Answer
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
- Watching pornographic movies is definitely detestable to Islamic sense of ethics and morality, and, therefore, considered as haram (forbidden).
- Oral sex between marriage partners cannot be considered as haram so long as it is done consensually.
- If it is scientifically proven that oral sex or such practices cause mouth cancer or form a danger on the health of a person who practices it, then it becomes totally impermissible.
In responding to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and an Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states;
Watching Pornography in Islam
Watching pornographic movies, whether done individually or with one’s marriage partner, is definitely detestable to Islamic sense of ethics and morality. Therefore, it is not permissible in Islam.
Oral Sex in Islam
Oral sex between marriage partners, however, cannot be haram so long as the spouses do it consensually–provided the actual intercourse is performed in the vagina.
Pornography is degrading and dehumanizing to both men and women as well as to human sexuality; it is the root of corruptions. Since it is not permissible for us to expose ourselves or look at the private parts of others, whether alive or in pictures, how can it be allowable to look at the sexual acts between two people?
Such practices are indeed not only impermissible but also are one of the most heinous sins in Islam. Therefore, we must shun them if we wish to keep the purity of our souls.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) stated that, “One of the signs of the imminence of the hour will be the universal prevalence of permissiveness and promiscuity, because of which people will engage in sexual intercourse in public to the extent that even the best ones living in those times will only go as far as wishing that they had done so under some cover!” (At-Tabarani)
The Logic behind prohibiting oral sex and pornography in Islam
The reason why such exposure is not permissible in Islam is because of the fact that haya’ (shyness) is a most fundamental trait of character in Islam, which all Muslims must nurture and safeguard at all costs.
The Prophet (PBUH) told us that one of the most abiding legacies of the ancient prophets is, ‘if you have no shame, do whatever you will’. (Al-Bukhari)
He also pointed out that being shy is a branch of faith.
Therefore, a believer is instinctively shy of exposing himself/herself in front of anyone other than one’s lawful partner.
The Prophet (PBUH) urged Muslim to guard their private parts and keep them covered except from your own spouse.
While haya’ should prevent us from exposing ourselves in front of strangers, there is no such haya’ in front of one’s marriage partner as there is no need for any inhibitions in seeking legitimate sexual fulfillment through one’s marriage partner.
Marriage and sexuality in Islam
Islam celebrates sexuality within the bounds of marriage. Thanks to Islam’s positive view of sexuality it considers conjugal union between the spouses as an act of worship; thus the Prophet (PBUH) said, “You have rewards of charity in your intimate union with your spouse!” When the companions enquired, “how can we be getting rewards for fulfilling our carnal desires?’ he replied, “what if he/she were to fulfil it through illicit union; will they not be punished? They said, ‘of course’; then he said, ‘likewise, when they do it within the bounds of marriage, they will be rewarded.” (Muslim)
📚 Read Also: What Are the Conditions of Marriage?
Marriage partners should, therefore, be creative in their sexual expressions as long as they operate within the permissible bounds. When we truly understand Islamic perspective on this issue, we will come to recognize that we have sufficiency in what Allah has permitted for us so that we stand in no need of resorting to what He has declared as haram for us, and that Allah has permitted us everything that is good for us, while He has forbidden only that which is filthy, impure and harmful for us.
Thanks to Islam’s positive view of sexuality, marriage partners should appear attractive by taking due care of their bodies and doing everything possible to make sexual activity as pleasurable, recreational and mutually satisfying an experience as possible.
It is equally important for the couple to know that sexual relationship must never be detached from one’s compassionate treatment and true partnership with one’s spouse; thus men are ordered to be extremely sensitive in caring for the sensibilities of their partners.
Accordingly, the Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade men from jumping into beds without proper foreplays. Thus, the very notion of coercing one’s partner into sexual activity without his/her willing participation is repugnant to Islamic conscience.
Sexual Taboos in Islam
Here is a brief list of sexual taboos which all married couple must observe in Islam:
- As Islam views conjugal union and husband and wife relations as extremely dignified and confidential, one is not allowed to engage in such acts in public or while others are watching; it is also forbidden to divulge one’s sexual exploits with one’s partner to anyone else. The Prophet (peace be upon him) refers to such behavior as Satanic and hence not befitting of humans.
- Anal intercourse is totally forbidden; however, partners cannot derive sexual pleasure from intimate rubbing of any other part of the body or through oral stimulation so long as such acts are done consensually.
📚 Read Also: Are Muslims Permitted to Have Anal Sex?
- Sadistic practices such as deriving carnal pleasure by inflicting pain or chaining one’s partner, etc. are all impermissible as they are considered as degrading and inhumane.
- Sexual intercourse in the vagina is forbidden during a woman’s menstrual period as well as during post-natal period; one must wait until the bleeding stops and she has performed ghusl (ritual bath).
- Sexual intercourse or intimate touching or caressing, etc. are forbidden while fasting, or in state of ihram.
- So called group sex (regardless of whether it is done between consenting married partners or others) is an abomination and grave sin; it is sinful even to entertain such thoughts;
- There is no taboo on partners masturbating each other or having sexual intimacy or fulfillment during menses as well as during post-natal period of bleeding- provided sexual intercourse in the vagina is avoided.
- It is haram to engage in intimate sexual union with one’s partner while imagining or visualizing other men or women.
It has become clear now that oral sex is not prohibited, but it is not the normal choice for committed Muslims and Muslimahs. That’s, despite that oral sex is not haram, it is completely disgusting and does not conform to the pure taste and decency of a Muslim personality.
Here, it should be noted that one of the main objectives of Shariah is to safeguard the life of people and keep them healthy. Based on this, if it is scientifically proven that oral sex or such practices cause mouth cancer or form a danger on the health of a person who practices it, then it becomes totally prohibited.
In this context, we would like to mention that the World Health Organization said that Neisseria gonorrhea is spread by unprotected vaginal, oral and anal sex. Symptoms can include a thick green or yellow discharge from sexual organs, pain when urinating and bleeding between periods.
Dr. Mark Lawton from the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV said people with gonorrhoea in the throat would be unlikely to realize it and thus be more likely to pass it on via oral sex.
Allah Almighty knows best.
Editor’s note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholar’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.