STRIP-TEASING: ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE

[Strictly for the Married and Prospective Couples❤️]

Ibn Abdillah As-sudaisiy Al-Iloori

(Author, Halāl Sex and Intimacy)

In marriage, viewing of each other's nakedness by the married couple is halāl.

Viewing of each other's nakedness is something that would have been harām if the couple are not legally married. That is why it is harām not to lower one's gaze from those one is not legally married to. That is why it is harām to be viewing pornographic contents.

Sex is not just about the actual intercourse (penetration), feeding the eyes with the nakedness of a lawful spouse is fun.

If the nakedness of the spouse of a person doesn't excite him or her or make any erotic meaning to him or her, he or she might need to check him or herself. The problem of not being moved by a spouse's nakedness could be due to some factors (e.g. marital discord, psychological problems etc.). But ordinarily, a man or woman should be moved by the nakedness of his or her spouse.

This topic is not in any way encouraging couples to be exposing each other's nakedness anyhow in the house. In fact, in most cases, couples should dress fully well for each other. One of the reasons why people lose interest in the nakedness of their spouses is how they expose it unnecessarily to the extent that it becomes valueless. The fact that someone is a niqābite or hijābite doesn't mean she should be appearing naked or half naked always in the house. Some women who wear khimār do feel the sky is their limit while at home. This is wrong. Couples should dress well for each other at home and avoid excessive exposure of their nakedness.

Lack of attraction of the nakedness of a spouse can also be as a result of exposure to pornographic contents. When a man or woman has seen varieties of nakedness of the opposite gender illegally, the legal nakedness may not move him or her any longer. It can also be as a result of the husband or wife not taking good care of him or herself in ways that he or she can be attractive to his or her wife or husband.

Islām has taught us to lower our gaze and guard our modesty. People who keep their eyes away from men or women that are unlawful to them, are likely to be protected from the fitnah of finding their spouse unattractive.

One of the ways couples can enjoy themselves legally once in a while is to play and strip naked for each other in their private rooms. This is one of the best forms of foreplay that may or may not even lead to penetrative sex.

Instead of seeking pleasure in the clubs or internet to watch opposite sex unlawfully stripping naked, a man or woman can request this from his or her spouse and enjoy it in a halāl way.

Anyone who seeks any form of sexual gratification in a halāl way will be rewarded, just as he or she would have incurred sins if he or she does it in a harām way. This shows that things that are ordinarily harām when done unlawfully will be halāl when done lawfully.

All the erotic topics discussed in the book *Halāl Sex and Intimacy* are very important in a marriage. They shouldn't be looked down upon. The book is only meant for couples to read within themselves, understand and practice in order to improve their relationships.

Some people know some of these tips even before reading Halāl Sex and Intimacy. But many people don't know some of these things. I also didn't know them before. It was my research that exposed them to me, and I felt I shouldn't keep them to myself. Alhamdulillah, many homes have benefited immensely from the book.

The scholars have held that virtually all of the hadiths often mentioned on the prohibition of stripping fully naked for halāl sex are dha'eef (weak). They can't be used to prohibit the act of stripping naked for one's spouse. No one has the right to say something is harām without clear and unambiguous evidence from the Qur'ān or Sunnah.

The majority of the scholars of the major Islamic schools of jurisprudence opine that it is permissible to strip naked in front of one's spouse, whether during sex or as a form of entertainment.

The minority represented by the Hambalis are of the view that it is makrūh (detested). But none of the hadiths they rely upon is sahih (authentic). One of such hadiths was narrated by 'Abdullāh ibn Mas’ūd رضي الله عنه who said the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

When one of you goes in unto his wife, let him cover and not be naked like donkeys [ See al-Tabarāni in al-Mu'jam al-Kabeer, 10/196, Al-Bayhaqi, classed this hadith as dha'eef (weak) (7/193). Its isnād includes Mandal ibn 'Ali, who is dha'eef]

What is very clear on this matter is that it is halāl for spouses to look and touch any part of each other’s body, subject to specific exceptions spelt out by the sharī’ah (e.g. anal sex, sex during menses or post child birth’s bleeding etc.).

In a very clear hadith, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

Cover your ‘awrah except from your wife and those whom your right hand possesses. [Narrated and classed as hasan by al-Tirmidhi, 2794; Ibn Mājah, 1920; Classed as hasan by Sheikh al-Albāni رحمه الله in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi]

It is however important to note that stripping naked alone in the house without any justifiable reason is disliked. In this same hadith where it is permitted for a spouse to expose their nakedness to their partner, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

Allāh is more deserving that you should feel shy before Him than people. [See al-Tirmidhi, 2794; Ibn Mājah, 1920]

The cumulative effect of the hadith of ‘Āishah رضي الله عنها and Maymūnah رضي الله عنها is that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was uncovered and they saw him, because in Maymūnah’s report, she said:

ثمَّ أدخل يَدَهُ فِي الإِنَاءِ ثمَّ أفرغ به على فرجه وغسله بشماله

....then, he (dipped his hand into the vessel then poured water over his private parts and washed them with his left hand.

Therefore, there is no opinion that can negate this clear textual evidence. Ibn Hazm رحمه الله said, it is strange that some people opine that spouses can have sexual intercourse, but can’t look at each other’s private parts [Al-Muhalla, 9/165]

Sheikh al-Albāni رحمه الله said:

Forbidding to look is a means of forbidding that which may lead to harām intercourse. If Allāh has permitted a husband to have intercourse with his wife, how can it make sense that He would forbid him to look at her private parts? No way! [Al-Silsilah al-Da’eefah, 1/353]

However, on whether it is permissible or not to recite the Qur’ān in a state of nakedness, majority of scholars hold that it is wājib to avoid being naked while reciting the Qur’ān. They said it is wrong to be naked while addressing Allāh.

It was mentioned that Abul-‘Āliyah رحمه الله used to wear a turban as well as his finest attire and face the Qiblah (direction of prayer) before reciting the Qur’ān.

Imām Mālik رحمه الله used to wear the best of his clothes, use the best of perfumes, and sit calmly when he wanted to read Hadith of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.

All these show that it is more appropriate to remember Allāh while dressing properly. This is out of shyness towards Allāh. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

الله أحق أن يستحيى منه

Allāh is worthier [has more right] to be shy from Him than from people. [Abu Dāwud, Ibn Mājah, At-Tirmidhi and Ahmad]

.....Read more in Halāl Sex and Intimacy