ʿIffa
Definition
Iffa is the virtue of chastity — the governance of sexual desire so that it finds expression only within the boundaries that Allah has prescribed (marriage) and is restrained from every form of expression outside those boundaries. Al-Ghazali presents iffa as one of the most demanding virtues in the modern world (and in every world), because sexual desire is among the most powerful forces in human psychology. He prescribes a combination of marriage (for those who are able), fasting (which the Prophet ﷺ recommended as a shield against desire for those who cannot yet marry), and the avoidance of every stimulus that artificially inflames the desire beyond what is natural.
As understood in the classical tradition of Imam al-Ghazali and the scholars of his school.
Appears in
1 book in the library
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