Islamic tradition and celibacy

Authors

Shahzad Bashir, Stanford University, United StatesFollow

Document Type

Book Chapter

ISBN

9780195306316

Editor

Carl Olson

Publication (Name of Journal)

Celibacy and Religious Traditions

Department

Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations, London

DOI

10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195306316.003.0007

Publisher

Oxford University Press

City

New York

Abstract

The prophet Muhammad served as a model for those entering into marriage and celibacy is rejected as a human invention, although the Islamic tradition embodies exceptions with Sufism and its more negative attitudes toward the human body. Sufi groups used celibacy as a form of social protest. There is also a relation between forced celibacy and political power during the medieval period. In addition to certain Sufi groups, eunuchs represented another exception to the general negative Islamic attitude toward celibacy.

Comments

This work was published before Shahzad joined Aga Khan University.

Recommended Citation

Bashir, S. (2007). Islamic tradition and celibacy. Celibacy and Religious Traditions, 133-150.
Available at: https://ecommons.aku.edu/book_chapters/575