Minor illicit sexual activity
It is loudly proclaimed in the Grand Qur’ān:
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Sexuality is one of the subjects that are most relevant to humanity. And one topic on sexuality which most people are uncomfortable to talk about is masturbation. It is the reason that there is proliferation of slang phrases to talk about it. There are depictions of male and female masturbation in prehistoric rock paintings around the world.
Keeping in view the extent of the claim in the aforementioned sentence of Ayah 6:38, it would be hard to think the neglect of mentioning this topic as self-gratification is known since thousands of years in human history. However, it is a subject that is talked about through Euphemisms.
Recently, sonographic observations of male fetus started a debate that showed movements of hand touching/stroking genitals resembling common practice of stroking for sexual pleasure usually to orgasm.
In Arabic sexual activities, explicit or implicit, are mentioned by words stemming from Root: ف ح ش. that relates to Semantic domain: Immoderate behaviour.
The basic perception is that of indulging in excessive, immoderate, or beyond measure with reference to generally or universally accepted norms, limits and measures of behaviour. The perception and meanings of the Root have built in subjective and relational element. Moreover, because the excessive, immoderate and extremist tendencies are universally looked upon with dislike, abomination, repulsiveness, and unacceptability, therefore, it has inherent negative element.
For reason of built-in subjective and relational element, it is the context and related field which will determine and expose its meanings with reference to that context; and in definite state will generally express the irrational, unnatural, obscene, pervert and excessively emotional sexual conduct.
This Root is mostly used in Grand Qur’ān in relation to immoderate, abnormal and lustful unnatural sexual pursuits and behaviour; explicitly included in it is homosexuality: Lesbianism (4:15); Sodomy (4:16; 7:80; 27:59; 29:28), uz'zina: intercourse of genitalia [furr'ej] with mutual consent by a man and woman outside the fold of legal marriage; and marrying women with whom fathers were earlier married (4:22).
The primary objective of doing:
acts of illicit sex is feeling of pleasure and satisfaction, not
necessarily culminating in sexual climax, ejaculation or orgasm.
Thereby, sexual excitement can be experienced as a pleasurable wave of
tingling sensations through parts of the body that might not get
exhibited to other party. Thereby, all sorts of actions aimed at
sexual excitement are prohibited including the displayed and secretively
intended:
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Firstly a prohibitive command is given:
"you people should not
approach illicit sexual attractions;"
The verb is in Jussive Mood due to Prohibitive Particle. Verb signifies
moving closer to something with affection. The object of verb is
feminine plural that includes all sorts of illicit activities aiming at
sexual pleasure and satisfaction.
The following sentences conjunct
by particle is apposition of comprehensive equivalence to
the preceding entity:
. The verbal sentences are the Linkage clause for
the Relative Pronoun and the prepositional phrase relates to the elided
circumstantial clause for the subject of the verb.
However, in the aforementioned prohibiting sentences there is no mention of act of sexual pleasure and satisfaction self done by alone individual in solitude for which word "Masturbation (noun of action)" is coined, and in Arabic it is picturesquely portrayed by: استمناء a Form-X verbal noun stemming from Root: م ن ى signifying semen. Form-X verbal noun and verbs are Reflexive Causative; Causative to do for the Self. Form-X Verbs signify what is called in Arabic تَكَلُّفٌ which means literally "self-charging" or "self-assigning a task". It also figuratively means "feigning".
It is
understood that "self assigning a task" and "feigning intercourse" in
solitude is minor offense as compared to displayed and explicit
illicit sex involving another party or victim. An exemption from:
is
mentioned:
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The first
sentence is a dependent compound sentence with a conjunction particle
which explains the characteristic of those
who acted moderately and
appropriately with magnanimity.
The verbal sentence:
comprises of Verb:
Imperfect; Third person; plural; masculine; [Form-VIII]; Mood:
Indicative evident by "نَ"; and [و]
Subject Pronoun, nominative state referent to preceding Relative Pronoun; مصدر-إِجْتِنَابٌ Verbal
noun. Form-VIII verb has reflexive causative meanings and indicates a
stronger role of the Subject as a performer of the action involving
painstaking, meticulous effort.
Sins and sexual pleasures are tempters and thus a strong
effort is needed to escape temptation.
The object of
verb in the first sentence is:
a possessive phrase signifying
"the
Major sins"
which include all sins that are specifically prohibited to be done. The
object of verb in the second sentence is:
.
It means that such people diligently avoid illicit sex in any manner. A
barring from such diligent avoidance of illicit sex is mentioned by
Restriction/Confining Particle:
.
Excepted act is:
Collective Noun: Definite
by article;
Masculine; accusative.
It stems from Root: ل م م.. Ibn Faris [died 1005] stated:
(مقاييس اللغة) اللام والميم أصلُه صحيحٌ يدلُّ على اجتماعٍ ومقارَبَة ومُضامَّة. That it means to congregate, become nearer and to be joined, amalgamated. He and other Lexicographers also state that it refers to: صغار الذنوب minor offences; and that it refers to a person near adulthood. |
Since:
minor offence is excepted from:
illicit sex activities it is obviously a euphemism for sexual act which
is directly described by noun of action Masturbation. Considering that
barring is from an object which is diligently avoided, it has occasional
element in so doing and is a lapse - a gap in the continuity of
avoidance of illicit sex.
The climax of feel of pleasure and
satisfaction in masturbating by males is to achieve orgasm or emit the
semen:
.
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Verbal
sentence:
comprises of Form-IV second person plural masculine imperfect verb
in Indicative Mood with infix [و] subject pronoun; from verbal
noun: إِمْنَاءٌ
meaning ejaculation. It is
Linkage clause for the Relative Pronoun which is the object of
preceding verb "have you seen". Form-IV verb is causative - Causing someone or something to perform the
action of Measure I.
What is caused to be ejaculated? It is semen:
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The verbal sentence:
is the adjectival for the preceding indefinite noun:
semen. It comprises of Verb: Imperfect; Third person; singular;
masculine; Passive;
Mood: Indicative; Form-I; Proxy subject pronoun hidden referent to Semen;
مصدر-مَنْىٌ
verbal noun.
Semen, not
sperm, can be
seen by naked eye only when it is visibly ejaculated in open
space and collected. Thereby:
is
euphemism for masturbation which culminates in ejaculation of semen.
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The information given about the conduct of people, who otherwise behave moderately and decently, includes a minor lapse. No negative remarks, or censure is mentioned. It can raise question in the mind of the addressee, elevated Messenger [Sal'lallaa'hoalaih'wa'salam]. The next sentence is explanatory - justificatory or parenthetic for the exception of preceding lapse (الجملة تعليلية لاستثناء اللّمم).
The address to the elevated Messenger [Sal'lallaa'hoalaih'wa'salam] in the justificatory - parenthetic sentence is interrupted using rhetorical device apostrophe turning the address to the humanity, by using second person plural pronouns.
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Is it not strange that in the
context of minor illicit sexual lapse, Allah the Exalted is
mentioning about our trait while we were:
foetuses? The following prepositional phrase coupled with two
successive possessive phrases relates to the elided adjective -
specification for the preceding indefinite noun in absolute state,
meaning "foetuses ----- (some adjective) within the bellies of your respective
mothers".
The elided
trait of foetuses can certainly not that which could be admired and
sanctified as is evident from the injunction in the following
dependent clause:
.
This dependent clause begins with the
conjunction Particle:
فَ
which shows cause and
effect.
Since He the Exalted knows us very well ever since the days we were
unborn, therefore, we are advised "you people should not attribute
holy status, sanctification to your personalities." It thus
confirms that its mention is to something of negative import related
to the period of life as foetuses.
The verbal
sentence:
comprises of Verb: Imperfect; Transitive; Second Person; Plural; Masculine;
Mood: Jussive evident by elision of نَ
[Form-II] by Prohibitive Particle; [و] Subject Pronoun, nominative
state; مصدر-تَزْكِيَةٌ
Verbal Noun. Form-II verb is Attributive-Estimative/Declarative: This verb makes an
attribution to object; to consider someone or something to be something.
A research paper named ‘In-Utero Gratification Behaviour in Male Fetus’, is in circulation on internet which states:
Fetal masturbation has been described previously once in-utero but only as a description of an action. Masturbation is well described in infancy and early childhood when they discover that this practice can give them pleasure. Our letter proves that it could begin in-utero as a ‘gratification behaviour’. We have shown this pattern clearly using a volumetric rendering mode study. And the ultrasound images show: ‘Fetal gratification behaviour’ in a fetus in the 32nd week of gestation of a normal gestation. The fetus was grasping his tumescent penis with his hand and did it with such force that it shows us clearly the glans. Initially, the glans was covered by the foreskin and gradually the foreskin is retracted as we show in images the total sequence of the hand movements grasping the penis.
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Though the validity of this research is being challenged and interpreted differently, the information given and discussed above supports the authenticity of the research and sonographic images that the hands are fondling with the penis for self gratification.
Allah the Exalted knows us from the days we might have been doing it as self gratification as foetuses in the bellies of our respective mothers, therefore, there is nothing extra ordinary strange thing in the information about the occasional lapses of self gratification by men of moderate and decent conduct, thereby we are prohibited to attribute to ourselves holiness - brag piousness.