Sex in Islam, - Islamic Ruling on Anal Sex

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.
Almighty Allah says in the Qur'an:"Your wives are a tilth for you, so
go to your tilth, when or how you will, and send (good deeds, or ask
Allah to bestow upon you pious offspring) for your ownselves
beforehand. And fear Allah, and know that you are to meet Him (in the
Hereafter), and give good tidings to the believers."(Al-Baqarah: 223)
In the foregoing verse the wordHarth(tilth) indicates that only
vaginal sex is permissible in Islam, because it is from this place
children are produced. The semen lodged in the womb from which
offsprings come is likened to the seeds that are planted in the
ground, bringing vegetation. Both of them are substances from which
something else is produced.
All Muslim jurists agree that anal sex is Haram, based on the Hadith
of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him:"Do not have anal sex
with women."(Reported by Ahmad, At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasaa'i, and Ibn
Majah.)
Khuzaymah Ibn Thaabit, may Allah be pleased with him, also reports
that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him,
said:"Allah is not too shy to tell you the truth: Do not have sex with
your wives in the anus."(Reported by Ahmad, 5/213.)
Ibn `Abbaas, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates: "The Messenger
of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:"Allah will not look
at a man who has anal sex with his wife."(Reported by Ibn Abi Shaybah,
3/529, and At-Tirmidhi classified it as an authentic Hadith, 1165.)
Further, it is reported that the Prophet, peace and blessing be upon
him, referred to such an act as"minor sodomy."(Reported by Ahmad and
An-Nasaa'i.)
However, it is allowed to caress the wife and stimulate her around the
anus, without having sex in this area. It is reported that `Umar Ibn
Al-Khattaab, may Allah be pleased with him, came one day to the
Prophet and said, "O Messenger of Allah, I am ruined!""What has ruined
you?"asked the Prophet. He replied, "Last night I turned my wife
over," meaning that he had had vaginal intercourse with her from the
back. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, did not say
anything to him until the verse cited above was revealed. Then he told
him,"From the front or the back, but avoid the anus and intercourse
during menstruation."(Reported by Ahmad and At-Tirmidhi.)
If one does have anal sex with his wife, he has committed a grave sin,
which requires repentance. He should regret and feel contrite for
committing such a sin. Allah Almighty destroyed a whole nation who
were accustomed to this evil habit.
But the wife is not considered divorcedas many people think, because
there is no evidence to support this view. However, scholars maintain
that if a man habitually does this or insists on having anal sex with
his wife, she has the right to ask for a divorce, because he is
considered an evildoer who is causing harm by his action, and also
because the purpose of marriage cannot be achieved through this
action.
The wife has to resist this evil action and refuse to respond to her
husband's desire to have anal sex. She should remind him of Allah as
well as the punishment of those who transgresses the Bounds set by
Allah.
Allah Almighty knows best.

Sex in Islam, - Masturbation: Comments by the Sahaabah

Question:How is the act of masturbation seen in Islam. Is it a sin? If
it is, then what is the punishment for it?
Answer:There is no explicit directive of the Shari`ah which forbids
masturbation. In other words, it is silent on this issue.
Consequently, it cannot be regarded as a sin. The verses from which
its prohibition is usually derived, I am afraid, have another meaning
(than that commonly ascribed).
Theopinions of some of the companionsof the Prophet (saws) reproduced
below fromIbn Hazam's al-Muhalla (Vol:11, pp. 393-4)indicate that
(while they may have discouraged it) they did not forbid it:
Ibn 'Abbaas:
*."Marrying a slave girl is better than it, and it is better than
fornication (zinaa)."
*."It is nothing but rubbing one's private parts until a fluid comes out."
Ibn `Umar:
*."A person who does makes a fool of himself."
*."It is merely rubbing an organ."
Jaabir Ibn Zayd:
*."It is your water; you can discharge it [if you want]."
Hasan Basri:
*."There is no harm in it."
At best, masturbation can be termed as an undesirable act similar in
nature to the emotions of anger and hate. Such emotions are generally
against good conduct, and a person should try to control them as much
as possible. However, there may be situations when they may play a
somewhat positive role -- especially when they save you from a sin.

Sex in Islam, - Masturbation:

The pressing need to relieve himself of sexual tension may drive a
young man to masturbation.
The majority of scholars consider it haram. Imam Malik bases his
judgement on the verse,Those who guard their sexual organs except with
their spouses or those whom their right hands possess, for (with
regard to them) they are without blame. But those who crave something
beyond that are transgressors, (23:5-7) arguing that the masturbator
is one of those who "crave something beyond that."
On the other hand, it is reported that Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal regarded
semen as an excretion of the body like other excrete and permitted its
expulsion as blood letting is permitted. Ibn Hazm holds the same view.
However, the Hanbali jurists permit masturbation only under two
conditions: first, the fear of committing fornication or adultery, and
second, not having the means to marry.
Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi comments inThe Lawful and the Prohibited in Islam:
We are inclined to accept the opinion of Imam Ahmad in a situation in
which there is sexual excitation and danger of committing the haram.
For example, a young man has gone abroad to study or work, thereby
encountering many temptations which he fears he will be unable to
resist, may resort to this method of relieving sexual tension provided
he does not do it excessively or make it into a habit.
Yet better than this is the Prophet's advice to the Muslim youth who
is unable to marry, namely, that he seek help through frequent
fasting, for fasting nurtures will-power, teaches control of desires,
and strengthens the fear of Allah. The Prophet, peace and blessings be
upon him, is reported to have said,"O youth, whoever of you is able to
marry, let him marry, for it spares one looking at what one should
not, or lapsing in adultery. And if he cannot marry, let him observe
fasting, for it is a shield against evil."(Reported by Muslim).
You should make use of the following:
1.Observe fasting, because it bolsters one's faith, preserves
chastity, and protects one from evil thoughts.
2.Observe moderation in eating and drinking in order to avoid
stimulating your desire.
3.Keep away from anything that is sexually stimulating, such as
pornographic pictures, erotic films and love songs.
4.Choose good and righteous friends.
5.Keep yourself busy in worship and spiritual acts.
6.Interact with activities of the society in such away that it keeps
you away from thinking about sex.
7.Avoid gatherings and places that bring men and women physically
close to each other.
8.Avoid sleeping on beds that are so soft that they make one think about sex.
9.Try to admire natural things such as flowers and beautiful scenery,
which do not stimulate one sexually, instead of admiring girls and
women.
10.If you find the previous things useful, then it is forbidden for
you to masturbate. However, if you find that you cannot relieve
yourself except through masturbation, and you fear you may lapse in
adultry if you do not masturbate, then the juristic rule which states
that "the lesser evil is to be suffered in order to fend off the major
one" applies to you, as masturbation is deemed to be the lesser of two
evils in this case.But, we would like to stress that this may be done
only in the case of dire necessity, when all soultions prove to be of
no avail.
May Allah guide you to the right path and help you keep away from sins.
Allah Almighty knows best.

Dua Against Debt

Being in debt is a killer. It consumes us with stress, and eats away
at our happiness and sense of security. It destroys marriages, and if
the debt is between family or friends then it can ruin those
relationships. In some countries, inability to pay your debt can even
you put in prison.
I feel obligated to mention that part of the reason so many people are
carrying so much debt is our addiction to the material lifestyle. We
are bombarded with messages and advertisements telling us we need to
buy this and own that. It gets to the point where we measure our
status in life (and that of others) by what we own, or worse, by how
much we spend. If we spend a huge sum of money on a lavish wedding,
then we are "honored" in society. If not, we feel shamed. Since our
incomes do not match our desires, we go into debt.
This thinking and lifestyle is completely contrary to what Islam
teaches us, and to the example set by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and
the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them all). Even when they
became rulers of the world, they continued to live simple and humble
lifestyles, because they understood what really matters in life.
So the first step for us is to readjust our priorities, and to realize
that what matters is our relationship with Allah. Beyond that, the
important things in life are our family relationships – loving our
spouses and children and spending time with them, worshiping with
them, supporting them. Then our friendships, and doing some good in
the world, creating something meaningful, and being an agent of
compassion in the lives of those around you.
Dua Against Debt
If you have done whatever you can to avoid debt, and still you find
yourself burdened with debts, try this dua from Fortress of the
Muslim. Repeat it many times every day:
Dua for relief from debt, in Arabic
Allaahummak-finee bihalaalika 'an haraamika wa 'aghninee bifadhlika
'amman siwaaka.
"O Allah, suffice me with what You have allowed instead of what You
have forbidden , and make me independent of all others besides You."
(Reference: At-Tirmithi 5/560. See also Al-Albani, Sahih At-Tirmithi 3/180.)
This dua against debt is really brilliant, because the dua contains
within itself the solution to the problem. "Suffice me with what you
have allowed." In other words, let the halal be enough for me. Don't
let me get myself into debt because of haram mortgage loans or
excessive material desire, or out-of-control consumer spending. Let me
be satisfied with a simple, halal life, so that I don't get into debt.
If you repeat this often enough it becomes a part of your thinking and
awareness, and you modify your own behavior, which leads to: "make me
independent of all others besides You." You become your own man or
woman, not owing money to anyone, independent, relying only on Allah.
I'm not saying the dua is just an affirmation, I'm saying it works on
both levels, as an affirmation and as a prayer to Allah to help you
achieve that affirmation. It's a subtle and amazing dua.
Three Excellent Dua's Against Debt:
(note that #2 is the same as the one above)
1) "Oh Allah, I take refuge in You…"
Narrated by Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri (ra):
One day the Messenger of Allah (saw) entered the mosque. He saw there
a man from the Ansar (a resident of Madinah) called Abu Umamah and
said to him: "What is the matter that I am seeing you sitting in the
mosque when there is no time of prayer?" Abu Umamah said: "I am
entangled in sorrow and debts." The Prophet Muhammad (ra ) replied:
"Shall I not teach you words by which, when you say them, Allah will
remove your sorrow, and settle your debts?" Abu Umamah said: "Yes,
Messenger of Allah." The Prophet Muhammad (ra ) said: "Say in the
morning and evening:Allahumma inni 'auzu bika min alhamma wal 'huzn,
wal 'ajzi wal kasali wal bukhli wal jubn, wa dhala'iddini wa
'galabatir rajaal."(See here for the arabic text).
'O Allah, I take refuge in You from anxiety and sorrow, weakness and
laziness, miserliness and cowardice, the burden of debts and from
being overpowered by men.'
Abu Umamah said: "When I did that Allah removed my distress and
settled my debt." [Abu Dawood]
2) "O Allah, grant me enough…"
Ali radi Allahu `anhu said that a slave, who had made a contract with
his master to pay for his freedom, came to him and said, "I am unable
to fulfil my contract, so help me." He said, "Shall I not teach you
some words which Allah's Messenger (ra) taught me, and which even if
you had a debt as large as a mountain Allah would pay it for you?":
Allahumma akfini bihala lika an haramika wa aghnini bi fadhlika am-man siwak.
"O Allah, grant me enough of what You make lawful that I may dispense
of with what You make unlawful, and make me independent, by Your
bounty, of other than You."[At-Tirmidhi]
3) "O Allah, Sovereign of all…"
The Prophet (saw) said to Muadh radi Allahu `anhu, "Should I not teach
you a supplication which, when used to implore Allah, Allah shall pay
your debt, even it be as huge as Mount Uhud? He then mentioned:
Allahumma Maalik al-mulki tu'til-mulka man tasha' u wa tanzi'ul mulka
mimman tasha', wa tu'izzu man tasha' u wa tudhilu man tasha', bi
yadika al-khayr, innaka 'ala kulli shay'in qadeer, Rahmaan-id-dunya
wa'l-aakhirah wa raheemahuma, tu'teeyahuma man tasha' wa tamna'
minhuma man tasha', irhamni rahmatan taghnini biha 'an rahmati man
siwaak.
"O Allah, Sovereign of all, You give dominion to whomsoever You will
and You take dominion away from whomsoever You will, You exalt
whomsoever You will and You bring low whomsoever You will. In Your
hand is all goodness and You are able to do all things. Most Merciful
and Most compassionate in this world and in the Hereafter, You give
them to whomsoever You will and withhold them from whomsoever You
will. Bestow mercy upon Me in such a manner that I have no need of the
mercy of anyone but You."[Tabarani]