulu" (6:151), do not kill innocent lives. Then He talks about this issue: "wa la taqrabu al-fawahisa ma dhahara minha wa ma batan" (6:151), do not even go close to this indecency, whether this indecent act or relationship is obvious and open, or it is being done secretly. In both forms, Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala says "la takrabu", do not even go close to it.

What does it mean, when He says do not even go close to it? "La takrabu", do not even go near it. Do not approach it. It means anything which in the first look, will, it seems to be very innocent. There is no harm there. But if you know that if this continues, you will be led to the second step, and then third, and then fourth, eventually you will reach to what is known as fahisha and indicensy. Allah, Subhana wa Ta'ala, says be careful before it. Take precautions before say that you do not even reach to that point.