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"detrimental to health" for the most illogical reasons. Shaykh Nafzawi, for instance, declares that "If you do it with the woman bestriding you, your dorsal chord will suffer and your heart will be affected; and if in that position the smallest drop of the usual female secretions enters your organ, then a painful problem will result."

Moslems attach a certain amount of guilt to sexual intercourse, as evidenced by Ghazali (the eleventh-century Sufi mystic): "It is a good marital practice for a man to turn away from the direction of Mecca while engaging in sexual intercourse, out of respect for the Holy Places." Ghazali advises that the first, middle, and last days of the month are unsuitable for sexual intercourse since "on such nights the Devil himself attends the union." Arabic women are generally forbidden to sleep on their backs, except when in sexual embrace, for it is believed that "If they openly lie in such a way, the Devil will forever try to possess them."

There is a great deal of male chauvinism in Moslem teachings on sexuality. Women have the status of property and are envisioned as less than second-class citizens. A popular Moslem saying is that "A man's shame [aurat] extends from his navel to his knees, whereas a woman's is from the top of her head right down to her toes. Even Ibn Arabi, the Sufi mystic of the twelfth century, gives a bigoted view of woman:

Woman occupies an inferior degree to that of man, confirming the Koranic Word that "As for men, they precede women by one degree." There is a ternary of God, man, and woman; man reaches out toward his Lord, which is his origin, as woman reaches out toward man. When man loves woman, he desires union, that is to say the most complete union that can be possible in love; and in the form composed of elements, there exists no union more intense than the act of physical love. Voluptuousness spreads through every part of the body; therefore Moslem sacred law prescribes total ablution and purification of the body after the conjugal act, just as the extinction of the man in the woman has been total after the voluptuous rapture of sexual union. For God is jealous of His servant, He does not tolerate that the latter may enjoy anything but Him.

According to Ghazali, there is a tradition

that the prophet Muhammad once said, "Let none of you fall on his wife like a brute beast, but let there be some prior communication between husband and wife." He was asked what kind of communication was meant, to which he replied, "A kiss and gentle words." On another occasion, known as the Sermon of the Farewell Pilgrimage, Muhammad is alleged to have declared, "I commend to you

fair treatment of your women, for they are your captives. Of themselves they possess

nothing. You have them on trust from God, and have lawful access to their bodies by God's own command. Men and women have rights over one another. Women have the right to decent food and clothing, and it is your right as husbands that no one whom you find distasteful should tread your carpet. Your womenfolk should allow no one access to your house without your permission or knowledge. If they do, then avoid them in bed, and beat them, although not too severely." When asked, "What kind of woman is best?" the Prophet Muhammad replied, "One who is pleasing to her husband's eye when he looks upon her, who obeys him when he gives an order, and gives him no displeasure by what she is or has." Aisha, M u h a m m a d ' s favorite wife, once said, "Women are men's dolls. A man must make his doll as pretty as he can." As an afterthought she added, "As a plaything, a man should treat you well."

The typical Moslem approach to sexuality is very worldly and physical. Male dominance and the power of the patriarchy are given priority almost to the exclusion of consideration for women. The idea that a man "owns" his woman, or women, is typical of obsessive patriarchal values. The demand of absolute and unquestioned "service" from the woman is the unbalanced result of such male dominance. True service between partners can only be realized if mutually undertaken, with consideration for each other. Islam distorts and inflates the value of male sexual aggression and, almost without exception, is devoid of insight and respect for the needs and rights of women.

In Islamic society the popular saying that "large is beautiful" applies particularly to women; bride-prices were often paid according to the weight of a girl about to be married. In men, large sexual organs are highly prized and sexual success is equated with overt aggressive masculinity. According to

A noble couple make love on a palace terrace. The man kneels on one knee and aims an arrow at a white crane flying overhead. His naked consort sits in union upon him, her head turned towards his target. This dynamic composition exemplifies the control achieved by yogic love-making. A Rajasthani miniature painting, circa 1800.

Shaykh Nafzawi, "Coitus is highly beneficial to strong, full-blooded persons of heavy build, but harmful to those who are the exact opposite. A man who works a woman younger than himself acquires new vigor; if she is of the same age as he is, there will be no advantage from it; and if she is older than himself, then she will take all his strength." He adds, "If you are lying with a woman, do her business several times if you feel inclined, but take care not to overdo it, for it is a true word that 'He who plays the Game of Love for his own sake, and to satisfy his desires, feels the most intense and durable pleasure; but he who does it to satisfy the lust of another person will languish, lose all his desire, and finishes by becoming impotent.'" An early tradition states that Muhammad advised his followers to "select virgins when seeking wives, for they have the sweetest mouths, the most fertile wombs, and the fairest complexions." Shaykh Nafzawi states that "Sexual intercourse with girls under thirteen is bad, since it can harm or deaden the brain and bring on depression and morbid fantasy."

Many love-making positions depicted in Islamic erotic art are taken directly from the ancient illustrated love manuals of the Hindus. Both the Kama Sutra and the Ananga

Ranga have been presented in abbreviated or edited forms in the Arabic language. How - ever, these translations have been grossly distorted to emphasize the Moslem view of male dominance and superiority.

In all fairness, Muhammad's teachings on sexuality were perhaps suitable as an improvement on the very primitive and aggressive culture that dominated Arabia. It is curious that the Kaaba, the cube-shaped building in the Great Mosque of Mecca, contains a black stone or meteorite that was once worshipped as a symbol of exalted femininity. T h e ancient Meccans worshipped mother-goddesses in the form of stones, which were ritually circumambulated as the Kaaba of Mecca is today. The pre-Islamic pantheon is made up of names and images of pious men and a triad of goddesses, Allat, Al-Uzza, and Manat, who ruled throughout Arabia. All shrines and images of goddesses were destroyed on the orders of Muhammad, w h o associated them with the ancient Babylonian mystery cults. It seems that Muhammad distrusted the power wielded from such ancient seats and chose to elevate the patriarchy to a position of absolute supremacy.

Islam does not present us with any overall

mystic view of sexuality. If we make comparisons with Indian and Chinese teachings in this area, we find Arabic culture lacking in sexual sensitivity. However, Islam has nurtured some of the world's greatest mystics in the spiritual lineage of the Sufis, whose loveinspired poetry and mystic songs have become quite well known in the West. Sufism, however, drew a great deal of inspiration from ancient Indian mystic teachings. Hazrat Inayat Khan, for example, who did much to introduce Sufism to the West in recent times, drew almost exclusively from Hindu sources to illustrate his thoughts. Sufi poetry exalts womanhood through allegory, keeping to the letter of Islam while carefully hinting that the absolute love of a man and woman for each other mirrors the love of God for his creations.

Though the popular and romantic idea of Arabian Nights is far from the actuality of love in the Middle East, modern couples can learn something from it as it was idealized and practiced in the past. In Richard Burton's mammoth work The Arabian Nights there are richly sensuous descriptions of love-making that can provide inspiration. In the twentysixth of the stories we encounter the following description:

When I entered and took a seat, the lady at once came in crowned with a diadem of pearls and jewels; her face dotted with artificial moles in indigo, her eyebrows penciled with Kohl and her hands and feet reddened with Henna. When she saw me she smiled and took me to her embrace and clasped me to her breast; then she put her mouth to my mouth

A noble couple make love in the Fixing a Nail Position, while on a canopied bed. A Rajasthani miniature painting, circa 1800.

If you rule your wife outwardly, yet inwardly you are ruled by her whom you desire, this is characteristic of man; in other animals love is lacking, which shows their inferiority. The Prophet said that woman prevails over the wise, while ignorant men prevail over her; in them the fierceness of animals is immanent. Love and tenderness are human qualities; anger and lust are animal ones. Woman is a ray of God; she is not the earthly beloved. She is creative; you might say she is not created.

RUMI

and sucked my tongue and I did likewise. Then we sat down to converse and I hung my head earthwards in bashfulness, but she delayed not long ere she set before me a tray of the most exquisite viands, marinated meats, fritters soaked in bees' honey, and chickens stuffed with sugar and pistachio nuts, whereof we ate till we were satisfied. Then they brought basin and ewer and I washed my hands and we scented ourselves with rosewater musk'd and sat down again to converse. Then we fell to toying and groping and kissing till nightfall, when the handmaidens set before us meats and a

complete wine service, and we sat carousing till the noon of night, when we lay down and I lay with her; never in my life saw I a night like that night.

The rich imagery associated with Arabian Nights can be incorporated into one's environment. Instead of limiting the love-nest to Western standards of décor, a couple can learn to expand their intimate settings to encompass more exotic cultures. When this is coupled with the Tantric approach to honoring the creative principle, the bedroom, like a stage, become a setting for the play of eroticism.

circumcision

Circumcision is a very ancient custom, found in diverse cultures. There are indications that circumcision was practiced in pre-dynastic Egypt. During the Old Kingdom (circa 2780—2270 B.C.), circumcision was common, as is attested by bas-reliefs depicting this rite. The regular Egyptian hieroglyphic sign for the Lingam shows the mark of circumcision. It has been suggested that early in Egyptian history circumcision was reserved for the no - bility, and that only later was it extended to the whole male population. Perhaps the excessively hot climate, which could create ir-

ritation and sweat rashes around the foreskin, was a significant factor in bringing this practice into popular use.

Supposedly the Jews were adopting an Egyptian custom when they incorporated ritual circumcision into their religion. There are, for example, numerous affinities between ancient Egyptian rituals and those outlined for Jewish ceremonial use. The tabernacle is specifically made from Egyptian shittim wood, and it seems likely that the Ark of the Covenant was derived from the Sacred Boat of Egyptian pharaohs. The tradition is that Jews have been circumcised since the time of Abraham. The Kabbalist view is that male circumcision symbolizes a covenant with Yahweh and is an initiation into the suffering of the world. The Jewish

Moyel, or circumcising priest, is generally

very skillful and uses chanting and ritual to give the act meaning.

The Moslems also incorporated circumcision into their culture. During their invasion of India they were horrified to find that Hindus and Buddhists were uncircumcised. Circumcision became a prerequisite for acceptance as a convert to the new religion; the same swords used in battle were used for this purpose.

In the Orient circumcision is very rare. The Indian and Tibetan teachings on the subject stress that it is only useful for medical reasons, such as when a foreskin cannot be retracted and sexual intercourse is impaired. Concerning China, R. H. Van Gulik, the celebrated Orientalist and sexologist, writes: "It is worth noting that there are no traces of painful manhood or womanhood initiation rites for either boys or girls, and that circumcision for boys and clitoridectomy for girls were both completely unknown."

In the past, circumcision has always been the culmination of an initiation rite, either into a patriarchal group or into the tribe. Many primitive African tribes use the rite of circumcision as a test of endurance and as an initiation into a cult. Although circumcision is a very minor operation, its psychological effects can be devastating. This is particularly true in the modern setting, where circumcision is often carried out as a purely clinical rather than a ritual act. Babies are extremely impressionable, and although the pain is relatively slight, there is a danger that circumcision may create psychological and sexual problems unless the right attitude is brought to bear.

If the father is circumcised, more often than not his son will also be. If a family wishes to maintain a tradition of circumcision, it is advisable to have the operation performed as a meaningful ritual and to employ a circumcising priest. If the family is hesitant, then the decision should wait until the child is old enough to understand exactly what is transpiring and why. Since the operation can be carried out at any age, and painlessly with anesthetics, there seems little point in early circumcision, unless is it dictated by custom or medical necessity.

Male circumcision consists in the surgical removal of part or all of the foreskin. Generally, there is a tendency to overcircumcise. This is particularly easy with an infant, since it is difficult to judge the precise amount of

skin to be removed. Therefore it is preferable to half-circumcise in such cases, by re- m o v i n g only the outermost tip of the foreskin. Even in a grown man the circumcision wound is not particularly painful; it heals in about nine days, and normal sexual intercourse can be resumed after three weeks.

Circumcision is by no means necessary for hygienic reasons. An uncircumcised boy, however, should be taught h o w to keep his Lingam clean. Parents should explain how to carefully retract the foreskin and wash the inner Lingam at least every few days. In an uncircumcised boy the foreskin should not be fully retracted until after the age of three.

Some medical conditions make circumcision advisable. The persistent recurrence of itching, soreness, and redness of the inner surface of the foreskin and the head of the Lingam is one such indication. If in doubt about whether or not to circumcise for medical reasons, it is best to consult a specialist.

Some have suggested that premature ejaculation can sometimes by cured by circumcision, even at a relatively late stage in life, since it results in a decrease in the Lingam's sensitivity. On the other hand, some consider this decrease in sensitivity one of the disadvantages of the operation. Medical opinion is divided about equally for and against the general practice of circumcision, though in most hospitals it is performed routinely on male infants. We feel that a clinical hospital environment for circumcision is the most unpleasant aspect of this operation, and as such is best avoided.

As for female circumcision (the surgical removal of all or part of the clitoris), it must surely be one of man's most cruel inventions. It is first referred to in the late Ptolemaic period of Egyptian history (circa 3Q0—30 B.C.) and is still practiced in some Arab and African cultures. It was introduced to the West in Victorian times, supposedly to stop young girls from playing with their Yonis. Fortunately this practice has been discontinued in the West.

The choice for male circumcision is an aspect of sexuality best left to the individual or family. Outside the hospital setting, it can be a meaningful ritual, with some possible physical benefits. However, there is a strong case for delaying the decision to circumcise or not until the boy is of age to decide for himself.

She asked him through the interpreter why it is that Moslems demanded circumcision and caused so much suffering to their boys. "Besides," she concluded, "it is interference with God's manner of creation and useless at that." "Ah," said the Moslem Ruler, "tell her that circumcision is the greatest value, for a branch, if pruned, grows strong and thick and sturdy. So long as this operation is not carried out, it will remain thin and weak."

IBN HAYYAN