Sexuality and Islamic Spirituality in Early Malay Writings: A Textual History of Sex and Gender

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Maznah Mohamad (National University of Singapore, Singapore.) Syahirah Rasheed

Sexuality and Islamic Spirituality in Early Malay Writings

A Textual History of Sex and Gender

Maznah Mohamad (National University of Singapore, Singapore.), Syahirah Rasheed

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Hardback

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English

I.B. Tauris
21 August 2025

Islamic life & practice; Religious aspects of sexuality, gender & relationships

Series: Gender and Islam

It is argued here that before the extensive formalization of sharia laws from the late nineteenth century onwards, Islam was prominently influenced by elements of enchantment and mysticism, mirrored in its textual portrayal of passionate and sexual relations.

This book’s analysis is based on Malay manuscripts and texts about the body, sex, and sexuality. These include religious guidebooks on sexual techniques and etiquette, of which some are translated from the original Arabic or Persian, but almost all of which have been adapted for local Malay relevance. Also analyzed are collections of Malay erotic poetry from the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries and the only known female-authored early twentieth-century text on sex and women’s sexual pleasure.

Over the centuries changing sexual norms and attitudes in the Malay world has disengaged sex and sexuality from being a crucial component of faith and spirituality—gradually receding into the discreet margins of contemporary discourse on gender relations.

By: Maznah Mohamad (National University of Singapore Singapore.), Syahirah Rasheed
Imprint: I.B. Tauris
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 236mm, Width: 160mm, Spine: 22mm
Weight: 580g
ISBN: 9780755648511
ISBN 10: 075564851X
Series: Gender and Islam
Pages: 268
Publication Date: 21 August 2025
Audience: Professional and scholarly , College/higher education , Undergraduate , Primary
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

1. Introduction: Islam, Gender and Sexuality in Historical, Geographical and Social Contexts 2. Archiving Texts and Manuscripts an Sex: Their Relevance for a Study of Islam in the Malay World 3. Guides on Faith Through Pleasure: ‘Book On Coition’ And The ‘Science Of Women’ 4. Prescriptions and Advice for a Potent Malehood 5. An Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Sex and Sexuality by Raja Ali Haji 6. The Ultimate Women’s Guide to Sexual Power and Control by Khatijah Terung 7. Conclusion: “The Obedient Wives Club”: Islam, Women and Sex In Contemporary Malaysia

Maznah Mohamad is Honorary Fellow and former Associate Professor of the Department of Malay Studies at the National University of Singapore. Her authored books include The Divine Bureaucracy and Disenchantment of Social Life: A Study of Bureaucratic Islam in Malaysia (2020) and Feminism and the Women’s Movement in Malaysia (2006). Syahirah Rasheed has a PhD in Southeast Asian Studies from the National University of Singapore. She has an MA in development studies (International Institute of Social Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam), specialising in women, gender and development. Her research fields are in medical anthropology, sexual and reproductive health, and feminist epistemology.

Reviews for Sexuality and Islamic Spirituality in Early Malay Writings: A Textual History of Sex and Gender

Sexuality and Islamic Spirituality in Early Malay Writings offers a fresh, interdisciplinary lens on Malay literature, uncovering ties between sexuality, spirituality, and gender. By challenging patriarchal narratives and illuminating female sexuality’s spiritual dimensions, it redefines Islamic studies, gender discourse, and literary analysis—a must-read for anyone exploring religion, history, and human experience. * Ruzy Suliza Hashim, Professor, University of Economics and Human Sciences, Poland. *