Islamic views on oral sex

Muhammad forbade acting "like an animal" with one's wife, stating that a husband should instead take time to connect with her as a human being and engage in foreplay with her.[2][4] The husband is also responsible for satisfying the wife's need (i.e. bringing her to an orgasm) as part of a healthy marriage and to ensure the right of the wife.[4] During foreplay and intercourse, the husband is allowed to take pleasure from the wife's breast; in Hanafi school of thought it is permissible as long as no secretion (e.g. breast milk) is consumed during this act.[5] However, the majority of the scholars, including from Hanbali, Shafiʽi and Maliki schools of thought, have agreed that accidentally consuming breast milk will not affect the relationship between husband and wife.[6][7]

There are commentaries on touching the male genital by oneself in various narrations of Hadith. One example is the hadith of Basrah bint Safwaan, who heard Muhammad say: "Whoever touches his private parts, let him do wudoo (washing)."[lower-alpha 1][8] Hanafi jurists believe that touching the penis is not a shameful act in Islamic Law.[9] The Sahih Hadith of al-Muwatta Imam Muhammad argues that "The act is not impure". He emphasizes that "If the penis were vile or impure, it should be cut off from the body and thrown away". The Hadith claims that there is no difference between the penis and the other parts of body. However, there are also Sahih Hadith[10] which mentions the performing of ablution is compulsory after the touching of the sexual organ. These reports are related to the oft-cited report of Talq bin ؛Ali [b. al-Mundhir bin Qays], who said:

We were with the Apostle of God when a man, like a Bedouin, came to him and said: "Oh Apostle of God, what do you think about a man touching his penis after performing wudu?" Muhammad said: "What is it but a piece of your flesh?".

There is some disagreement about this report and, as noted above, the strongest evidence for making ablution after touching one's penis comes from Basrah bint Safwaan's account of Muhammad saying "Whoever touches his genitals, let him do wudoo’."

It is also reported that Muhammad said:

Whenever anyone of you makes water (urinates) he should not hold his penis or clean his private parts with his right hand.

— Sahih Bukhari, 1.4.156[11]

and

When anyone amongst you enters the privy he should not touch his penis with his right hand.

— Sahih Muslim, 2.0512[12]

Schools of thought (Madhhab) such as Shafiʽi and Hanbali consider fellatio as permissible but only as part of foreplay while all schools regard genital secretion as impure. Oral sex is preferred provided that secretion from the genitalia is not consumed and no injury or infliction made.[13] The consumption of semen is believed to be permissible by some scholars,[14][15] though the stronger view is that this is not allowed.[16] The mouth has to be rinsed afterwards to maintain cleanliness.[17] According to a fatwa written by Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-`Uthaymeen, the couple may then sleep in the bed in which semen was secreted since semen is seen as a pure substance under Islamic law; however, this is contingent upon the man's cleanliness. If the husband has not washed himself after urination and before oral sex then the semen will become unclean.[18][19]

According to alternative views, oral sex is only permitted as a way of stimulation and foreplay. If a husband has oral sex with his wife and ejaculates semen, then ghusl (purification bathing) is obligatory according to Islamic sexual hygienical jurisprudence. However, if he only releases madhy (pre-ejaculatory fluids) then wuḍū (ritual washing) alone is required, to wash the madhy away.

It is recommended to use a condom or dental dam before performing any form of oral sex.