Allah (swt) said:
“Oh mankind! We have created you from a male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, so that you may know each other.” [Al- Hujurat: 13] He (swt) says:
“Oh mankind! What has misled you from your Lord, most Generous?”. [Al- Infitar: 6] He (swt) says:
“Woe to mankind! What has made Him reject God? From what thing did He create Him? From a clot He Created Him...” [Abasa: 17 - 19]
Thus, Allah (swt) has addressed mankind with obligations and He (swt) has made Mankind the subject of that speech and those obligations. He (swt) has revealed the laws (Shar’a) to mankind and He (swt) will resurrect mankind, account him/her and admit Him/her to Paradise or Hell. Therefore, He (swt) has made mankind - not men or women - the subject of the obligations.
Allah (swt) has created mankind, whether male or female, with a specific nature which is distinct from that of animals. The woman is a human, as is the man, and they do not differ from each other in terms of their humanity. Nor is one distinguished from the other in any aspect of that humanity. Allah (swt) has prepared both of them, in their capacity as humans, to enter the walks of life and inevitably made them live in the same society. He also made the survival of the human race dependent on their meeting together and their mutual presence in every society. It is not permitted to view one of them except as the other is viewed because, as humans, they possess all human characteristics and the essential requirements of life. Allah (swt) has created within each of them a vital energy (Taqa Hayawiya), and it is the same vital energy which He (swt) has created for the other. So He (swt) made in each of them organic needs such as hunger, thirst and the need to relieve nature and He (swt) made in each of them a survival instinct (Gharizat al-Baq'a) and a procreation instinct (Gharizat al-Nau') and a sanctification (Gharizat al- Tadayyun) instinct. They are the same organic needs and instincts that are present in each other. He (swt) has granted both of them the faculty of thought, and it is the same faculty of thought that is present in the other. Thus, intelligence is present in a man and it is the same intelligence that is present in a woman, since Allah created an intellect for mankind and not exclusively for a man or a woman.
The procreation instinct can be satisfied by a man with a man, or an animal and so on, or a woman can satisfy it with a woman, animal etc. However, this will not serve the purpose for which the instinct has been created in mankind except in one case, that is if a man satisfies it with a woman and a woman satisfies it with a man. Therefore, the relationship of a man with a woman and vice versa from the angle of instinctual sexuality is a natural relationship free from any abnormality. It is the only genuine relationship by which mankind realises the purpose for which this instinct was created, that is the survival of the human race. So when a relationship takes place between them in terms of sexual intercourse, that is instinctive and natural, and there is nothing strange or odd about that. Rather, it is a necessary matter for the survival of the human species. However, allowing this instinct to run loose is detrimental to mankind and his social life. The purpose of its existence is to produce offspring for the survival of the species. Therefore, mankind's view of this instinct must be oriented towards the purpose for which it is found in Him, and that undoubtedly, is for the survival of the species without distinction between men or women. As for the pleasure and enjoyment which is obtained by satisfaction, that is a natural and inevitable matter whether mankind considers it or not. Therefore it is not correct to say: pleasure and enjoyment should be dissociated from the procreation instinct. Disassociation between them is not attainable, this is because it is not possible. However, man's view stems from his concept about this satisfaction, and the purpose of its existence. Consequently, mankind must generate a specific concept about this instinct and the purpose for which it exists in Him. This will form a distinct view concerning the procreation instinct, so that He restricts it to the relationship of a man with a woman, and a woman with a man. It will also form in Him a distinct view concerning the relationship between men and women in the male-female sense, i.e. the sexual relationship, such that it is directed according to the purpose for which it was created, i.e. the survival of the human race. Through this view, the satisfaction of the instinct is achieved, as is the purpose for which it was created. The community which adopts this concept and possesses this distinct view also achieves tranquillity (Tamanina). The view of the community - any human community - concerning that which exists between men and women in terms of the male-female relationship, (i.e. their sexual relationship), must be changed from a view focused on pleasure and enjoyment, to one of considering pleasure and enjoyment a natural and necessary matter, but the view is orientated towards the purpose for which this instinct exists. This view maintains and discharges the procreation instinct according to the correct manner for which it was created, and gives man the opportunity to carry out his other activities and frees Him to pursue the things that make Him happy.
For this reason man must possess a concept concerning the satisfaction of the procreation instinct and the purpose for which it exists. The human community must have a system that ensures co-operation between the man and the woman and eliminates from peoples minds the dominance of the notion of sex, making it the concern that overrides all other concerns. This is because the community is of no worth (Salah) without the co-operation between men and women, considering them as two colleagues who support each other in mutual love and kindness. For this reason, we must emphasise the importance of complete change in the community's outlook towards the relationship between men and women, which will end the dominance of the concepts of sex, turning it into a matter which is natural and necessary for satisfaction and ending the restriction of this relationship to pleasure and enjoyment. Instead, it will produce a view which seeks the good of the community, not a masculine or feminine one, and it will be governed by the fear (Taqwa) of Allah (swt) and not by enjoyment or lust. It is a view which does not deny man the enjoyment of sexual pleasure, but makes it lawful (Mashru), ensuring the survival of the human race and agreeing with the ultimate goal of a Muslim, which is to seek the pleasure of Allah (swt).
Verses in the Qur'an came to address the marital aspect, i.e. the purpose for which the procreation instinct was created. Thus, there are verses which make it clear that the creation of the procreation instinct, in origin, is for the purpose of marriage i.e. survival of the human race. In other words, Allah (swt) has created the instinct only for the purpose of marriage. The verses clarify this using different styles and various meanings in order to ensure that the view of the community towards the relationship between the man and woman, is a view which is focused on marriage and not on sex. Allah (swt) said:
“Oh mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single person, and from Him created his wife, and from them both He created many men and women”. [An- Nisa: 1] He (swt) says:
“It is He Who has created you from a single person, and He has created from Him his wife, in order that He might enjoy the pleasure of living with her. When He had sexual relations with her, she became pregnant and she carried it about lightly. Then when it became heavy, they both invoked Allah, their Lord: If You give us a good child, indeed we shall be amongst the grateful”. [Al- Araf: 189] He (swt) says:
“And indeed We sent Messengers before you and made for them wives and offspring”. [Ar- Rad: 38] He (swt) says:
“And Allah has made for you wives of your own kind, and has made for you, from your wives, sons and grandsons”. [An- Nahl: 72] He (swt) says:
“And among his Signs is this, that He created for you wives from among yourselves, that you may find repose in them, and He has put between you affection and mercy.” [Ar- Rum: 21] He (swt) says:
“The Creator of the heavens and earth. He has made for you mates from yourselves”. [Ash- Shura: 11] He (swt) says:
“And that He (Allah) creates the pairs, - male and female, from nutfah (drops of semen) when it is emitted”. [An- Najm: 45-46] He (swt) says:
“And We created you in pairs”. [An- Naba: 8]
Thus, Allah (swt) restricted the creation of the male and female to the marital aspect. He (swt) repeated this, so that the view towards the male and female be focused on marriage i.e. towards producing offspring for the survival of the human race.