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Sexual Intercourse With Maids

December 26, 2004

Question

Sir my question is related to the leniency given by Islam on the issue of intercourse… the questions are as follows:

  1. Can I have intercourse with my maid… as she is contemporary ghulam…. as in the previous ages… londiyan (urdu word) are ours and we pay contemporary londiyan to serve us…. so can we make them serve in this manner too???

  2. What is the concept in Islam about “tamattia”… short term marriage…. is it allowed?…. if yes then if I go to a prostitute and pay her for making me contented… and make her contented with my wealth… with the consent of mine and hers both… can I or her or both be condemned or punished for that in Islam?

Both questions are subject to the conditions of intercourse with ejaculation into her body and without ejaculation into her body ” ‘azl “.

Respected sir, please do help me in this regard…. can I have intercourse without being fully married??… Or through short term marriage? what does Islam say about it….

Please do reply… waiting anxiously….

Answer

To fully appreciate the answer to your query you must realize that a “maid/servant” is not the same as “slave” nor do they share the same concepts in their very essence. Another thing to keep in mind is that the institution of slavery was progressively abolished by Islam but the occupation of being a maid/servant is fully legal and permissible. A maid or servant is typically employed for some sort of work for some hours of the day for a fee. On the other hand, a slave was a possession – as any commodity – of the slave-owner. A maid/servant freely chooses this line of work while a slave did not have any freedom. With that being clearer it should also be remembered that the institution of slavery in the Arabian Peninsula consisted of accepted practices that we may find vile today. One of these “norms” was that the enslavement of a captured woman would potentially involve sexual intercourse. Considering that this was the culture of Arabs, in particular, and the world, in general, in the 7th century one cannot justify any such act especially since Islam has forbidden illicit sex. The simple answer to whether you may have sexual intercourse with a maid, whether she is willing or unwilling, is a clear “no.” The wages you give her are for the job she is hired not for prostitution.

Consider the above and the following links and it should suffice that all your stated inquiries regarding sexual intercourse is not allowable under any circumstances in Islam. The links are as follows:

Slave Girls as Wives

Punishment of Rajam (i.e. Stoning to Death in case of adultery)

Regarding Mut`ah (Temporary Marriage)

I hope I have clarified the issue.

God knows best.

Filed Under: Q & A, Social Issues

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