Академия Корана:Encyclopaedia of the Qurʾān/Abstinence

McDonough, Sheila, "Abstinence" in: Encyclopaedia of the Qurʾān, General Editor: J. D. McAuliffe, Georgetown University, Washington DC.

In the Qurʾān abstinence in the sense of «restraint in or refraining from the indulgence of human appetites and impulses» is connected with words deriving from four different Arabic roots, namely ʾ-l-w, ʿ-ṣ-m, ʿ-f-f and h-j-r.

The paradigmatic event for the qurʾānic notion of abstinence is q 74:2-5, which recounts one of the early examples of Muḥammad’s experience of coming close to God as the revelation descends on him. God commands, «Arise and warn, your Lord magnify, your robes purify, and defilement flee (fa-hjur).» Drawing close to God requires abandoning or fleeing from all that might inhibit the human response to the divine initiative. This interpretation of an experience in the life of Muḥammad is supported by a later qurʾānic reference — following the chronology of T. Nöldeke (see chronology and the qurʾān) — to an event in the story of Joseph (q.v.). Potiphar’s wife admits that she tried to seduce Joseph, saying, «Yes, I attempted to seduce him, but he abstained (fa- staʿṣama)» (q 12:32).

Humans are continually in need of rejecting or fleeing from anything that interferes with the on-going movement of the spirit in response to God. For instance, q 4:6 states, «If any man be rich, let him be abstinent (fal-yastaʿfif)», in reference to the use of the property of orphans (q.v.) by their guardians, who are enjoined to abstain from misusing their power to exploit their vulnerable charges.

Abstinence also means refraining from illicit sexual activity, as in q 24:33: «And let those who find not the means to marry be abstinent (wal-yastaʿfif) till God enriches them of his bounty.» On the other hand, marriage entails responsibilities. q 2:226 forbids a man to carry out an oath of sexual abstinence (īlāʾ) from his wife for longer than four months: «For those who swear to abstain (yuʾlūna) from their women, a wait of four months.» After that, he must break his oath or she is divorced. See also fasting .

Bibliography

• Bell, Commentary
• Izutsu, Concepts
• Mir, Dictionary
• Paret, Kommentar