❖ Source:
This fatwa is taken from the book “500 Questions & Answers for Women”, which includes the rulings of the ʿUlamāʾ of the Ḥaramayn and is translated by Ḥāfiẓ ʿAbdullāh Salīm.✿ Question:
Is the ruling the same regarding intercourse with a menstruating woman and intercourse through the woman’s back passage (anal intercourse), in that both are considered major sins? Can it be said that anal intercourse is a matter of scholarly disagreement and still considered a major sin, despite some arguments regarding the weakness of the evidence prohibiting it?
✿ Answer:
There is no doubt whatsoever that anal intercourse with a woman is among the major sins (kabāʾir).
As for the claim that the evidence regarding its prohibition is weak, then this weakness refers only to some of the individual chains of narration. However, the prohibition itself is clearly established from the Prophet ﷺ.
In fact, numerous authentic aḥādīth confirm that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ explicitly forbade intercourse in the back passage of a woman. Furthermore, he pronounced a curse upon the one who does it.
I have discussed some of these aḥādīth in my book:
“Ādāb al-Zifāf fī al-Sunnah al-Muṭahharah” (The Etiquettes of Marriage in the Purified Sunnah).
[Shaykh Muḥammad Nāṣir al-Dīn al-Albānī رحمه الله]✔ Summary:
- Intercourse with a menstruating woman and intercourse via the back passage are both prohibited.
- Anal intercourse is not just disliked or discouraged, but is considered a major sin, with clear textual evidence and authentic aḥādīth indicating prohibition and divine curse upon the perpetrator.
- Any claim about weak evidence refers only to some isolated narrators, not to the overall strength of the prohibition.
Conclusion:
Both actions are severe violations of Islamic law, and no practicing Muslim should engage in or tolerate them. Adhering to the clear boundaries set by Sharīʿah ensures not only obedience to Allah ﷻ but also physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being within marital life.
