Oral Sex - An In-Depth Spiritual Discussion

Oral sex between a husband and wife is considered as Makruh Tahrimi (highly undesirable) by the jurists, since there is strong possibility that by ejaculation, Mazi (male sexual fluid) comes out and enters the mouth of the partner.

There is consensus amongst the Fuqaha that Mazi is Najis (impure)

What we must understand here is that Insan has been created as a bearer of high and noble attributes. In him he mirrors the attributes of divinity (Sifat Ilaahiyya) - such as life, knowledge, power, will, sight, hearing, speech, love, etc.

Insan has been adorned with the Nur of Aqal (the light of intelligence). This celestial faculty of intelligence creates in Insan the capacity for the manifestation of the lofty and divine attributes of Allah Ta'ala. By virtue of the Nur of Aql Insan becomes incandescent by being a mirror for these lofty attributes and manifestation (Tajalliyaat Zilliyah and Sifaat Zaatiyyah).

As a direct consequence of this lofty pedestal which Insan occupies in the Divine Scheme, the mantle of Khilafah (vicegerency) has been conferred on him. Stating this fact, the Qur'an declares:

"Verily I shall be creating on earth a Khalifah."

In the Tafsir, it is also said that in relation to all the species of life, man has been endowned with the most beautiful form. All other animals have been created in a lowly form with their heads downwards. Their faces constantly pointing downwards to the earth indicate their low rank in relation to man. In contrast, man has been created upright and he eats his food by means of raising it with his hands unlike the lowly beasts with faces downwards.

In the Tafsir, it is further said that when man willingly destroys his natural ability to progress to the pedestals of elevation, he degenerates and falls from his lofty mansion. He then falls to levels lower than the level of dogs, pigs and even Shayateen.

According to the authentic Tafsir, prior to the creation of Adam AS, the angels entertained the opinion that Allah will not create any being superior to them. Allah then negates this opinion of the angels by creating Adam AS and making him a manifestation of divine attributes. To illustrate Insan's superiority over all species of creation, Allah also commanded the angels to make Sajadah (prostration) to Adam AS.

The superiority of man is well emphasised by the statement of Rasulullah SAW:

"Allah created Adam in His (Allah's) form."

Here it is sufficient to mention the interpretation of the authorities that - intelligence, sight, hearing, etc. are lofty attributes located in that part of the human body called - the head. It is for this reason that Rasulullah SAW forbade striking or slapping the face of any human being or even an animal.

In the Tafsir of the Qur'anic Aayat which permits husbands to beat wives in cases of necessity, it is said: "The face shall not be slapped".

Explaining the reason for the prohibition of slapping the face, Imam Nawawi RA says in his Sharhul Muslim -

"Because the face is the embodiment of man's beauty in addition to it being of sublime nature."

In the Ahadith, the following narration appears:

"Verily, your mouths are pathways of the Qur'n, therefore purify your mouths with Miswak."

The Makhaarij or places from whence Qur'anic huruf (letters) emanate are located in the mouth. The great worship of Tilaawat of the Qur'an is effected via the mouth, hence the Hadith describes the mouth as the "pathway of the Qur'an". Since it is, literally speaking, the channel for the recitation of the Qur'an, Rasulullah SAW emphasised much the maintainance of its purity.

The emphasis on the purity of the mouth could be gauged from the many times Rasulullah SAW would use the Miswak everyday to clean his mouth. The practice of Miswak is strongly stressed by the Shari'ah.

In one Hadith, Rasulullah SAW said:

"When the servant of Allah uses the Miswak and then performs Solat, an angel stands behind him, listening attentively to the recitation of the Qur'an. The angels draws closer and closer to the reciter and places his mouth on the mouth of the reciter. Thus every word emanating from the mouth of the Musalli enters the angel's mouth. Therefore, maintain your mouth pure and clean for the Qur'an."

The actual purpose underlying the creation of man is Zikrullah or the Remembrance of Allah. Rasulullah SAW ordered Muslims to maintain their tongues fresh with the Zikr of Allah. The facts mentioned above will indicate that Insan is Ashraful Makhlukaat (The Noblest of Creation) and the noblest part of his body is his head which is the location for lofty faculties and attributes which earn for him the designation of "the form of Allah".

In order that he maintains his lofty rank and progresses continuously towards loftier mansions and closer Divine Proximity, it is essential that man exercises restraint over his physical and animal qualities. If he fails in this respect, he will descend to a level below the lowly beasts.

Allah Ta'ala has endowed man with intelligence, will-power and shame. He must employ these attributes to subdue his animal and carnal desires and refrain from indulgence in the excesses of lust. If he fails in this achievement he will annihilate himself spiritually and degenerate to sub-animal levels. The sublimity of Islam is of such a lofty degree that it exhorts its adherence to adopt dignity, deportment and propriety in even sexual relationship.

RasulullahSAW advised his Ummah to abstain from total nudity when indulging in coitus and not to behave 'like asses'. Since Islam is a culture of transcendental values calculated to ensure maximum remembrance of Allah Ta'ala, a Muslim should not debase himself to a sub-animal level by resorting to the vile practice of oral sex. The mouth of Insan is the pathway of the Qur'an, his tongue has been commanded to remain fresh with Zikrullah; his mouth is situated in the noblest part of his body; the functions of his mouth are noble and lofty; his mouth is a passageway for transference of the recited Qur'an into the mouth of the listening angel. He cannot, therefore, debase and dishonour himself so disgracefully by resorting to the revolting practice of oral sex.

A Muslim should not dishonour that head and face which the Shari'ah of Islam commands to be honoured. Allah Ta'ala honoured the human head with noble qualities, the highest being the Nur of Aql, but man debases that lofty part of his body by indulging in an act of bestiality not even committed by the lowly beasts. It does not behove man in general, and a Muslim in particular to degrade himself in this manner. The Mu'min's link with Allah Ta'ala is so strong or ought to be so strong that the Shari'ah has prescribed a particular Du'a to be recited even when a man approaches his wife for sexual relations. Even at the moment of reaching climax and ejaculation, the Muslim is required to read in his mind (without moving the lips) - a special Du'a so that he remains protected from any Syaitaani interference.

We learn from the Hadith of Rasulullah SAW that Syaitaan attempts to interfere with man even while he indulges in lawful sex, hence the wording of the special Du'a for this occasion is

"O Allah! Protect us from Syaitaan and protect the offspring you grant us from Syaitaan."

Allah Ta'ala has honoured man highly, hence the Qur'an says:

"Verily, we have honoured the sons of Adam."

He is therefore not allowed to debase himself with the bestial acts which even the lowly beasts do not commit. The mouth is an honoured part of the physical body. It is not a receptacle of impurity. The Shari'ah emphasises the maintainance of its purity. Even in the developing foetus, Allah Ta'ala has arranged for the maintainance of the purity of the mouth. The umbilical cord connects the developing embryo to its mother. It is the passageway in which exchange of nutrient and waste materials with the circulatory system of the mother takes place. In man the umbilical cord arises at the navel below which is the location of the rebellious Nafs which reduces man to sub-animal levels if not restrained. Why does Allah Ta'ala not create the foetus with the umbilical cord attached to its mouth so that its nutrition reaches it in the normal way i.e. via the mouth? Right until the very last moments prior to its emergence into the external world, the baby's nutrition is via the umblical cord. Immediately on reaching the outside world its nourishment reaches it from the mouth. Since the umbilical cord is also the passageway for impure waste matter, its connection is near to the location of the lowly nafs. The mouth has thus been guarded against impurities. The facts presented in this article should be sufficient to convey to Muslims that their Imaan and the spirit of the teachings of Islam do not permit them to grovel in the dregs of debasement and perpetrate moral injustice by utilising the mouth for deriving sexual pleasure. This is not the function of the mouth. It is a misappropriation of an Amanah (Trust). All parts of the body are Amanah which have to be utilised in accordance with the instructions of Allah Ta'ala. Such contamination and moral pollution as entailed by oral sex are most unbecoming the dignity and rank of man, especially if the Insan appears to be a follower of the illustrious Shari'ah of Muhammad SAW. Allah Ta'ala states in the Noble Qur'an:

"Verily, Allah loves those who purify themselves."