Gender and sexual culture in Islamic Tradition and Heritage

Abstract

Abstract:

The present study "Gender and sexual culture in Islamic Tradition and Heritage" deals with the concept of sexuality and sexual culture as they represent an integral part of the Islamic knowledge heritage, referring to the Islamic vision embodied in the religious texts of Koran and Sunna  (the Prophetic Tradition), as far as sexuality is concerned, which indicate the significance of sex and the part it  plays  in human life  taking into consideration its biological, social and psychological. Besides, the paper handles the concept of gender and sexual culture in other religions, referring to  various points of views expressed by different religions. In fact, the present paper attempts to fulfill two objectives. Firstly, to clarify the sexual culture for young Muslims, men and women,  and how to take care of it as a culture of life which should be approached objectively and scientifically away from the culture of shame or disgrace. Secondly, to emphasize that the cultural heritage and the non-Qur'anic tradition is influenced and impacted by social environment and cultural factors that are inherited and imported, which do not necessarily represent the authentic Islamic vision, but rather represent the inherited communal religion that bears the hallmarks of the times and the ideas of the previous societies and their popular heritage.