Source: Fatāwā ʿUlamāʾ-e-Ḥadīth, Kitāb al-Ṣalāh, Volume 1
Is it permissible for a man to have intercourse with his wife in the anus (i.e., from the back passage)? And if someone does so, is there any expiation (kaffārah) for it?
In Islam, intercourse with one’s wife through the anus is strictly ḥarām (forbidden). The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has declared such a person accursed (malʿūn).
The Prophet ﷺ said:
«مَلْعُونٌ مَنْ أَتَى امْرَأَتَهُ فِي دُبُرِهَا»
“Cursed is the one who approaches his wife from her anus.”
[Sunan Abū Dāwūd, Ḥadīth 2162 – Graded ḥasan in Ṣaḥīḥ Abū Dāwūd]
Another ḥadīth states:
«لا يَنْظُرُ اللَّهُ إِلَى رَجُلٍ أَتَى رَجُلا أَوْ امْرَأَةً فِي الدُّبُرِ»
“Allah will not look at a man who has intercourse with a man or with a woman through the anus.”
[Sunan al-Tirmidhī, Ḥadīth 1166 – Graded ḥasan in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Tirmidhī]
There is no prescribed expiation (kaffārah) for this act in Islamic law. Instead, the only way to expiate is through sincere repentance (tawbah). This entails:
◈ Immediate cessation of the act
◈ Sincere regret out of fear of Allah
◈ Firm resolve never to repeat the sin again
Allah says in the Qur’an:
"وَإِنِّى لَغَفَّارٌ لِمَن تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا ثُمَّ اهْتَدَى"
“Indeed, I am ever-forgiving to those who repent, believe, and do righteous deeds, then remain guided.”
[Sūrah Ṭāhā: 82]
When asked about this issue, Shaykh Ibn Bāz said:
“It is a major sin (kabīrah) and among the most heinous of transgressions. However, there is no specific expiation in the Sharīʿah for it. Sincere repentance is its only expiation.”
[Fatāwā Islāmiyyah, Vol. 3, p. 256]
◈ A wife has the full right to refuse her husband’s request if he demands intercourse through the anus.
◈ If the husband persists, she has the right to seek annulment (fasakh al-nikāḥ) of the marriage.
Imām al-Buhūtī رحمه الله said:
“If a man engages in anal intercourse, the Islamic judge may punish him with a taʿzīr (disciplinary punishment), since it is a sin for which there is neither ḥadd nor kaffārah.”
[Kashshāf al-Qināʿ, Vol. 5, p. 190]
Many people assume that if a sin has no designated expiation, then it must be a minor one. This is incorrect. Some sins are so grave that no expiation has been prescribed for them.
Imām Mālik رحمه الله said about false oaths (yamīn ghamūs) that they are so severe that no expiation suffices for them.
Wallāhu Aʿlam bi al-Ṣawāb
And Allah knows best what is correct.
❖ Question:
Is it permissible for a man to have intercourse with his wife in the anus (i.e., from the back passage)? And if someone does so, is there any expiation (kaffārah) for it?
❖ Answer:
In Islam, intercourse with one’s wife through the anus is strictly ḥarām (forbidden). The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has declared such a person accursed (malʿūn).
❖ In Light of the Qur’an and Hadith
The Prophet ﷺ said:
«مَلْعُونٌ مَنْ أَتَى امْرَأَتَهُ فِي دُبُرِهَا»
“Cursed is the one who approaches his wife from her anus.”
[Sunan Abū Dāwūd, Ḥadīth 2162 – Graded ḥasan in Ṣaḥīḥ Abū Dāwūd]
Another ḥadīth states:
«لا يَنْظُرُ اللَّهُ إِلَى رَجُلٍ أَتَى رَجُلا أَوْ امْرَأَةً فِي الدُّبُرِ»
“Allah will not look at a man who has intercourse with a man or with a woman through the anus.”
[Sunan al-Tirmidhī, Ḥadīth 1166 – Graded ḥasan in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Tirmidhī]
❖ Expiation for This Sin According to the Scholars
There is no prescribed expiation (kaffārah) for this act in Islamic law. Instead, the only way to expiate is through sincere repentance (tawbah). This entails:
◈ Immediate cessation of the act
◈ Sincere regret out of fear of Allah
◈ Firm resolve never to repeat the sin again
Allah says in the Qur’an:
"وَإِنِّى لَغَفَّارٌ لِمَن تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا ثُمَّ اهْتَدَى"
“Indeed, I am ever-forgiving to those who repent, believe, and do righteous deeds, then remain guided.”
[Sūrah Ṭāhā: 82]
❖ Fatwā of Shaykh Ibn Bāz رحمه الله
When asked about this issue, Shaykh Ibn Bāz said:
“It is a major sin (kabīrah) and among the most heinous of transgressions. However, there is no specific expiation in the Sharīʿah for it. Sincere repentance is its only expiation.”
[Fatāwā Islāmiyyah, Vol. 3, p. 256]
❖ Wife’s Rights and Her Right to Refuse
◈ A wife has the full right to refuse her husband’s request if he demands intercourse through the anus.
◈ If the husband persists, she has the right to seek annulment (fasakh al-nikāḥ) of the marriage.
❖ Scholars' Opinions
Imām al-Buhūtī رحمه الله said:
“If a man engages in anal intercourse, the Islamic judge may punish him with a taʿzīr (disciplinary punishment), since it is a sin for which there is neither ḥadd nor kaffārah.”
[Kashshāf al-Qināʿ, Vol. 5, p. 190]
❖ Clarification of a Common Misconception
Many people assume that if a sin has no designated expiation, then it must be a minor one. This is incorrect. Some sins are so grave that no expiation has been prescribed for them.
Imām Mālik رحمه الله said about false oaths (yamīn ghamūs) that they are so severe that no expiation suffices for them.
Wallāhu Aʿlam bi al-Ṣawāb
And Allah knows best what is correct.
