Are oral sex and foreplay allowed in Islam?

Religious beliefs can either dampen or support your "nookie needs" and sexual preferences. Some say humans can't do without sex while others swear that celibacy is the only way to lead a pure life.

A former professor and sheikh at the al-Imam University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, `Abd al-Wahhâb al-Turayrî, takes a look at Islam's rules regarding going all the way.

Note: a sheikh is a leader of the Islamic faith; he is considered wise and his teachings are respected by Muslim people.

The dos and don'ts

Sheikh `Abd al-Wahhâb al-Turayrî quotes the Prophet as saying that vaginal penetration may take place from the front or the back as long as long as anal sex and sex during menstruation is avoided.

The Prophet also says that cruel is a man who "...has sex with his wife before foreplay". Indicating that Islam is not opposed to stimulation before intimacy, and although anal penetration is considered unlawful, the Hanbali school of Islamic thought (one of the five Islam doctrines) states that fondling the anus is allowed for foreplay purposes as long as penetration does not occur.

What does this mean for oral sex?

Sheikh `Abd al-Wahhâb al-Turayrî says that the Prophet is not against oral sex as he makes no mention of it. Anything that is not clearly opposed or made unlawful by the Prophet is permissible. The Shafi`is and Hanbali doctrines consider sperm to be pure but state that it is unlawful to swallow the fluid.

If the bodily fluids aren't swallowed then oral sex is no different from kissing various parts of the body, which is  is allowed for Muslims. But couples may not indulge in it to such a degree that oral replaces normal intercourse.

The Hanbali followers of Islam say that even though Muslim couples don't swallow seminal fluid, those who participate in oral sex should always rinse their mouths after the act as part of Islamic purification.

Read more:
Users discuss swallowing semen
Is oral sex really sex?
The truth about female ejaculation
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Sources: This article was originally compiled and published by Modest Muse, additional information from Al-Islam.org

**Health24 is not affiliated with any particular Islamic school of thought or biased towards any Islamic scholar.