By celibacy is meant the non-contraction of a legally and socially recognized union between a man and a woman. It is common knowledge that Islam, as religion and ethos, considers celibacy reprehensible, especially in light of the Catholic tradition that views it as a sine qua non condition for priestly office, for instance, and as a recommended type of behavior in general. The concept of original sin does not evoke the same charge in Islam as it does in Christianity. Such a “tacit” comparison sh…