The Family in Islam

Other Hadith On When/where Lovemaking Is Makruh

Imam Ja’ffar al-Saadiq (AS) said “Do not have sexual intercourse on the first, middle, and the last day of the (lunar) month, for if one does that he should expect the miscarriage of the child, and if not, it is feared that the child would be mad. Do you not see that the mad person mostly suffers from fits on the first, middle, and last day of the (lunar) month?”

Imam Ja’ffar al-Saadiq (AS) also said “Do not have sexual intercourse on the eve of Wednesday.” In another narration from al-Imam al-Saadiq (AS): “Do not make love with your wife, if there is a child in the house who can see you or hear you. For if you do that, that child would be adulterous, and so too the child that is then conceived (as a result of that lovemaking).”

Rasulollah (S) is reported as saying:

“If one makes love with his wife, and there is someone in the house that can hear their voice or their breathing, the child that is conceived would not be pious, but s/he would adulterous.” Rasulollah (S) is reported as saying:

“If one has sexual intercourse with his wife while she is going through her monthly menstruation period, and a child is conceived who happens to have leprosy, he should blame none other than himself.” Someone asked Imam Muhammad al-Baaqir (AS) is there any time that is Makruh to have sexual intercourse even though it is Halaal? The Imam replied:

“Yes. (These are:)

1. The duration from Fajr (break of dawn) to sunrise,
2. The duration from sunset to Maghreb (the disappearance of twilight),
3. The day in which the sun is eclipsed,
4. The night in which the moon is eclipsed,
5. The day or night in which there is the black wind, the red wind, or the yellow wind,
6. The day or night in which earthquake occurs.”

Imam Saadiq (AS) also said:

“Do not have sexual intercourse on board a boat, and do not have sexual intercourse whilst facing the Qiblah or with your back to it.”

Sexual Satisfaction

It is reported from Imam al-Saadiq (AS): “One of you may have sex with his wife and satisfy his desires, (but without her reaching the climax of sexual excitement and satisfaction). (This could leave her in a state that) if she comes across even a slave she would cling to him (to satisfy her sexual need). Therefore if you were to make love with your wife, make sure there is mutual foreplay, for it is better and more pleasant for this matter (lovemaking).” Notes:

1. In Islamic terminology a ‘day’ ends with the sunset and at the same time the following ‘day’ begins. As opposed to the system that has currently become known and dominant where a ‘day’ starts at 00:00, i.e. midnight. So under this current system a ‘day’ consists of a dark part –from midnight 00:00 to sunrise, the daylight part – from sunrise to sunset, and the second dark part from sunset to midnight 00:00.

In the Islamic terminology a ‘day’ consists of two parts – the dark part and daylight part. The ‘day’ starts with the dark part – eve or night – which is from Maghreb to Fajr, and the daylight part, which is from Fajr to Maghreb. So the Eve of Friday starts when the sun sets on Thursday. In other words Thursday ends when the sun sets, while at the same time Friday begins, starting with its eve.

2. In the above hadith and quotations when the month is referred to, it is meant the lunar month in the Islamic calendar – Muharram, Safar, Rajab, Ramadahn, etc. and not in any other calendar such as the Gregorian.

Reference

Hadith presented here are mainly taken from the book “Makarem al-Akhlaq”.

Notes

1 Mentioned on BBC Television’s Heart of the Matter, Sunday 28/11/1999, 11.25 p.m. and on Night Waves, BBC Radio 3, 26/11/1999, 9.30 p.m.

2 See Europe in Figures, Chapter 18 Fertility.

3 See United Nations Demographic Yearbook 1999, Chapter 9.

4 The Holy Qur’an: The Tribe of Israel (17): 31.

5 The Holy Qur'an: The Forgiver (40): 21.

6 The Holy Qur’an: The Heifer (2): 5.

1 The Holy Qur'an: The Hajj Pilgrimage (22): 11.

2 The son's of Marwan refers to the Umayyad Caliphate in the early days of Islam. (Translator's note)

3 A reference to the 'Abbasid Caliphate. (Translator's note) 4 The Holy Qur'an: Public Estates (8): 24.

5 A book on Qur'anic commentary mentions three possibilities for the identity of 'Dhul-Qarnain' … however the main thing is that he was a 'righteous servant of Allah.' (Translator's)

6 The Holy Qur'an: The Cave (18): 89.

7 The Holy Qur'an: Public Estates (8): 41 ('Know that whatever you acquire, a fifth of it is for Allah').

8 The word God is used here for translation purposes more or less interchangeably with the Arabic word Allah (The God, The Deity, The Unseen). However the Islamic conception of God as elucidated in the Qur'an differs from other conceptions in its strict adherence to the belief in monotheism - the oneness of God who has no partner in creation and no sire. He is The One, The Eternal, He does not beget, nor was He begotten and there is nothing like unto Him. (Translator's note)

9 The Holy Qur'an: The Winnowing Winds (51): 49.

10 The Holy Qur'an: The Coalitions (33): 72.

11 The Holy Qur'an: The Romans (30): 30.

12 The Holy Qur'an: (the letters) Y.S. (36): 36.

13 The Holy Qur'an: Consultation (42): 11.

14 See Laws of Hammurabi, Articles 130 - 158.

15 This was after the age of 25 for men and 20 for women during the reign of Augustus.

16 They were forfeit certain types of inheritance.

17 This was during the age of Augustus 30-14 BC.

18 Al-Hurani has collected lineages and organised them into levels according to the size of each level and he gives them thirteen classifications.

19 Like monetary fine or banishment or death by stoning, and this appears in the writings of certain of their historians like Akthum bin Saifi.

20 The Holy Qur'an: Women (4): 22. 21 This is because those who fabricate lies against God do not bring forward any book or any traditions but that they have been played around with. Had it not been for God’s protection of the Qur’an from corruption and substitution then talking about it today would be like talking about the books of the other religions. God though has made sure that his light is complete and his word protected whether the unbelievers like it or not.

22 Even the Gospels that exist today confirm this fact. In one of them appear the words: 'Do not think that I am here to nullify the words of the divine law and the prophets. I have not come to cancel but to perfect. I tell you the truth: Not one iota nor one full stop will disappear from the divine law.

23 The Bible: Mark 9:43 and Matthew 5:27-30.

24 Barnabas. It is well known that the Christians, for about 22 years after Christ (Peace be upon him), continued to observe all the prohibitions found in the Torah. Subsequently however, they limited them to four namely adultery, the eating of animals killed by strangling, the eating of blood, and the eating of animals slaughtered in the name of idols.

25 The Story of Civilisation. Del Durant p.41. 26 ibid. p.42. 27 This is for a number of reasons, the most important of which is that animals are subject entirely to the system whereas human beings are partly responsible for administering and organising themselves.

28 Some people have strived to prove these theories with case loads of evidence some of which raises doubts and others are dubious and obscurantist and with no proof but illusion, conjecture and fabrication. The author has discussed the three philosophies in several books some of which are: 'A Critique of Freud', and 'Marx Defeated' and 'Comparative Economics.'

29 What is meant here is not nature as in the natural world or surroundings but rather the intrinsic nature inside human beings known by the Arabic term Fitrah. (Translator's note) 30 The Holy Qur'an: The Cow (2): 205.

31 Ala had denied himself all the good things in life. Imam 'Ali told him: '; Do you think that Allah has made lawful for you the good things then disdains that you partake of them? You are less important to Allah than this. (Translator's note) 32 Supplement to the Shi'a guide to Islamic law; Volume 1; Page 540. There are other benefits to marriage which have been discussed by the author in 'The Encyclopaedia of Fiqh'; Volume 62;'The Book of Marriage.

33 The Holy Qur'an: Iron (57): 27.

37 Shi’a Guide; Volume 15; Page 1.

38 The Holy Qur'an: The Cow (2): 185

39 Ghawali Al-Li'ali; Volume1; Page 381. There are many traditions referring to the desirability of a small dowry which has been dealt with by the author in The Encyclopaedia of Fiqh; Volume 62-68;The Book of Wedlock.

40 The author has dealt with similar such traditions in The Book of Fiqh, Etiquette, and Practice. Volumes 94 -97.

41 The author refers to practises in countries where the state does not provide any support for housing etc. In such cases the newly wed couples would continue to live with the parents. This may not be applicable in countries where state support is provided for housing. (Editor's note).

42 The Complete Branches of Religion; Volume 5; Page 279.

43 The Holy Qur'an: The Heights (7): 157.

44 Shi’a Guide; volume 15; Page 1.

45 One of the daughters of the Prophet. Fatima married 'Ali.

(Translator's note)

46 Seas of Lights: Volume 100, p 373.

47 This is often neglected.

48 The Holy Qur'an: The Inevitable Event (56): 37.

49 The Holy Qur'an: Light (24): 32.

50 The Complete Branches of Religion; Volume 5; Page 279.

51 Shi’a Guide; volume 17; page 238.

52 Seas of Lights; volume 72; page 107.

53 Sometimes the family would give some sugar to the notary although many of them did not even accept this.

54 Seas of Lights; Volume 2; Page 272.

55 Seas of Lights; Volume 100; Page 372. (The Qur'an provides detailed injunctions regarding those blood relations and other persons that a person may not marry. However in Islam it is permissible for a person to marry his or her cousin as was customary in Western societies until not so very long ago. (Translator's note)).

56 The following items are incumbent upon her religiously:

1. Undertaking the Hajj pilgrimage.
2. Learning the laws of the religion.
3. Maintaining the bond of kinship for example in visiting the parents.
4. All matters pertaining to preserving one's self and one's religion.

57 Seas of Lights; Volume 10; Page 227.

58 The Holy Qur'an: The Cow (2): 228.

59 The Holy Qur'an: The Cow (2): 187.

60 The Holy Qur'an: The Cow (2): 228.

61 Al-Fiqh series, 'Al-Bay'a', Volumes 111-115.

62 The Holy Qur'an: The Prohibition (66): 6.

63 The author has dealt with the times recommended and discouraged for intercourse in The Encyclopaedia of Fiqh; The Book of Wedlock; Volume 62; Pages 112-130. Likewise in the Book of Etiquette and Practices.

64 Psychological studies have shown that the child who is fed at the breast of his/her mother is usually less susceptible to psychological problems. The sense of security, warmth and affection which the baby feels at the mother's breast increase his/her attachment to her in the future. Also, as doctors would confirm, all attempts to find a synthetic substitute to mother's milk have failed. Mother's milk provides the complete requirements for the health of the infant and its physical and mental growth. (Our children, their growth, nutrition and their problems. 'Ali Hasan. p.70.). Also among the benefits of breastfeeding for the mother is the fact that it lessens the risk of her contracting breast cancer and helps to return the womb to its natural state and also works to dispel spots and blemishes from the face of the mother.

65 Shi’a Guide; Volume 3; Page 331. 66 The Holy Qur'an: The Prohibition (66): 6. 67 The Holy Qur'an: Women (4): 1. 68 Seas of Lights; Volume 74; Page 94. 69 Seas of Lights; Volume 74; Page 111. 70 Seas of Lights; Volume 74; Page 114. 71 Seas of Lights; Volume 74; Page 100.

72 There are many traditions which condemn the envy and jealousy of women. These include the sayings of Imam 'Ali: 'The jealousy of a man is faith but the jealousy of a woman is enmity' (The Pearls of Wisdom)., also ' The jealousy of a woman amounts to disbelief but the jealousy of a man is faith'(The Summit of Eloquence: Article 124). From the sayings of Imam Al-Baqir: ' The jealousy of women is envy, which is the root of unbelief. Women if they are jealous become angry and if they become angry they fall into disbelief except those who are true Muslims. (The Complete Branches of Religion; Volume 5; Page 505).

73 The Holy Qur'an: The Cow (2): 229.

74 The Holy Qur'an: The Night Journey (17): 27. The author has discussed the meaning of this verse in the sixty-second volume of The Encyclopaedia of Fiqh; Page 341.

75 The Complete Branches of Religion; Volume 6; Page 460. 76 See The Encyclopaedia of Fiqh; Volumes 76-77. 77 Seas of Lights; Volume 72; Page 66.

77 The Holy Qur'an: Livestock (6): 36.

79 For example, the price of meat has risen to 48,000 times its original value, milk 75 times its value, and wheat 10,000 times its original value.

80 The Holy Qur'an: Women (4): 35.

81 The instance of divorce in the Islamic world has shown an unprecedented rise. In Kuwait there is one divorce for every three marriages, 29% of which take place within the first year of marriage, and 67% take place within the first five years of marriage. In Egypt there are 4 million divorced women, .The rate of divorce has risen in recent years to 25%, and the rate of cancelled engagements has risen to 15% while the rate of marriage has fallen to 20%.

82 Supplement to Shi’a Guide; Volume 3; Page 2. 83 Shi’a Guide; Volume 15; Page 267. 84 Shi’a Guide; Volume 15; Page 267. 86 The Holy Qur'an: Women (4):128. 87 The Holy Qur'an: The Winnowing Winds (51): 49. 88 Extracts from The Tawhid of Al-Mafdal Ibn 'Amr Al-Ga'fiyy. 89 Seas of Lights; Volume 6; Page 98. 90 In Egypt for example there are 3.8 million unmarried women over the age of thirty. See issue 1149 of Al-Mujtama' (Society) periodical. 91 Studies show that 70% of the worlds poorest are women. See issue 60 of Al-Khairiyya (Charitable) periodical. 92 Shi’a Guide; Volume 17: Page 382. 93 The Complete Branches of Religion; Volume 5: Page 279. 94 Shi’a Guide; Volume 13; Page 368. 95 Seas of Lights; Volume 59; Page 283. 96 Supplement to Shi’a Guide; Volume 14; Page 152. 97 Ship of the Seas; Volume 1; Page 561. 98 As in the Umayyad, 'Abbasid, or Ottoman states. 99 There are two theories regarding childbirth:

The first is the Malthusian theory of Thomas Robert Malthus which stresses the non-correlation between demographic size and availability of economic resources since the demographic increase is subject to technology whilst economic resources are subject to arithmetic therefore equilibrium cannot be attained except through birth control. In the aftermath of the industrial revolution, Classicists promoted this theory to justify the poor distribution of incomes. In the post second world war period, certain rulers latched on to this theory to excuse the poverty, unemployment and backwardness that prevailed in their countries.

The second theory is growth theory supported by the majority of economists. It says that human behaviour depends upon the social environment and other social factors like values and traditions, and upon the extent to which Nature can be controlled, and upon the advancement of modes of production, and upon the nature of the prevailing economic system. These factors interact to influence human demographic behaviour. In other words, the absence of equilibrium between demographic growth and the nature of the economic and social system inhibits growth and prosperity. This theory believes that the best way to cure population growth is economic growth and advancement and social justice, the people not being responsible for their poverty but rather the state being responsible due to poor distribution of wealth, the failure of growth and the prevalence of unemployment due to laws which inhibit freedoms.

The Malthusian theory did not meet with any success and its overwhelming failure was proven in the countries of Europe. Hence voices have been raised in the West in criticism of the concept of birth control. Scholars say that people spontaneously are inclined to keep their numbers to reasonable levels when the standard of living rises and the economic and cultural way of life changes. The voices of criticism among Western scholars and intellectuals convinced the powers that be to bring in laws to increase reproduction rates. It may be wondered what the hidden factors were which motivated certain regimes to adopt birth control. In answer we would say that these regimes are of two types; local and Western. Local regimes have an interest in birth control as they lay the responsibility for backwardness at the door of the people and cover up their own failure to deliver economic and social growth and draw a veil over their own liabilities from bureaucracy through to corruption which contribute to the inefficacy of the growth cycle. Western regimes have an interest in birth control in the third world making them the big players on the world stage and diminishing the dependence of the third world on warranted international assistance and loans and preventing a flood of population from the third world into their countries. In addition to these factors, the application of the theory of growth in the third world means delving into three areas that the Western states would rather not delve; a).The lessening of consumption in the West, b).Third world debt, c).

Transfer of technology from advanced nations to other nations. [Adapted from article called 'Two Schools of Thought in Dealing with the Population Problem' by Fahmy Haueidi].

100 The German government spends millions yearly to encourage childrearing. Scholars believe that women only become fully matured after one or two childbirths and that many women who have not given birth are not as well balanced as mothers. This in addition to the fact that they become more nervous than the mothers. The well-known French physician Petard says: Frankly a woman will not achieve good health unless she becomes a mother. 101 To realise the extent of Western fears about the dwindling of their populations it is enough to monitor newspapers concerned with social affairs and attend important conferences on demography in Europe. In 1988 the Danish press announced that the Danish government had imported 1000 Filipino girls for purposes of childrearing on the premise that Filipino girls are more inclined towards love, procreation and children.

102 The Islamic world covers approximately 30% of the earth's surface amounting to 32.7 million square kilometres that equals 3.5 times the area of the United States and China.

103 Certain people may cling to birth control for the following reasons: a). The parents may be incapable of bringing up their children. b). The 'happy life' may be one with few children and dependants. The answer to the first is that the history of Islam from the flight of the prophet until now confirms that the parents have the capacity to bring up their children and indeed upbringing is not confined to the parents alone but the whole of society takes part in it. In answer to the second, the truth is quite the opposite - the preferable life comes from having many children because life progresses through co-operation and the many necessitate more cooperation in quality and quantity.

104 The arable land of the Sudan comes to about 300 million acres (about1200 million square kilometres) of which only 30 million acres is currently cultivated.

105 Shi’a Guide; Volume 17: Page 328. 106 The Complete Branches of Religion; Volume 5: Page 279. 108 The Holy Qur'an: The Star (53): 39-40. 109 The Diwan of Imam 'Ali. 110 Ship of the Seas; Volume 1; Page 561. 111 The Holy Qur'an: The Night Journey (17): 31. 112 The Holy Qur'an: Light (24): 32. 113 Seas of Lights; Volume 72; Page 36. 114 In Egypt for example there are 15 million young men and women of marriageable age who are not yet married. (Al-Mujtam'a magazine; Issue 1149). 115 The Holy Qur'an: Woman (4): 9. 116 Nahj Al-Fasaha: Page 51 117 Seas of Lights; Volume 33; Page 374. 118 The Holy Qur'an: The Table Spread (5): 2. 119 Seas of Lights; Volume 19; Page 218. 120 The Holy Qur'an: The House of ‘Emran (3): 159. 121 The Holy Qur'an: Consultation (42): 38. 122 The Holy Qur'an: The Cow (2): 233. The author has dealt with counsel in the book 'Counsel in Islam' . The author's son Ayatollah Murtadha Shirazi discusses it and its doctrinal and legal evidences in detail in his valuable book Counsel of Jurists. 123 See Shi’a Guide; Volume 12; Page 129. 124 Seas of Lights; Volume 105; Page 168. 125 The Holy Qur'an: Public Estates (8): 24. 126 The Holy Qur'an: (the letters) T.H. (20): 124. 127 This refers to the welfare system devised and implemented by the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad, 14 centuries ago. (Editor's note) 128 The Holy Qur'an: The Groups (39): 9. 129 The Holy Qur'an: The House of 'Emran (3): 118. 130 The Holy Qur'an: The House of ‘Emran (3): 159. 131 The Holy Qur'an: Banishment (59): 7. 132 Seas of Lights; Volume 52; Page 312. 133 The Holy Qur'an: (the letters) T.H. (20): 124. 134 The Holy Qur'an: Public Estates (8): 25. 135 The Holy Qur'an: Banishment (59):19.

136 As an example, Issue 1364 of the Iraqi magazine 'Alef Ba' mentioned that Iraq was home to 32,000,400 date palms in the year 1952 , 13 million of which were in Basra and giving 650 types of date. This number fell to 2,997,600 date palms in 1989. In recent years it has dwindled to the smallest number possible.

137 The volume of military expenditure for the Gulf States in 1993 reached 60 billion dollars.

138 Statistics show that loans against the Arab States including the Gulf States to the end of 1993 reached 194 billion dollars the interest upon which loans reached 18 billion dollars yearly.