I'm writing this to you from Saudi Arabia. I had the chance to visit your site (understanding-islam.com).

I enjoyed reading some pages, and at first impression I thought this is the right Islamic site. When I reached QUERIES I read some questions about Sex Related.

I was shocked to see that Anal Sex (Some questions on sexual behavior dated 31st 98) is lawful in your opinion. Go to Hadith # 5889 in Sahih Al-Jamia Al-Saghir of Nasiruddin Al-Albani and you will see that you were wrong. According to my translation it should read (expelled from Allah's Mercy who has sexual intercourse with a woman in her anus) please forgive me for using nasty words, but it is for the sake of explanation.

In (Self-Induced sexual pleasure) you also said that Shari`ah said nothing about Masturbation. This is not true. Our scholars here say that masturbation is haraam due to the ayah 31 in Al-Ma`arij Surah 70.

I hope I explained it clearly. Forgive me for this, but giving Fatwa is not that easy and it should be studied very carefully.

I am extremely sorry to have given the impression that I hold anal sex to be lawful. However, I am absolutely unaware of my particular statement through which you derived this impression. In my referred response, I have written:

Anal sex, in my opinion, is against the natural make-up and physiological structure of the human body. It is, therefore, that I believe that even though the Shari`ah does not expressly prohibit it, yet it would be in accordance with the teachings of the Shari`ah to consider it prohibited.

Before this, in my referred response, I had already stated:

In my opinion, the only limitation (besides prohibition of sexual relations during menstruation) placed by Islam on the act of sex between a husband and wife is that it should not entail any unnatural act. The Qur'an says:

"When [their menstruation period is over and] they have cleansed themselves come to them from where Allah has guided you" (Al-Baqarah 2: 222)

I really do not know how, in view of my above statements, can anyone get the impression that I hold anal sex to be lawful.

In any case, I sincerely apologize for the wrong impression that was conveyed to you. In my opinion, 'anal sex' is against the natural make-up of the human body and the Shari`ah holds all unnatural acts to be wrong.

However, you may object to the fact that I have not cited the referred Hadith and have not based my argument on it. I have already given my answer to this objection, which can be seen in one of my previous responses.

As far as the opinion regarding the prohibition of masturbation, on the basis of Al-Ma`arij 70: 29 - 31, is concerned, I do not hold such an opinion to be correct. The cited verses, as should be obvious to anyone who would carefully read them, have nothing to do with masturbation. These verses relate to the restriction on sexual relations. Masturbation, as is quite well known, is not a sexual relation, but a sexual act. The opinion of the Muslim scholars, who have prohibited masturbation on the basis of these verses, is therefore, not correct in my opinion.

9^th February 2000