Is oral sex lawful in Islam? (II)

Now why do couples indulge in oral sex? Probably out of curiosity. Probably to increase sexual pleasure. Probably. Probably in search of variety. Probably to relief boredom and monotony. But who says Islam is against spicing sexual life up through lawful means? Who says adopting different positions during the sexual act is unknown to our deen? Who says my wife should not become the “actress” on bed while I relax as she sweats her way to pleasure? Who says turning my wife on through cues and gestures, verbal and non-verbal, is not lawful? If the reason oral sex becomes fashionable is simply the pursuit of pleasure, I would argue that there are a thousand and one ways this could be achieved without bringing the tongue to the phallus or the vagina.

In other words, what is oral sex? It is the sexual activity which involves the stimulation of the genitalia of a person by another person using the mouth or throat. This is usually divided into two. The first is known as cunnilingus which is oral sex performed on female genitals, while fellatio is oral sex performed on the male organ otherwise known as the phallus.

Now what do Muslim jurists have to say on this? Quite a lot. There is a minority of jurists who consider the practice to be permissible. According to them, oral sex is a form of foreplay though not as an alternative to vaginal intercourse. It is their argument that whatever would gratify sexual activities between couples and enhance bonding in marriage particularly oral sex is permissible. It is permissible for the man to use his fingers to arouse his wife; they could take bath together etc.

But a greater majority of Muslim jurists consider oral sex to be highly undesirable (Makrooh-tahrimi). The reason behind considering this act as not recommended is manifold, the foremost being the issues of modesty, purification, and cleanliness.

In my response to the questioner, I began by asking whether it is conceivable for a man or a woman to say he wants to increase the pleasure of eating by putting his food inside his nose. In other words, every organ of the body is designed by the Almighty to perform specific purposes. The nose for sniffing, the eye for seeing and the mouth for talking and eating. By giving the male and female different genitalia, it is the divine plan that both gender would seek and enjoy the pleasure in each other by bringing their different organs together.

This is the reason the Almighty while giving a holistic instruction on gender relations, says: “And they ask you about menstruation. Say, “It is harmful, so keep away from (your) wives during menstruation. And do not approach them until they are pure. And when they have purified themselves, then come to them from where the Almighty has ordained for you. Indeed, the Almighty loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves.” (Quran 2: 222). In other words, it is forbidden for couples to have sexual relations until when the woman is free from menstrual cycle. And once she is done, she is to be approached by her husband “from where the Almighty has ordained” and with that which the Almighty has given the husband. There is no ambiguity by what we learn by nature and nurture that the phallus is for the vagina and vice versa.

Thus oral sex becomes an act that is frowned at (makruuh) because it falls within the ambiguous and may therefore run contrary to the divine plan for humanity. Second, the act constitutes a corruption of the mouth and the tongue which are used for recitation of the Qur’an and for the remembrance of the Almighty. I do not purport to claim that I know the chemical content of genital secretions of either the male or the female organs. What is however indubitable is that the secretions from either gender during sexual activities are equally meant to perform designated functions. In other words, I do not know, at least for now what experiment could be performed to turn the sperm to milk for human consumption. But until that is done probably in the United States, whatever comes from the male organ is naturally destined for the inside of the female organ, not to be licked and sucked by either of the two genders. Period.

Thus I told my questioner: “what enters your private part, like the food you put in your mouth, must satisfy two conditions: it must be lawful; it must be clean. If somebody ask you what is Islam? Tell him it is the positive demonstration of the greatest virtues encoded by the Almighty in this religion both in the secret and in the open.