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This is a sub-article of Islamic marital jurisprudence and human sexuality.

Sexuality in Islam is largely described by the holy book (the Qur'an), the sayings of Mohammed (hadith), and the rulings of religious leaders'(fatwa) as being confined to marital relationships between men and women. While most traditions discourage celibacy, all encourage strict chastity and modesty with regards to any relationships across gender lines, holding forth that intimacy as perceived within Islam -- encompassing a swathe of life more broad than strictly sex—is largely to be reserved for marriage. This sensitivity to gender difference and modesty (hijab) outside of marriage can be seen in current prominent aspects of Islam—interpretations of Islamic dress and degrees of gender segregation, for example.

While prohibitions against adulterous relationships are strong, permissible sexual relationships are described in Islamic sources as great wells of love and closeness for the couple involved. Specific occasions—most notably daytime fasting and menstruation—are times forbidden for intercourse, though not for other ways of touching and being close to one another. Issues such as masturbation and homosexuality are frowned upon or outright forbidden; contraceptive use is permitted, as is abortion, though the latter often with great restriction.

[edit] Sex within marriage

To varying degrees Islamic law explicitly states that both men and women are entitled to sexual gratification in marriage; the failure or inability to provide this may be cited as grounds for divorce initiated by either the wife or husband. Throughout the history of Islamic exegetical traditions, philosophies, and law, much has been written to encourage, often in quite frank and explicit terms, Muslims to cultivate between themselves in their marriages both sexual passion and tenderness.

[edit] Aims of sex

Sex is viewed in terms of both its procreational value and as a way to strengthen the bonds between a couple.

Yusuf al-Qaradawi, a 21st century Sunni Islamic scholar states:

Islam obligates a married couple to try and have children. The theological understanding and reasons for this are varied, but this essentially means that a spouse is encouraged, religiously, to have sex with their partner on request. However, it is considered forbidden (Haram) for a woman to have sex during her period. This encouragement is on both partners, and while neither partner can force the other to comply, constant refusal to have sex (with a view to conceiving a child) has been recorded as a reason why many women choose to divorce their husband.

[edit] Rewards for sex

An oft-repeated hadith emphasize the granting of divine reward for sex within marriage:

Ibn Abidin, a 19th century Sunni Hanafi Islamic scholar writes:^[2]

[edit] Foreplay

In hadith, it is said that engaging in sexual intercourse without talking to or kissing one's wife is a sign of a husband's weakness.^[3]

[edit] Sexual techniques

According to islamic law, there are no sayings regarding sexual techniques, so it is legal to engage in these techniques for having sex with one's wife.

[edit] Sex outside of marriage

[edit] Adultery

Adultery is strictly, and repeatedly, unheard of (but believe to be forbidden) in the Qur'an. (Adultery pertains to those older than 21 years of age)

• And do not go anywhere near adultery: it is an outrage, and an evil path. (17:32)

• This is a sura (chapter) We have sent down and made obligatory: We have sent down clear revelation in it, so that you may take heed. Strike the adulterer one hundred times. Do not let compassion for him keep you from carrying out society's law—and ensure that a group of believers witnesses the punishment. The adulterer is only [fit] to marry an adulteress or idolatress, and the adulteress is only [fit] to marry an adulterer or an idolater: such behavior is to believers. (24:1-3)

While harsh, modern commentators are often quick to note that the punishment prescribed for adultery is mitigated by the impracticality of meeting its requirement for being applied: the testimonies of four eye-witnesses to the act (24:13). Many today consider this to mean it is an almost purely symbolic way of denoting the severity of the offense, while others consider it a legally required punishment.

[edit] Pre-marital sex

While the strictest forms of Shi'a law can prescribe the death penalty for adultery, however in Sunni law pre-marital sex is considered a lesser offence and might be punishable by a maximum of 100 lashes to the male; while married couples have their spouse whom they should turn towards for fulfillment.

As a result of the Islamic beliefs regarding extramarital and pre-marital sex, many modern Muslim societies highly value virginity and maintain high rates of abstinence until marriage. While this is true for both genders, often a higher premium is placed upon a girl's virginity, with the associated higher social consequences involved for losing it.^{[citation needed]}.

[edit] Homosexuality

Qur'an strictly prohibited homosexuality through the story of Lot (see Qur'an verses:7:80-84,11:69-83, 29:28-35), similarly rendered to the story as it appears in the Biblical Book of Genesis, as well as through a verse addressed directly to Muhammad and his followers, which reads:

• If two men commit a lewd act, punish them both; if they repent and mend their ways, leave them alone—God is always ready to accept repentance, He is full of mercy. (4:16)

It is not always clear whether or not the Qur'an specifically refers to female homosexuality (lesbianism). The verse prior to the one cited above, which begins "if any of your women commit a lewd act," has been interpreted to mean female homosexuality by way of its being paired with a verse regarding "two men among you," but it has also been interpreted to refer to a more general state of illegal sexual activity. Regardless, as sexual activity in Islam has in effect been restricted to marriage and marriage restricted to relationships between opposite sex partners, the correlation broadly drawn has been that all homosexual activity is forbidden, without respect to gender.

[edit] Prostitution

In Islam prostitution is forbidden on all grounds. It is considered a sin in its form. As referenced here: Sahih al-Bukhari 3:34:439

Allah's Apostle forbade taking the price of a dog, money earned by prostitution and the earnings of a soothsayer

—Abu Mas'ud Al-Ansari

[edit] Restrictions on sex

[edit] Times to Avoid Sexual Intercourse

Sexual Intercourse should be avoided during these times

• During menstruation.
• During daytime of fasting.

[edit] Purification and hygiene

Islamic sexual hygienical jurisprudence is a prominent topic in Islamic jurisprudence (Arabic: fiqh), due to its relevance to the issues prominent in everyday life.

[edit] Fasting and Ramadan

Regarding sexual intercourse during the month of Ramadan:

Through emulation of the actions of Muhammad and interpretation, this same type of prohibition is extended to voluntary fasts (those which fall outside of Ramadan) as well. Select interpreters have held that the right to sexual gratification in marriage is strong enough that a married woman should seek her husband's approval before choosing days to fast; on this contemporary opinions and practices vary.

[edit] Menstruation

Many hadith, however, relate stories of Muhammad sharing a bed with his wives while they were menstruating, "fondling" them, or lying with his head in their laps, so this verse should not be interpreted to mean that "to keep away" from women when they are menstruating means anything more than a particular sexual euphemism.^{[citation needed]} The bottom line is a man may share the bed with his wife but he is not allowed to have sexual relations with her in those days, because it is not good for either of them.

Yusuf al-Qaradawi, a 21st century Sunni Islamic scholar states:

[edit] Masturbation

The Quran does not mention masturbation directly, yet it is strongly discouraged in most traditions of Islamic Jurisprudence. The Shi'a forbid masturbation outright; while some Sunni schools concur with the Shi'a, others take a weaker (though generally condemnatory) stance on the matter.

[edit] Contraception

The primary method of birth control in Muhammad's time was coitus interruptus (Arabic: al-'azl), the withdrawal method. Numerous hadith are used to declare this an acceptable practice, some with stipulations that it is only so with the woman's consent. A minority of opinions instead uphold a saying^[who?] attributed to Muhammad that it is "a minor infanticide," however the accuracy of this remark is generally considered weak^[who?] and therefore may be disregarded.^{[citation needed]}

By correlation this general acceptance of the withdrawal method is expanded to include most modern forms of birth control.^{[citation needed]} However, their use is limited to family planning purposes and are generally considered makruh (things not explicitly forbidden but which should be avoided nonetheless) if intended to permanently prevent conception.

We used to practice coitus interruptus while the Quran was being revealed. Jabir added: We used to practice coitus interruptus during the lifetime of Allah's Apostle while the Quran was being revealed.^[4]

—Jabir ibn Abdullah

A man said: Apostle of Allah, I have a slave-girl and I withdraw the penis from her (while having intercourse), and I dislike that she becomes pregnant. I intend (by intercourse) what the men intend by it. The Jews say that withdrawing the penis (azl) is burying the living girls on a small scale. He (the Prophet) said: The Jews told a lie. If Allah intends to create it, you cannot turn it away.^[5]

—Hadith

The above hadith makes it clear that intercourse for sole aim of sexual gratification is allowed in Islam.

[edit] Abortion

Islam does not traditionally hold that ensoulment occurs at the point of conception. Two passages in the Qur'an describe the fetal development process:

• ...We created you from dust, then from a drop of fluid, then a clinging form, then a lump of flesh, both shaped and unshaped: We mean to make Our power clear to you. Whatever We choose We cause to remain in the womb for an appointed time, then We bring you forth as infants and then you grow and reach maturity. ... (22:5)

• We created man from an essence of clay, then We placed him as a drop of fluid in a safe place, then We made that drop into a clinging form, and We made that form into a lump of flesh, and We made that lump into bones, and We clothed those bones with flesh, and later We made him into other forms—glory be to God, the best of creators! (23:12-14)

Traditional scholarship places the point of ensoulment nearer to the end of this process, naming it as anywhere between 40 and 120 days after conception, making abortion permissible until that point, though increasingly disliked as time passed.

Contemporary scholarship, however, is more likely to more strongly restrict or even forbid abortion, on the grounds that modern technology has permitted us to perceive life in the womb earlier than was previously possible. All schools of thought, traditional and modern, make allowances for circumstances threatening the health or life of the mother.

Muhammad ibn Adam al-Kawthari in a lecture stated that it was murder if done after three months and before that it was a crime, but not to the degree of murder.

[edit] See also

• The Perfumed Garden
• Islamic Bill of Rights for Women in the Bedroom
• Mutah: the Shia fixed-term temporary marriage
• Misyar: the Sunni open-ended, negotiated, marriage contract of convenience
• Islam and sexual techniques
• Islamic sexual hygienical jurisprudence
• Zina (Arabic)

[edit] References

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2009)

[edit] External links

• Article on Sexuality in Islam from the Muslim Women's League
• Article, "Turning Sex into Sadaqa," from Islam for Today
• Abstaining from Masturbation
• Progressiveislam.org Women's Health Project section on Sex, Birth Control, and Pregnancy
• FSE Project section on Muslim Sexual Ethics
• http://www.themodernreligion.com/Sex.htm