Document Type : Research/Original/Regular

Authors

• mohammadreza aram ¹
• Seyyed Mojtaba Azizi ²

¹ Department of Political Science, Institute of Humanities and Cultural Studies, Tehran, Iran Researcher of Imam Sadegh University Rushd Center

² Faculty member of the Faculty of Islamic Studies and Political Science, Imam Sadegh(a.c)University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

One of policy requirements and taking appropriate action is proper prioritization. The field of social harms is no exception to this rule and there is an urgent need to prioritize and identify the bad and the worse. Divorce and celibacy are the most important harm of the family institution. The main question of this research is whether the fight against divorce or the fight against celibacy has ipriority in prioritizing the fight against social harms related to the family? And why? In answer to this question, an attempt has been made to use the teachings of the Qur'an and Hadith to prioritize social harms in the family and to show that according to religious teachings, contrary to the current perception in society, celibacy has a higher ugliness than divorce and more harm Enters the religious community. Therefore, in policy-making and prioritization in fighting family harms, the main effort should be made to fight with celibacy and remove barriers to marriage, and to fight with divorce and eliminate its causes in the next level. Since in the current situation, fighting divorce is considered the most important priority, by recognizing marriage as the most important priority of the family institution, and fighting celibacy as the most important priority in fighting with family harms, we must see fundamental changes in policies and policies in this area.

Highlights

Extended Abstract

Background and purpose

Prioritizing and identifying the most significant contributing factors is one of the most critical efforts for governments and the main step in policymaking because each policy requires significant resources to achieve. Policymakers feel that "determining the core problem is more important than finding the optimal solution to difficulties" (dye, 2017: 26).

There are numerous social pathologies associated with the family institution, and we must prioritize them. Divorce and celibacy are two of the most serious pathologies of the family institution, and it is critical to prioritize and identify the bad and the worse. At the moment, it appears as though the primary objective in preventing family-related social pathologies is to fight against divorce. For instance, in a study on prioritizing the fight against social pathology, the Ministry of the Interior outlined five priorities. There was just "divorce" as a symbol of the family institution's social pathologies in this priority, and there was no mention of celibacy being one of the country's most serious social pathologies! This is despite the fact that, according to the 2016 census, the country has more than 13 and a half million single young adults over the age of 20. (Statistics enter of Iran, 2018) The objective of this study is to determine the most influential family policies.

Method

The Qur'anic, narrative, jurisprudential, moral, and intellectual evidences were evaluated using the ijtihad procedure, and then these evidences were filed and classified. We base our arguments against divorce or celibacy on three areas. The first section includes a content analysis of the verses and hadiths about the extent to which divorce and celibacy are condemned, as well as their comparison. The second section compares the divorce and celibacy laws from a jurisprudential standpoint, and the last section discusses the Shia Imams' Sira (peace be upon them) on divorce and celibacy, as well as their policy in society.

Results

By comparing divorce and celibacy in terms of condemnation, conduct of the Infallibles' Sira (AS) Sira, advice of the Infallibles (AS) to others, jurisprudential ruling, and rational reason, this study reveals a key finding: the extent and depth of social pathology of celibacy in exacerbating or reducing other social pathologies in the family institution have been overlooked. By comparing the two social pathologies of divorce and celibacy, it is clear that solving the social pathology of celibacy is the top priority. Achieving the priority of fighting against celibacy over a divorce is based on several reasons: First, celibacy is much more than divorce, has been condemned by the holy shari'a, and all justifications for being single have been rejected (Koleini, 1407 AH, vol. 5: 329, 349, 330 and 509 ).

Secondly, although divorce and celibacy are both Makruh (abominable), but divorcing an incompetent spouse is Mustahabb (recommended) (Halli, 1413 AH, vol. 3: 130), whereas being single becomes Haram (forbidden act) if it causes one to fall into the abyss of sins; Thirdly, none of the Ahl al-Bayt (as) have been single, but some of them experienced a non-abominable divorce during their lives (Klini, 1407 AH, vol. 5: 421, 351 and vol. 6: 105, 447 and 55); Fourthly, the Ahl al-Bayt (as) have never encouraged people to live single, but in some cases, they have advised people to divorce their spouses (Koleini, 1407 AH, vol. 5: 331 and vol. 6:55); Fifth, because of its rationality, facilitating and expanding marriage helps a lot in resolving the problem of divorce.

Table 1. Prioritization of "divorce" and "celibacy"

Discussion and Conclusion

The following conclusions and results can be drawn from the preceding claims:

1. celibacy is a pathology, not a desired way of life.
2. celibacy is a social as well as individual pathology.
3. While divorce causes significant social harm, celibacy causes far more social harm to people.
4. Resolving the social harm of celibacy considerably minimizes the individual and societal harm of divorce.

Therefore, all family policies should prioritize "reproduction and marriage facilitation" in order to address any issues that arise within this precious and noble institution. Ignorance or lack of attention to the topic of marriage, while focusing on other family-related concerns, not only does not resolve these issues permanently, but also complicates problems within family institution and society.

If the Ministry of Interior and other relevant organizations do not regard celibacy to be the most serious social damage in society, it is advised that they at least consider it to be one of the most important social evils in this field. Unfortunately, our current rules are more concerned with preventing divorce than encouraging young people to marry or divorced or widowed women to remarry. It's logical that, with this form of policy, divorce appears to be the most severe harm to the family in the public eye and that the main material and immaterial sources of policy focus on divorce rather than facilitating marriage. Third, when individuals' and political institutions' computing systems change, many single people, fearful of rising divorce rates, either give up marriage or grow preoccupied with finding the ideal spouse, and their marriage age increases day by day.

Ethical consideration

Compliance with ethical guidelines: This study complied with all ethical research guidelines.

Finance: The corresponding author has carried out part of this study with the financial assistance of the Imam Sadegh (AS) University Development Center.

Authors' contribution: The first (corresponding) author was primarily in charge of research by filing and categorizing the material, while the second author was in charge of the scientific supervision, completion, and correction of the study.

Conflict of interest: There is no conflict of interest with any person or organization

Acknowledgments: The aut

Keywords

• "Family"
• "Divorce"
• "celibacy"
• "social harms"
• "Islamic Studies"

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