Title: Further Comments Question/Comments: The First Comment Assalaam Alaikum, It was interesting to read over your responses concerning oral sex however, the last response spurred some questions from my end. In regards to oral sex you have suggested that the Islamic value system comments on this. If one is taking Allah's name with one's mouth then one should not use it for other things that are not clean. There are a few things with this reasoning that do not make sense. It would seem that if we were to use this type of reasoning as an argument then we are opening up the Pandora’s box on similar arguments that would constrain many actions in our daily lives. For instance, we use our hands to wipe ourselves after using the bathroom but use that same hand to count the tasbeeh . We also pick up the manure of dogs (at least here in America) when we take them for a walk, or clean the bird's cage, or take out the garbage. Furthermore, there is obviously a role for hands during the intimate discourse between a man and a woman. Would all these then be forbidden as well? Let us take our mouth for instance in other activities. We may eat food from the bazaar that is unclean, or decide to have a diet that is also unhealthy. Furthermore there might be times where we joke around about things not exactly pure but just as a joke. If we were to refrain from unclean or impure things in comparison to uttering the name of Allah then we would surely find everything relatively unclean. The issue then comes up that oral sex is different. However, this difference leaves open great room for subjectivity. In other words one who views this as unclean can continue on labeling other matters unclean since the basis is not found in the legal stipulations of Islam. It seems as though Allah would have indicated such an action as impure (like you suggested) when stipulating on matters of menstruation (although we probably do not know whether this occurred during those days). Hence constituting it unclean on the basis of inferences from the verses in S urah Baqarah (as the other brother did) or from your reasoning does not seem strong enough. Just my humble thought process, please comment and correct in order that I can understand better and excuse my liberties. Jazakallah ker , Adnan Zulfiqar, USA The Second Comment Assalaam Alaikum Thanks for your email. I have read your clarification. Basically I wanted to give some comments on your last reply of my mail but I thought it might take your time. But now you have invited me to give comments on your this certification so it is from God. First of all I would like to make it clear that I had in my mind that you are not trying to prove the validity of oral sex in the Shari’ah . If any words of mine gave this impression then it was by mistake. I am sorry about that. In the beginning I would like to give a summary of what I have perceived from your clarification. In short your viewpoint is that Islam does not give a list of dos and don’ts about each and every part of human life. Instead it restrict its legal framework to a very limited sphere of human life and leaves the remaining on the decision making of an individual that is based on a Value System, developed by overall teaching of Islam. I think it is a very good interpretation of Islam. If a religion claims to be the religion of all times. A religion that insists people not only to adopt the beliefs presented by it but also to obey it in the practical life. No other approach can suit that religion. But there comes a very crucial question. At what stage a student/scholar of Islam should decide that here ends the scope of Shari’ah ? Your answer is that as long as Qur’an and Sunnah categorically and specifically state something as prohibited or allowed, it is Shari’ah , after that we should look for a solutions of our problem in the Value System of Islam. I have great respect for you, but I’m sorry to say I really find it very difficult to agree with you for two reasons. Firstly it is a normal style of the Qur’an that it not only gives a directive but also gives a reasoning of this directive, either clearly or by using such words which gives the reader an idea why the Qur’an is saying that. This approach guides us that not only the directives of Shari’ah but the ‘ Hikmah ’ [reasoning] behind them is of equal importance. Secondly the Prophet (pbuh) himself gave a number a directives which are not based on exact Qur’anic wording but on an implication of its wording and on the basis of its reasoning. This is something that no other but Ghamidi Sahib (your direct and my indirect teacher) pleads very strongly. On these two grounds I say that the sphere of the Shari`ah goes as long as the scope of that reasoning behind the directive and the implication of the Qur’anic words go. After that we must turn to the Value System of Islam. This approach should be followed in all cases. Now I take the matter of oral sex for elaboration of my viewpoint. To find the directive of Shari`ah vis a vis oral sex we need to determine, first of all, the exact nature of oral sex. When we keenly look at it we find that oral sex is basically a bifold sexual behavior adopted by couples. On one level it is simply foreplay, meant for sexual arousal, before an intercourse. On the other hand some couples make it a sole way of sexual satisfaction. From the beginning to the end they only mean oral sex. When we turn to the Qur’an we see that it is not silent about sexual behavior of couples. It clearly gives directives regarding how to fulfil this basic need ( Al-Baqarah verse 222,223). We see that the Qur’an has sanctioned only and only vaginal sex. It has no objection regarding how to get satisfaction by vaginal sex but it has prohibited this vaginal sex during the menstrual period. However oral sex is not mentioned there. So what shall we do? Shall we give up? No, I think we should try to find out the reasoning and implication of its wording. We should try to find out on what grounds has the Qur’an sanctioned vaginal sex and on what grounds has it prohibited people from this. We will find that the natural make up of the human body and a state of uncleanness has been the basic factors. Now we can apply our findings to oral sex. And that is what I did in my previous mail. It will be unnecessary to repeat it. However I would like to further clarify a couple of points with regards to your previous comments that you gave under two verses of Al-Baqarah In verse 222, the ending part gives enough guideline i.e. Allah likes those who ask for His forgiveness and remain clean (please correct the translation, if wrong). This part of the verse is generalizing a specific directive. Now one should not say (as you did) that only menstruation is uncleanness or Allah is not clearly prohibiting any unclean sexual act. This part demands that wherever you find uncleanness keep away from it until and unless you are sure it is clean. As this statement of Allah came with respect to sexual behavior, it should be first applied during sex. And I have already said that it is the responsibility of any advocate of oral sex to prove that secretions of reproductive organs are clean if he/she is allowing them to be taken into the mouth. Verse 223: You take oral sex only as a foreplay but as I have mentioned above oral sex is a bifold phenomenon. If a couple takes it as foreplay it is against “ Taharat ”. And if it is meant for complete sexual satisfaction it is violating the word “ Harth ”. If Allah wanted to give any sanction to these things He could have used the word “ Jannaat ” instead of “ Harth ”. The thing that further intensifies the ugliness of this type of oral sex is that it emerges from homosexuality. The purpose of this detail is to draw your attention to the fact that there is a STEP between categorically stated directive of Shari’ah and the Value System of Islam. This step is “IN THE LIGHT OF SHARI’AH”. The whole building of Islamic Fiqh is mostly based on this middle step, neglecting which will not only demolish this building but also make it further difficult to derive anything from the Value System of Islam. For example let’s see your opinion about oral sex on the basis of Value System of Islam. “An individual who knows that he is required to use the life of this world to cleanse his mind, body and soul, who knows that true purification of the soul shall be achieved only through continual remembrance of Allah, who knows that his tongue should most often be used for taking Allah’s name and for reading His book, such an individual would definitely be influenced away from such menial and physical pleasures that put his tongue and lips to such use which makes him feel that his tongue and lips are soiled and defiled for the exalted task of taking Allah’s name or to read His book. “ Now if I ask you please tell me at what stage my tongue and lips become soiled and defiled? Or is the foreplay itself a misuse of tongue and lips? What will you answer and how will you answer? That is why I am of the opinion that we should not go to the Value System of Islam until we find that the Shari’ah is totally silent on some issue. As whatever we decide on the basis of this Value System, its implementation will vary from person to person and situation to situation. I would like to give an example from sexual behavior where, in my opinion, the Shari’ah is totally silent. So we need to deal it from the Value System of Islam. This is the case of Masturbation. This type of sexual attitude comes under the category of self-sex. As far as I know, Shari’ah deals only with sex between couples, not with self-sex. Masturbation, that is why, should be dealt from the Value System of Islam. In the end I would like to make it clear that I am simply a beginner whose maximum capability is that he can understand the arguments of a scholar like you. All my criticism is a process of learning. If I find your arguments more reasonable, I will accept it with an open heart. Furthermore, the Shari’ah is not my basic interest. It is only from this Ramadhan that I started reading the Qur’an with “ Nazm ”. As the first part of the Qur’an ( Al-Fatihah to Al-Ma’idah ) is about the Shari’ah I got an idea the of basic principles of the Shari’ah in the light of the Qur’an. Otherwise my basic field of interest is the Wisdom of religion “ Al-Hikmah ” and Purification of the Heart ( Tazkiah-e-Nafs ). Thanks and Regards Rehan Ahmed From the vicinity of God (Saudi Arabia) Answer: Before giving my comments on these two responses, I would like to make some amendments in the last paragraph of “A Clarification Regarding Oral Sex”. The last paragraph reads as follows: “What I actually imply is that Islam does not give any specific directives regarding the allowance or prohibition of “oral sex”. Yet, it is not possible that a complete understanding and appreciation of the Islamic value system has no effect on the taste of the individual in this respect. An individual who knows that he is required to use the life of this world to cleanse his mind, body and soul, who knows that true purification of the soul shall be achieved only through continual remembrance of Allah, who knows that his tongue should most often be used for taking Allah’s name and for reading His book, such an individual would definitely be influenced away from such menial and physical pleasures that put his tongue and lips to such use which makes him feel that his tongue and lips are soiled and defiled for the exalted task of taking Allah’s name or to read His book.” I think it should be amended to read as follows: “What I actually imply is that Islam does not give any specific directives regarding the allowance or prohibition of “oral sex”. Yet, it seems that a complete understanding and appreciation of the Islamic value system may have an effect on the tastes of the individual in this respect. An individual who knows that he is required to use the life of this world to cleanse his mind, body and soul, who knows that true purification of the soul shall be achieved only through continual remembrance of Allah, who knows that his tongue should most often be used for taking Allah’s name and for reading His book, such an individual is likely to be influenced away from such menial and physical pleasures that put his tongue and lips to such use which makes him feel that his tongue and lips are soiled and defiled for the exalted task of taking Allah’s name or to read His book.” I am very thankful to Mr. Adnan Zulfiqar and Mr. Rehan Ahmad, for their valuable comments, which made me realize the mistake in the original paragraph. Now, coming to the first of these comments, I think that the revised paragraph should remove the objection stated in it. The point that should be understood is that, in my opinion, the value system of Islam is sure to have an effect on the tastes of those who fully appreciate it and hold it to be the way to their salvation. But, obviously, this effect does not have to be and is not even likely to be uniform for all individuals. One individual may feel its effects more than another. Likewise, one individual may feel its effects on his tastes in a particular sphere of life and another may feel its effects more strongly in another sphere of life. The matter, as I see it, does not pertain to the Shari`ah but is likely to be influenced by the understanding and appreciation of the Islamic Shari`ah and its value system. Mr. Adnan writes: For instance, we use our hands to wipe ourselves after using the bathroom but use that same hand to count the tasbeeh . We also pick up the manure of dogs (at least here in America) when we take them for a walk, or clean the bird's cage, or take out the garbage. Furthermore, there is obviously a role for hands during the intimate discourse between a man and a woman. Would all these then be forbidden as well? First of all, I would like to clarify that when I say that the Islamic value system is likely to effect a person’s tastes, it does not imply that anything would become “forbidden” because of this effect. Things or activities become “forbidden” only through the directives of the Shari`ah , not through the tastes of individuals. A person may avoid certain activities because of his personal tastes, which in turn may have been effected by his society, culture or religion, yet these activities may not be “religiously forbidden”. As far as the example of using our hands to wipe ourselves clean is concerned, it is quite interesting that a person may have the effect on his tastes because of which he may avoid to use his right hand for purposes that may seem “dirty” to him. It is quite interesting that the Prophet (pbuh), actually taught his followers to avoid touching their private parts with their right hands. In my opinion, one of the reasons for this teaching was clearly to elevate the religious tastes of his followers. Because the Prophet (pbuh) wanted his followers to use their right hands for all good and noble actions (to serve as a reminder for them that they should strive to be among the “People of the Right hand” on the Day of Judgment), he advised them to use their left hands for all actions that are likely to soil and defile their hands. The point that should be clearly understood is that personal tastes, and the effects of Islamic teachings and values on these tastes, may guide and serve as a selection criterion for individuals, yet they never become a part of the Shari`ah . Although it should be stressed that appreciation of the complete message of Islam is sure to entail an elevation of the tastes of individual, even though the degree of this elevation may differ from individual to individual. Now let us turn to the comments of Mr. Rehan Ahmad. Firstly, I do not disagree with the point that if the Qur’an has prohibited something due to a particular stated reason, anything else which entails exactly the same reason, due to which the Qur’an had prohibited the first thing, should also be avoided. But this avoidance shall be necessary only for the person ( Mujtahid ) who believes that the second thing entails exactly the same reason due to which the Qur’an had prohibited the first. Sometimes, the reason of prohibition is so obvious that there arises no difference of opinion among the scholars. For instance, when the Qur'an prohibited " Khamar " [wine], it was obvious that the reason for this prohibition is the effect that khamar may have on the human faculty of reasoning. Thus, it was actually not "khamar" that was being prohibited but the whole category of intoxicants that may have the same effect on the human faculty of reasoning. In other cases, the reason as well as the similarity between two phenomena may not be so obvious. It is therefore, not correct in my opinion, to say that the prohibition of the second thing would also become a part of the Shari`ah . The prohibitions of the Shari`ah shall remain restricted to those directly mentioned in the Qur’an or may extend to those things which obviously entail the same reason, which was the basis of prohibition mentioned in the Qur'an. While the avoidance of the second thing shall be a matter of Ijtehad . Secondly, as I stated in my last letter to Mr. Rehan, I would like to restate that I do not think that oral sex (as in foreplay) entails exactly the same conditions, as are found in menstruation and due to which the Shari`ah has prohibited sexual relations during a woman’s menstruation. In my opinion, the last part of verse 222 means, “Allah has given His clear directives to guide mankind to cleanness (referring to the preceding directives). To get the love of Allah, man should keep his body (by following these directives of Allah) and his heart (by continual repentance) clean”. I do appreciate that this verse does instigate in a person (who values the love of Allah) the desire (taste) to adopt clean things in life and to avoid all that may soil and defile his mind, body and soul, yet it seems quite out of place to say that oral sex stands prohibited in the Shari`ah on the basis of this verse. If the word “ Harth ” is understood to imply restrictions on sexual intercourse and if oral sex is construed as sexual intercourse, then the stated restriction shall also apply to oral sex. But I really do not think that this is the case. Mr. Rehan’s questions on the last paragraph of my previous writing should stand resolved in the light of my clarification at the beginning of this letter. May Allah guide us to the path of His liking.