Sex and Islam
• Amorous Scholarship
From a review of Sexual Ethics and Islam: Feminist Reflections on Qur’an, Hadith, and Jurisprudence:
“There is comparatively little on female homoeroticism in Qur’an, hadith [the sayings of the Prophet Mohammed] or interpretive texts,” writes Kacia Ali, a professor of religion at Boston University, in her book Sexual Ethics and Islam. “Several factors contribute to the silence… . Perhaps the most important is simply that many legal effects of sex depend on penetration by a penis.” …
Amusingly, the book also reveals the role of medieval Islamic scholars as sex gurus — the Dr. Ruths of their age. For instance, Abu Hamid al-Ghazali wrote much about the importance of foreplay in the 11th century. “The husband should not be preoccupied with his own satisfaction,” the sage advised. “Simultaneity in the moment of orgasm is more delightful to her.”