A Further Clarification of Sexual Behavior

The Second Letter

“What are the limits of sexual behavior between a man and his wife? When I say limits, I mean are there any restrictions with respect to conduct in an intercourse, e.g. is only the missionary position considered acceptable? Is oral sex acceptable? How about the restrictions on other kinds of sex, e.g. anal sex? Can one have sex solely for the purpose of enjoyment or can its only allowable purpose be to plan an offspring? ”

“Anal sex, in my opinion, is against the natural make-up and physiological structure of a female body. It is therefore that I believe that even though the Shari`ah does not categorically prohibit it, it would be in accordance with the teachings of the Shari`ah to refrain from it”

The thing that seems to be strange to me is your opinion that “ the Shari`ah does not categorically prohibit anal sex”. I don’t thing that while writing this, you will be unaware of all of these hadith that are clearly declaring such a person as cursed one and a disbeliever of revelation (detail can be seen in “Ibn Kathir” Vol I, Al-Baqarah 2: 222).

Even if you think that the “Sanad” is not reliable enough to ascribe these wordings to the prophet, at least you should have mentioned them, as “Dirayat” wise, they are in accord to the Qur’aan. Instead you are giving such a statement that makes a reader believe that you exclude hadith from Shari`ah. And I know that is not the case. But at least a new comer gets this impression.

Rehan Ahmad, Saudi Arabia

Reply

"Do not enter your women  in their anus"

“Ibn Kharraash says: It is said that when he (Abu Mu`awiyah) reports from al-A`mash, he is reliable and when he reports from anyone other than him, he is not very reliable. In the same way, Abd Allah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal has said that he heard his father (Ahmad ibn Hanbal) say that he (Abu Mu`awiyah) is not reliable when he reports from anyone other than al-A`mash. He doesn’t remember these reportings well.”

“Hammad said: I told Humaid that `Asim had reported to me on his (Humaid’s) authority such and such narrative. Humaid did not even know him (`Asim)”

And Yahya al-Qattaan has said that he was not a haafiz. Abd al-Rahmaan ibn al-Mubarak has said that that ibn `ulayyah said that every person with the name `Asim [in the narrators of hadeeth] has something wrong with his memory. Abu Ahmad Al-Haakim has said that in their sight he was not a haafiz and ibn Idrees did not accept his narratives because of his poor memory and because of whatever was wrong with his character."

The Second Narrative

The same words have been repeated in the second narrative reported in Tirmidhi. Haowever, the narrators of the second narrative are different from those of the first narrative. The second chain of natrrators includes a person called Abd al-Malik ibn Muslim. Ibn Hajar in his book Tehzib al-Tehzib has quoted Ibn Abd al-Burr as saying that the narratives reported by Abd al-Malik ibn Muslim cannot be used as evidence [i.e., they are not reliable enough to evidence an actual saying of the Prophet (pbuh)]. Ibn Hajar's original words are given below:

"Ibn Abd al-Burr, in his book "al-Istee`aab", while commenting on Amr ibn Maimoon al-Awadiy has said that Abd al-Malik ibn Muslim and `Eesa ibn Hittaan are not among those whose narratives evidence [an actual saying of the Prophet (pbuh)]."

The Third Narrative

According to the third narrative reported in Tirmidhi, the Prophet (pbuh) said:

"God shall not even look [with kindness] upon any such man who enters another man or a woman in the anus."

One of the narrators on whose authority this narration has been recorded is Sulaiman ibn Hayyaan, also known as Abu Khalid al-Ahmar. Ibn Hajar, in his book "Tehzib al-Tehzib" writes:

Ibn `Adiy has said that he has reported a number of good hadith and because of his poor memory he has also committed a lot of mistakes and errors. He is actually, as Ibn Mu`een has said, a truthful person but he is not an evidence [of an actual saying of the Prophet (pbuh)]."

This chain of narrators also includes Al-Dhahhaak ibn Uthman ibn Abd Allah ibn Khalid. Ibn Hajar, in his book "Tehzib al-Tehzib" while commenting on Al-Dhahhak writes:

"... And Ibn Abd al-Burr has said that he was prone to mistakes, he does not evidence [a saying of the Prophet (pbuh)]"

"... And Abu Zur`ah has said that he is not a reliable narrator. And Abu Haatim has said that .... his reports do not evidence [a saying of the Prophet (pbuh)]"

The Fourth Narrative

According to the third narrative reported in Tirmidhi, the Prophet (pbuh) said:

"[You may enter your women in any style] from front or behind, but keep away from the anus and the menstrual periods.

The chain of narrators on whose authority this hatith has been reported by Tirmidhi includes Ya`qoob ibn Abd Allah al-Ash`ariy, regarding whom Zahabiy has quoted Al-Darqutniy, as saying that he is not a strong [in reliability] narrator (in "Meezaan al-Ai`tidaal") Beisdes Ya`qoob, there is also Ja`far ibn abi al-Mugheerah reporting from Sa`eed ibn Jubair. Zahabiy in his book "Meezaan al-Ai`tidaal" has quoted Ibn Mundah as saying:

"He is not strong [in reliability] in case of Sa`eed ibn Jubair"

These are the four narrations reported in Tirmidhi.

Narratives Reported in Abu Dawood

There are two narratives on this topic in Abu Dawood. A brief analysis of these narratives follows:

The First Narrative

According to the first narrative, the Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said:

One of the narrators of this hadith is Suhail ibn Abi Salih.  Al-Zahabiy, in his book "Meezaan al-Ai`tidaal" has quoted a few sayings regarding Suhail. Some of these sayings are reproduced below:

"Abbas has said that Yahya said that he [Suhail] is not reliable in hadith. He also said that the hadith narrated by him are not reliable enough to qualify for evidence [an actual saying of the Prophet (pbuh)]. ... Abu Haatim has said that his [Suhail's] hadith may be quoted but they do not evidence [an actual saying of the Prophet (pbuh)]"

"Ibn Abi Khaithamah has said that I heard Ibn Mueen say that the scholars of hadith stay away from his [Suhail's] narratives. At another instance he said: He is a weak narrator."

The Second Narrative

According to the second narrative, the Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said:

"Whoever goes to a soothsayer and according to Musa -- one of the narrators -- believes in what he tells him. Then both narrators agree that the Prophet (pbuh) said: or whoever enters a woman -- according to Musaddad who is one of the narrators, the Prophet (pbuh) said 'enters his woman' -- during her menstrual periods or enters a woman -- according to Musaddad, the Prophet (pbuh) said 'enters his woman' -- in her anus, he rejects what is revealed on Muhammad [pbuh]."

Ibn Hajar, in his book "Tehzib al-Tehzib" has quoted Bukhari as saying, regarding this hadith:

And Bukhari has said that there is lack of conformity regarding this one of his (Hakim al-Athram's) hadith, i.e. the one he reports from abu Tameemah who reports from Abu Hurairah [the one which is under consideration]. We do not recognize that Abu Tameemah has heard anything from Abu Hurairah."

Ibn Hajar has also quoted a comment of Abu Bakr al-Bazzar regarding this particular narrative. He writes:

"And Abu Bakar al-Bazzar has said that Hammad has narrated from him [Hakim al-Athram] a munkar hadith."

Narratives Reported in Ibn Maajah

There are three narratives on this topic reported in Ibn Maajah. A brief analysis of these narratives follows:

The First Narrative:

The first among these narratives is the same as the third narrative reported in Abu Dawood.

The Second Narrative:

According to the second narrative, the Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said:

"God shall not even look [with kindness] upon any such man who enters his woman in the anus."

This narrative includes Suhail ibn Abi Salih among its narraors. Comments of scholars of the science of narrators on Suhail have already been given above.

Another one of the narrators in this chain is Haarith ibn Mukhallad. Regarding Haarith, al-Zahabiy has quoted the following sayings in his book "Meezaan al-Ai`tidaal":

"And Bazzar has said that he was not well known. And Ibn al-Qattaan has said that not much is known about him. Though Ibn Hibbaan has included him among the reliable ones."

The Third Narrative:

According to the third narrative, the Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said:

"God is not ashamed of the truth [the Prophet said it three times]. Do not enter women in their anuses."

One of the narrators, on whose authority Ibn Maajah has included this hadith in his collection is Hajjaaj ibn Artaah. Al-Zahabiy, in his book "Meezaan al-Ai`tidaal" has quoted mixed opinion about this person. Some of these opinions are presented below:

"And Ibn Mu`een has said that he is not very strong [in reliability] he was truthful but used to ascribe narratives [wrongly] to people. And Yahya ibn Ya`laa has said that Zayedah directed us to ignore the narratives of Hajjaj ibn Artaah."

"And Al-Nassaiy has said that he [Hajjaj] was not strong [in reliability]. And Al-Darqutniy has said that he is not used as evidence [for a saying of the Prophet (pbuh)]."

Another one of the narrators in this chain is Amr ibn Shu`aib. Regarding Amr ibn Shu`aib, the following comments are found in Al-Zahabiy's "Meezaan al-Ai`tidaal":

"And `Ubaid al-Aajiriy has said that Abu Dawood was asked whether narratives of Amr ibn Shu`aib which he reports on the authority of his father who reports on the authority of his father can be used as evidence [for a saying of the Prophet (pbuh)]. He [Abu Dawood] replied: No, not even half an evidence."

"And Ali has said that yahya al-Qattaan has said that we hold the hadith reported by Amr ibn Shu`aib to be insignificant."

Finally, another narrator of this hadith is Abd Allah ibn Haramiy. Not much could be found regarding this man. Though Ibn Hajar, in his book "Tehzib al-Tehzib" while commenting on this man, has commented on this narrative in the following words:

"He [Abd Allah ibn Haramiy] has reported a single hadith from Khuzaimah ibn Thabit regarding the prohibition of entering women in their anuses. And there are a lot of weaknesses in the chain of narrators of this hadith."

This is a brief summary of the position of the chain of narrators of these narrations.

Keeping in view the condition of these narratives, it should be quite obvious why I have not based my argument on these narratives. Though the referred narratives have been reported in some of the collections of hadith, yet I cannot call the contents of these narratives "directives of the Shari`ah". There are two reasons for this. Firstly because, as is pretty obvious from the discussion above that the sanad (chain of narrators) of these narratives is not reliable to qualify for ascription of the saying to the Prophet (pbuh). This weakness in sanad is actually a hinderance for me in ascribing something to the Prophet (pbuh) which has not reached us through reliable sources. Secondly, because in my opinion, the nature of Khabr-e-wahid (hadith) is such that it does not allow us to base the directives of Shari`ah on it alone. It seems that even if the Prophet (pbuh) had said something about the prohibition of anal sex, it should be placed as a natural prohibition (as I have done in my referred answer) rather than a prohibition of the Shari`ah. Prohibitions mentioned in khabr-e-wahid (hadith) are those that are either natural prohibitions or clear corollories of prohibitions mentioned in the Qur'an (Shari`ah). Unless a prohibition mentioned in a khabr-e-wahid (hadith) clearly relates to a natural prohibition or is clearly related to a prohibition mentioned in the Qur'an, the ascription of such khabr-e-wahid (hadith) to the Prophet (pbuh) becomes quite questionable.

In the referred case, although it is quite clear that prohibition of anal sex is a natural prohibition but the reason that I avoided quoting these narratives ascribed to the Prophet (pbuh) was that, in my opinion, the sanad of these narratives is not reliable enough to ascribe these to the Prophet (pbuh).

Moreover, we see that none of the three most accepted collections of the sayings ascribed to the Prophet (pbuh), that is the Sahih Bukhari, the Sahih Muslim and the Mu'atta Imaam Malik contain any of these narratives ascribed to the Prophet (pbuh). This fact obviously, creates serious doubts regarding the ascription of such narratives to the Prophet (pbuh).

I hope this helps. In case any aspect of my answer remains unclear, please feel free in writing back to me at your convenience.

Regards