Question 558 - The Enlightening Answer Across the Ether, Vol 6

Ahmed al-Hasan Response:

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, the Imams and the Mahdis, and grant them peace. A detailed account of what you asked is found in The Laws of Islam, which is published on the website of the Supporters of Imam al-Mahdi (a). As for the relationship between spouses, I explained it in an answer to an earlier question, and I will quote it for you; perhaps it will benefit you, Allah willing: ‘In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, the Imams and the Mahdis, and grant them peace. It is permissible for each spouse, husband or wife, to derive enjoyment from every part of the other spouse’s body with any part of his or her own body, at any time and in any place, if they mutually consent to that, apart from what we have mentioned as forbidden: vaginal sexual intercourse between them during the days of menstruation, and the husband’s anal intercourse with his wife without her consent. So I ask you not to follow restrictions and limits upon the sexual relationship between spouses that whims and opinions have established, or the attempt by those who claim jurisprudence to compel people who have differing sexual inclinations to conform to what those claimants themselves deem proper. Among the greatest recommended acts by which one draws near to Allah, Glorious and Exalted is He, is satisfying the sexual instinct of one’s spouse (the husband or the wife) as an act of seeking closeness to Allah, the Exalted, and in order to safeguard the spouse’s private parts. The reward for this matter is no less than the reward for acts of worship such as prayer and fasting. The spouses only need the intention: instead of having sex with one’s spouse merely to satisfy one’s own desire, one intends to satisfy the spouse’s need and safeguard the spouse’s private parts as an act of seeking closeness to Allah. In this way, the husband and the wife receive a reward by Allah’s favor upon them. Peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you.’ As for the situation you describe, since you have no surplus, khums is not obligatory upon you at this time. It is better for you, and conducive to increasing your provision, to designate a fixed day each year and pay khums on any surplus money you have on that day. May Allah grant you success and make your steps firm. Peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you. Ahmed Alhasan Muharram al-Haram / 1432 AH