Friday
3rd May 2024
Dhivehi Edition
Introduction
This article’s purpose is to promote the introduction of a sexual education course to the Maldivian school system. The existence of an Islamic studies course is already a good starting point, however there is a need for a separate subject in the education system which is tailored to deal with sexual education from an Islamic perspective, to teach children about potential dangers and how to conduct themselves as they mature.
In “DAYAH,” the Journal of Islamic Education, Dr. Abdul Fatai Ismail et al. (2022) reported the results of their study into the view of Muslim youth regarding the teaching of sexual education through an Islamic perspective. This article will focus on their study and its findings, while also referencing other sources to reinforce the points made. Their publication begins by discussing the current state of the sexual education that many Muslim youth will receive. This generally takes place in the home, or in Islam classes, where children will be made to understand their bodies and the limitations they should place on themselves. This is not sufficient for the current age.
The internet has made it so a huge array of information is available to anyone with a simple search, which makes creates an exposure issue for children. Information may be accessed without the supervision of an adult and a child may see something they do not understand or should not be seeing at their age. These instances, along with the conversations that may be had with their peers who could have seen content of this sort online, can lead to the exploration of the unknown by the child. This, in turn, could lead to sexual exploration by the child that falls out of the bounds set out in Islamic law. Examples of this are the exposure of the self to one another or extra-marital intimacy.
Beginning at the end, they conclude that it is “imperative for those who know to enlighten those who do not know.” Education regarding sex and sexual activity is brought up in the holy Quran, and explained by Prophet Muhammad (SAW) through the experiences of his life. They argue that parents should be aware of the necessity for their children to receive this knowledge so they may keep themselves safe and behave as good Muslims, avoiding unwanted pregnancies and living a sexually modest life.
Course Content
Based on an Islamic perspective, there should be sexual modesty training, an orientation for prevention before marriage and preparation for marriage, and the teaching of limitations involved in gender relationships and marital orientation.
The authors reference Imam Faisal (2012), who stated that sex education is to inform young men and women about the lawful way to satisfy their innate desires according to the laws established by Almighty Allah S.W.T.. The Quran tells every person to lower their gaze and protect their private parts, in regard to the opposite gender. This evidence points to the need to protect oneself and keep one’s desire in check. Children would not be able to understand this unless they are educated on the matter.
Children should be encouraged to follow positive behaviors, as stated in the Quran. This includes educating them on how to behave in friendships with the opposite gender and what is acceptable between friends of the same gender and what is acceptable in the opposite. Children should learn what a marriage entails and how to behave in a marriage, along with the relations that occur between a man and his wife according to the Quran and the Sunnah.
Ihwani et al. (2018) discuss the difference between the content that is used in sexual education in the West and in an Islam. They present the argument that Western sexual education is focused on methods of reducing sexual interactions and promoting safety in those interactions with the ultimate goal of promoting extra-marital relations in a medically safe way. Conversely, Islam focuses on prohibition of these interactions and the reduction of male-female contact. This is a hardline argument that does not take into account the systems present in modern society. A course that is true to the systems of society would acknowledge that no human is made perfect. Through free will, Allah S.W.T. has allowed man to make mistakes, to sin. Any person who believes every human can be made to be perfect is a fool.
Thus, we must tackle the issue by first promoting Islamic values and focusing on prevention and the promotion of marriage, but also accepting that there will not be a 100% success rate in the attempt at prevention. For those adolescents who make make the mistake of sinning, they should at least be safe in a medical regard. If a pair of adolescents are made aware of their duties as Muslims prior to committing zina, then the responsibility to seek forgiveness and repent for their actions lies in their hands. In this way, an adolescent who sins and knows what they have done is wrong, they are able to keep themselves medically safe and hopefully prevent an unwanted pregnancy from occurring outside of marriage, for that is far worse than the initial sin of extra-marital relations.
Teaching Method
The children should be separated by gender when being taught. This is to ensure that the very thing which is being discouraged is not encouraged by the instruction, as well as to create a safer space for inquisition into the material being taught.
Moreover, the classes must be taught after the children have been educated on the implications of sexual activity and the advantages of purity according to the Quran and the Sunnah. For those who do not know and understand the potential consequences of their actions cannot be punished in Islam (Ismail et al., 2022).
Finally, the education must take place with limitations, such as the avoidance of offending the Islamic principle of modesty and decency, compliance with Sharia, and the promotion of marriage and family life.
The suggestion of the authors is for this education to be carried out with the collaboration of the teachers and the parents. This is because the teachers should have ability to impart knowledge on the children, however there may not be a sufficient level of comfort between the children and the teachers for them to ask any question they have. To this end, parents, too, should be brought into the fold to understand the material being taught to the children and given some advice on how to approach questions that may arise in the home.
The authors reference a study which shows the correlation between parents discussing these issues with their children and lower likelihood of those children in engaging in sexual activities, which is also directly responsible for reducing unwanted pregnancies.
Furthermore, education must be based on the age of the participants in the class. Once children have reached the age of puberty, they would start to notice the opposite gender, and this is when the classes become most important. Early intervention will reduce the likelihood of children making mistakes.
Conclusion
As discussed previously, the internet is a dangerous place for the curious mind, as a plethora of information is available about any topic is available. We should not leave children to learn about these topics on their own. President Dr. Muizzu has made a ban on adult websites, which is a step in the right direction for the avoidance of children accessing harmful material. Despite these efforts, children may still find inappropriate content, as it would be impossible for the government to scan every website available for harmful material. Therefore, the responsibility lies with the adults in society to educate children on what is right and wrong. At the moment, there is not a sufficient discussion of sexual education as is acceptable from an Islamic view, so I would argue that an effort should be made to educate children on the dangers that are posed to them and guidelines for how to live as a good Muslim.
Bibliography:
Ihwani, S. S., Muhtar, A., Musa, N., Yaakub, A., Mohamad, A. M., Hehsan, A. and Rashed, Z. N. (2018) “An Overview of Sex Education: Comparison Between Islam and Western Perspectives,” al-Qanatir: International Journal of Islamic Studies, 8(4), pp. 43–51.
Ismail, A. F., Bensala, Y., & Baimukhanbetov, B. (2022) "Islamic Sexual Education: Necessity for Imparting Sexual Modesty." DAYAH: Journal of Islamic Education, 5, 1. pp. 1-18.
Faysal M. & Abdul M. S. (2012) Sex Education from an Islamic Perspective, http://www.geocities.com/IslamAwareness/Sex/perspective.html