path said:
Come on, it is a simple enough question, you said the quran is easy to understand and precise.
Sorry for letting you wait pathrick, old boy. Priorities you know and every time I try to write something more important comes along.
Let's see. Where shall I start?
Ok, the cure we mentioned before is indeed simple since it engulfs human nature. On the other hand it does have a multitude of mechanisms.
First Islam establishes that Zina/Adultery is a bad thing. It is among the 7 chief sins. It is firmly denounced as not befitting the Muslim. Off course for a pious Muslim this would be enough for him not to partake in crimes of the kind. Let alone if it was the norm in a Muslim society. Note here that sexuality is not a taboo in a Muslim society.
Islam in fact doesn't say don't commit adultery, Islam says don't even approach it. That begins by, not even looking at strange women. If a Muslim man should see a woman naked, like so many are nowadays, he has no excuse. He should look away. Also there is no room for innocent”friendships, no hanging around between a single man and a single woman. As Omar-ibn-abd-al-Aziz (the grandson of Omar ibn-al-khattab) -may they both be rewarded for the many good they did- said, Don't be alone with a (stranger)woman even if it is to teach her the Qur'an.
Now there is to be no "coziness" between a woman and a man outside the prescribed limits. That is within the direct family (not cousins). This doesn't mean that a man and a woman who are not direct family can never speak to one another, after all all Muslims are brothers and sisters. It means that if they do they should in decency. Since any excess familiarity could lead to more. Off course decent intercourse is not prohibited.
Now as all know, except the people you directly deal with society plays a huge role. Specially here in Europe and the states you can't walk the street without their being allusions to sexuality. The individual is confronted with billboards, commercials (since women are
used to sell everything), (more than) half-naked women. Many men would say they can't help but get over-excited.
In fact, a Dutch Islam-basher had to admit in his column that he felt more at ease in Iran than in the Netherlands -in this regard off course. Off course the billboards and commercials portraying women naked or in an indecent setting are not allowed. But more so there is a dress code for men and women (they have feelings too, you know). So Islam also regulates the role of the public domain.
Now to sum up, slam teaches woman and man that adultery is bad. Off course this is imprinted in them. It regulates their intercourse with one another in a way that limits the temptations and the opportunities. It keeps the -in many cases- destructive public domain in check. All this would be enough to reduce adultery.
But woman and man have natural needs. These needs have to be satisfied. Islam does not see these needs as something bad, on the contrary. The Muslim is rewarded for it.
Now these needs have to be met. And therefore marriage came. The Muslim is encouraged to marry as soon as able. The Muslims are also urged to help one another to marry, especially when puberty hits. Off course if one reaches puberty in an truly Islamic community the urge for sex would not be the same as it is nowadays due to the ever expanding incentives. Now this marriage gives ample room for afore mentioned needs.
There a side note here. When the two married get quite old, when the man reaches his midlife crisis, I have noticed that men tend to look for youth in another mate. Now, as far as I know the bible and catholic christianity forbid the man to marry another woman. Since that is regarded adultery. They also prohibit divorce. The man is thus forced to look for it somewhere else. In secular law, man
and woman (9 in 10 in women France have had extramarital relationships.) either commit adultery on the side or get divorced if one of them is being too difficult about it. Islam however gives the man another option. He may preserve his initial family and marry another woman. But that is another -equally beautiful- story.
To return to sex marriage again, Islam not only let the mates have sex it encourages it. Contrary to some other religion it doesn't say that sex is for the making of babies only. Islam says that it is for pleasure too and is thus rewarded. (When the messenger of Allah –peace be upon him- said that, a surprised man asked:” are we rewarded for that?”. The prophet replied:” Aren’t you punished if you do it outside marriage?” It is also the duty of the man and the woman, to make themselves as attractive as possible for their mates.
After having set up all these accommodations Islam establishes law that punish the act of Adultery. It punishes it for the sake of making an example and thus deterring people from it and in order to keep up the social and public decency required in order to dam Adultery. Now the punishments differ. For persons that are not married the sentence is (I believe) a hundred whip. The punishment of the adulterous married is heavier. Islam prescribes stoning. Now this also is not that simple. And this only what I know about it, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it is not exactly the way I tell this part. First of all for these heavier punishments to be conducted four witnesses are needed. This means that adultery an sich is not the target of the punishment. It is rather
public display of adultery. Now this is much more important since it (public adultery) does not affect the partaking individuals alone but affects many others too. So in fact it is not allowed to spread. There is another possible course of events possible for married couples. That is if the man or woman accuses his or her partner of committing adultery. In this case the accuser has only to swear to establish the charge. Now the accused can clear himself by swearing his innocent. This happens four times. If they both swear four times they are asked for fifth in which the accuser that Allah’s wrath is upon him if he is lying. This would again establish the guilt. But the accused will have the same option, i.e; to swear that he/she did not commit adultery and if he/she is lying than may Allah’s wrath be upon him/her. If they both swear five time, they ae separated as one of them is definably and defiantly lying.
Peace.
