REINTERPRETATION OF SEXUAL ETHICS IN THE HADITH THROUGH MUHAMMAD SHAHRUR'S THEORY OF LIMITS
Keywords:
Muhammad Shahrur, Limit Theory, Sexual Ethics, Hadith, Wife's SatisfactionAbstract
The discourse on sexuality in classical Islamic law often places women in a passive position, prioritizing the husband's sexual rights over the wife's satisfaction. This article aims to explore Muhammad Shahrur's thoughts on sexual ethics within marriage, specifically regarding the prophetic tradition (hadith) that prohibits stopping sexual intercourse before the wife achieves climax. Utilizing a qualitative methodology with a library research approach, this study analyzes the text of the hadith through the framework of Shahrur’s Limit Theory (Nazariyyah al-Hudud). The results indicate that from Shahrur's perspective, a wife’s sexual satisfaction is not merely a moral recommendation (sunnah), but rather serves as al-hadd al-adna (the lower limit or minimum threshold) that must legally be fulfilled to maintain justice within the marital relationship. This reinterpretation shifts the traditional, patriarchal understanding of Islamic jurisprudence toward a framework rooted in human rights, medical science, and gender equality. Consequently, this study provides a theoretical foundation for reforming Islamic family law regarding reproductive rights and preventing marital sexual deprivation.
Downloads
References
Abjad, M. 2018. “Sexual Ethics in Classical Islamic Jurisprudence: A Gender Analysis.” Journal of Islamic Studies 29 (2): 145–68.
Abu Syuqqah, Abdul Halim. 1999. Tahrir Al-Mar’ah Fi ’Ashr Al-Risalah. Dar al-Qalam.
Abu Zayd, Nasr Hamid. 1995. Tafkhim Al-Nass: Dirasat Fi ’Ulum Al-Qur’an. Al-Markaz al-Tsaqafi al-’Arabi.
Al-Asqalani, Ibn Hajar. 2000. Fath Al-Bari Bi Syarh Shahih Al-Bukhari. Dar al-Ma’rifah.
Al-Ghazali, Abu Hamid. 1992. Ihya’ ’Ulum Al-Din. Dar al-Khair.
Al-Nawawi, Yahya Sharaf. 1929. Al-Minhaj Fi Syarh Shahih Muslim Bin Al-Hajjaj. Dar Ihya al-Turats al-’Arabi.
Al-Shafi’i, Muhammad Idris. 1940. Al-Risalah. Maktabah al-Halabi.
Ali, Kecia. 2006. Sexual Ethics and Islam: Feminist Reflections on Qur’an, Hadith, and Jurisprudence. Oneworld Publications.
An-Na’im, Abdullahi Ahmed. 1990. Toward an Islamic Reformation: Civil Liberties, Human Rights, and International Law. Syracuse University Press.
Arkoun, Mohammed. 1994. Rethinking Islam: Common Questions, Uncommon Answers. Translated by Robert Lee. Westview Press.
Armstrong, Karen. 2006. Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time. HarperCollins.
Barlas, Asma. 2002. “Believing Women” in Islam: Unreading Patriarchal Interpretations of the Qur’an. University of Texas Press.
Engineer, Asghar Ali. 1992. The Rights of Women in Islam. St. Martin’s Press.
Esack, Farid. 1997. Qur’an, Liberation & Pluralism: An Islamic Perspective of Interreligious Solidarity Against Oppression. Oneworld Publications.
Hoodbhoy, Pervez. 1991. Islam and Science: Religious Orthodoxy and the Battle for Rationality. Zed Books.
Ibn Rushd, Muhammad. 2004. Bidayat Al-Mujtahid Wa Nihayat Al-Muqtashid. Dar al-Hadith.
Kaplan, Helen Singer. 1979. Disorders of Sexual Desire and Other New Concepts and Techniques in Sex Therapy. Brunner/Mazel.
Kurzman, Charles, ed. 1998. Liberal Islam: A Sourcebook. Oxford University Press.
Marzuki, Peter Mahmud. 2005. Penelitian Hukum. Kencana Prenada Media Group.
Masters, William H, and Virginia E Johnson. 1966. Human Sexual Response. Little, Brown and Company.
Mernissi, Fatima. 1991. The Veil and the Male Elite: A Feminist Interpretation of Women’s Rights in Islam. Addison-Wesley.
Munir, Lily Zakiyah. 2006. “Domestic Violence in Indonesia: Islamic Law, National Law, and Local Culture.” Kajian Malaysia 24 (1): 121–43.
Rahman, Fazlur. 1982. Islam & Modernity: Transformation of an Intellectual Tradition. University of Chicago Press.
Roded, Ruth. 1994. Women in Islamic Biographical Collections: From Ibn Sa’d to Who’s Who. Lynne Rienner Publishers.
Shahrur, Muhammad. 1990. Al-Kitab Wa Al-Qur’an: Qira’ah Mu’ashirah. Al-Ahali li al-Nasyr wa al-Tauzi’.
———. 1992. Dirasat Islamiyyah Mu’ashirah Fi Al-Dawlah Wa Al-Mujtama’. Al-Ahali li al-Nasyr wa al-Tauzi’.
———. 2000. Nahwa Ushul Jadidah Li Al-Fiqh Al-Islami. Al-Ahali li al-Nasyr wa al-Tauzi’.
Syahrur, Muhammad. 2004. Metodologi Fiqh Islam Kontemporer. Translated by E Sahiron. ELSAQ Press.
Tucker, Judith E. 2008. Women, Family, and Gender in Islamic Law. Cambridge University Press.
Wadud, Amina. 1999. Qur’an and Woman: Rereading the Sacred Text from a Woman’s Perspective. Oxford University Press.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
