Habeeb Akande Islamic Erotic Literature 6 May 2016

Islamic Erotic Literature:

An Introduction to Arab-Muslim Erotology
Habeeb Akande (author of A Taste of Honey: Sexuality and Erotology in Islam)

Conference Presentation at Words of Desire: The Language of Arabic Erotica and its Translations at
Institut du Monde Arabe (Arab World Institute), Paris, France on 6 May 2016

Summary: Developed in ninth century Arabia, ilm al-bah (art of coition), is a multidisciplinary
literary genre dedicated to erotology (the study of sexual desire and the art of lovemaking),
intermingling various religious, philosophical and medical concepts. The Arabic erotology
literary genre is made up of four distinct sub-genres: medical themed, sexually arousing
themed, philosophy themed and Islamic themed.1 Much of the Arab-Muslim erotic writers
were religiously-trained scholars, social commentators and sexual therapists of their day,
sharing their personal experiences and observations relating to sexual behaviour. The
Islamic erotic treatises were pietistic attempts by Muslim writers to educate, and at times
entertain, their readers about the Divine blessing of sexuality. This paper presents the
history of the Islamic erotic literature tradition, its sources and the reasons for its
disappearance in the late nineteenth century.

Keywords: sexuality, Qur’an, Islam, erotology, erotic literature, sexology, ‘ilm al-bah, Arabic
erotica

                                                            
1
Franke, Patrick, ‘Before scientia sexualis in Islamic cultures between erotology, medicine and pornography’ in Social
Identities: Journal for the Study of Race, Nation and Culture, Volume 18, Issue 2, pp. 161-173, 2012.

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Going right back to the time of the Prophet Muhammad, there is a rich tradition in Islam of
talking frankly about sex: not just its problems, but also its pleasures, and not just for men,
but also for women. A thousand years ago, Muslims scholars wrote comprehensive
dictionaries of sex and Arabic erotica to cover every conceivable sexual feature, position and
preference. Many of the Arab-Muslim erotic writers were religiously-trained scholars, social
commentators and sexual therapists of their day, sharing their personal experiences and
observations relating to sexual behaviour. The Islamic erotic treatises were pietistic attempts
by Muslim writers to educate, and at times entertain, their readers about the Divine blessing
of sexuality. This paper presents the history of the Islamic erotic literature tradition, its
sources and the reasons for its disappearance in the late nineteenth century.

What is Erotology and ͑ilm al-bāh (Art of Coition)?

Erotology is defined as the study of sexual desire and the art of lovemaking. Etymologically, it
is derived from the Greek word ‘eros,’ meaning sexual desire, and the suffix ‘ology’ meaning
a ‘subject of study’ or ‘a branch of knowledge.’ The study of sex and sexuality can be traced
back to ancient Greece from the works of Hippocrates, Plato and Aristotle. Arguably the most
prominent work in antiquity on the subject of eros is Plato’s Symposium, which is a discussion
among the students of Socrates on the nature of eros. Indian philosopher Mallinaga
Vatsyayana’s third century erotic manual, the Kama Sutra, is generally considered the
standard book on erotology. Vatsyayana was a compiler as much as an author, drawing
sources from the vast body of Hindu erotology. Indeed the Kama Sutra is a religious treatise
from a Hindu perspective written to advise people about the ethics and art of sexual love.
Greek philosophers Galen and Soranus further advanced and systematised ancient sexual
knowledge, which later motivated Arabic speaking Muslim and Christian writers to write
extensively about the art of lovemaking and the spiritual joys of physical ecstasy.
Developed in ninth century Arabia, the erotological discipline of the art of coition ( ͑ilm
al-bāh) is a precursor to the modern western sexual science of sexology. ͑Ilm al-bāh is a
multidisciplinary literary genre dedicated to the study and description of sexual love,
intermingling various religious, philosophical and medical concepts. The technical definition of
͑ilm al-bāh, as defined by sixteenth century, Ottoman scholar Ṭāsh Kubrī:

I͑ lm al-bāh is the scientific study of treatments related to sexual

potency from food aphrodisiacs, medical stimulants and
stimulants to enhance sexual potency and pleasure. The
science also includes the study of penis enlargements, and
vaginal rejuvenation, the two important organs for sexual
pleasure, as well as other actions related to it.
From amongst these actions are; descriptions of sex
positions and its etiquettes, which are the pathway to attaining
sexual pleasure and pregnancy. Some of the erotologists
related many difficult sex positions which are practically
impossible to perform. Erotologists also furnished their treatises
with anecdotes to arouse the sexual desire for people who have
weak sexual desire or those who are impotent in order that
people would not despair [from a lack of sexual performance].”2
                                                            
2
Al-Ḥasanī al-‘Ulwii, Abd Allah ibn Ahmad, Nuzhah al-Nufūs fīmā yușliḥ lil'arīs wa al'arūs, Dār al-‘Arabiyyah al-muwasswiāt
Beirut, 2011, p. 8

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In the seventeenth century Muṣṭafā ibn ͑Abdullāh known as Ḥājī Khalīfah (d. 1656)
listed over a dozen Arabic, Persian and Turkish books belonging to the Arab-Muslim
erotological tradition in his encyclopaedia Kashf al-ẓanūn. British professor Daniel Newman
enumerated one hundred and twenty-five erotological treatises from the Arab-Muslim tradition
in the appendix to his study of Arab aphrodisiacs in the Middle Ages.3
The influence of Greek philosophy on the development of ͑ilm al-bāh is evident in the
Arab erotologists’ numerous references to Greek physicians and philosophers in their
treatises.4 Arab-Muslim erotologists not only assimilated ancient Greek theories in their works,
but they expanded and developed them.5 Where they excelled was in their use of language in
their description of the art of lovemaking. Classical Arabic is rich in its use of rhetoric and
sexual euphemisms which the Arabic speaking erotologists made frequent use of in vividly
describing the joys of sexual pleasure.

Arab-Muslim Erotology Sub-Genres

Patrick Franke explores the evolution of the Arab-Muslim erotology tradition in his essay,
‘Before Scientia Sexualis in Islamic Culture’. Franke argues that the ͑ilm al-bāh literary genre
is made up of two distinct sub-genres: works with medical themes and those whose themes
are (pornographic) sexually arousing.6 The main difference between these two forms is that
the medical works placed greater emphasis on preparing the body physically for intercourse,
whilst the sexually arousing works focused on psychological ways to arouse sexual desire.7
Arguably there are two other sub-genres within the ilm al-bāh tradition that differed from the
two sub-genres Franke identified: works with a philosophical theme and those from an Islamic
(traditionalist) perspective. The former were largely derived from the theories of Graeco-
Roman and Indian philosophers. In contrast, the latter are largely based upon Islamic sources:
the Qur ͗ān, prophetic traditions (Sunnah) and reports (akhbār) of the first three generations of
Muslims known as the pious predecessors (salaf al-ṣāliḥ) in the compilation of their treatises.8

Islamic Erotology
Also known as traditionalist-themed erotology, Islamic erotology is a sub-genre of the Arab-
Muslim ͑ilm al-bāh erotological literary genre. The origins of Islamic erotic literature date back
to ninth century Abbasid Baghdad, where, in educated circles, a fusion took place between
ancient Arab poetic traditions of amatory verses describing female beauty and the those
explicitly describing the art of lovemaking. The two main sources for traditional Islamic
erotology treatises are the Qur ͗ān and Sunnah (normative practice) of the Prophet
Muḥammad. When erotic literature is kept within the boundaries of the Sacred Law and
adheres to Islamic principles and teachings, it is a legitimate study for Muslims according to
Cambridge University Professor of Islamic studies, Timothy Winter. Traditional Muslim

                                                            
3
Newman, David The Sultan’s Sex Positions: Arab Aphrodisiacs in the Middle Ages, London: Saqi Books, 2014. pp. 163-174
4
Newman, 2014. p. 28
5
Newman, 2014, p. 32
6
Franke. 2012, pp. 161-173
7
Gutiérrez, Ramón A., ‘Islam and sexuality,’ a History Department, University of Chicago, Chicago, USA, Version of record
first published, in Social Identities: Journal for the Study, 22 Feb 2012. pp. 155-159
8
According to Professor Daniel Newman, one end of the spectrum of Arabic erotological treatises are belles-lettres (adab)
works in which the erotic fictional component predominates, as in the works of al-Jāḥiẓ and as-Suyūṭī. On the other end are
treatises which deal with erotology from a scientific (medical) perspective, such as those by Ibn Sīnā, al-Jazzār, Qusṭā ibn Lūqā
and aṭ-Ṭūsī. Newman, 2014, p. 38.

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erotologists also made use of non-Muslim sources in their treatises, providing that they were
beneficial and their content was in line with Islamic principles.9

Qur ͗ān

“And it is of Allah’s signs that He created for you spouses from

among yourselves, that you may find peace in them; and He
has placed between you love and mercy.”10

The Qur ͗ān is the foundation of Islamic erotology, as is the case for all traditional Islamic
sciences. Although the main theme of the Qur ͗ān is the relationship between Allah and His
creation, it deals with various aspects of human beings’ lives such as wisdom, doctrine,
worship and law. It also provides guidelines for a just society, an equitable economic system
and proper human sexual conduct. The Qur ͗ān never uses basic, crude or even objective
terms when describing licit or illicit sex; when it is lawful and desirable, sex is described in
appealing terms, but when it is forbidden, the words used imply strong disapproval.11 Indeed
in the Qur ͗ān, Allah says, “Our Lord is He who gives each thing its created form and then
guides it.”12 Commenting on this Qur'anic verse (āyat), esteemed companion of the Prophet
and Qur'anic exegesist Ibn ͑Abbās said that “guides it” refers to sexual intercourse. Qur'anic
scholar and student of Ibn ͑Abbās, Sa ͑īd ibn Jubayr, said the guidance refers to “how a man
should have intercourse with a woman.”13

Sunnah
Although the Qur ͗ān is the unrivalled supreme revelation of Islam, the Sunnah (normative
practice) of the Prophet Muḥammad is recognised as a second form of Divine revelation. The
Muslim's obedience to the Messenger of Allah is akin to obedience to Allah as the Qur ͗ān
states, “Whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah.”14 And, “Whatever the Messenger
gives you you should accept and whatever he forbids you, you should forgo.”15
When it came to the matters of the flesh, the Prophet had left the faithful in no doubt:
“My way is the way of marriage.”16 And he taught his Companions that “In the sexual act of
each of you there is a charity. If someone acts on their sexual desire lawfully, Allah will
reward them.”17 To the great gratitude of later generations, he bequeathed guidance on the
importance of foreplay and mutual consideration during sex, stressing particularly that a
husband should not “lie with a woman and satisfy his need from her before she has satisfied
her need from him.”18
Traditional Muslim scholars regarded the life of the Prophet as the living embodiment
of the Qur ͗ān. Thus, his actions, speech and endorsement are studied in great detail to
understand Allah’s command and prohibition, even in private matters such as sexual relations.
The Prophet's life was the inspiration and source of many of the early Muslim erotic writers as
                                                            
9
http://islamqa.org/hanafi/qibla-hanafi/43523
10
Qur ͗ān 30: 21
11
Abdel Haleem, M. A. S., ‘Euphemism in the Qur’an: A Case Study of Marital Relations as Depicted in Q. 2:222-3,’ in
Journal of Qur’anic Studies, Volume 13, 2011, p. 129
12
Qur ͗ān 20: 50
13
As-Ṣuyūṭī, Jalal ad-Din (Edited by Jūrj Kadr), Fann al-Nikaah fii turaath shaykh al-Islam Jalaal al-Diin al-Suyuti, Vol 1 –
Fann al-Nikah fi al-Qur’an al-Karim wa al-Hadith al-Sharif wa al-Athar wa funun al-Zina wa al-Gunij wa mula’aba wa al-Juma’,
Beirut: Atlas Publishing, 2011. p. 64.
14
Qur ͗ān 4: 80
15
Qur ͗ān 59: 7
16
Ibn Mājah, Abū ‘Abdullāh Muḥammad. Sunan Ibn Mājah. Riyadh: Dār as-Salām, 1999. no. 1846
17
Ibn al-Ḥajjāj, Muslim al-Qushayrī. Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim. Beirut: Dār Iḥyā’ at-Turāth al-‘Arabī, 2000. no. 1006
18
As-Suyūṭī, 2011, p. 153

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the great Egyptian polymath Jalāl ad-Dīn as-Suyūṭī said, “The Prophet was meticulous in his
sexual relations, and he ordered his example to be followed.”19 Lacklustre lovemaking is
positively un-Islamic according to many of the early Muslims in which the Prophet informed
them that a husband who performs insufficient foreplay and doesn’t bother to satisfy his wife's
sexual needs was failing to live a virtuous life.20 “Let none of you come upon his wife like an
animal, and let there be an emissary between them,” the Prophet said. “What is this emissary,
O Messenger of Allah?” a follower asked. “The kiss and [sweet] words,” the Prophet said.21
Fourteenth century theologian Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah said, “Concerning sexual
intercourse and marriage, the guidance of the Prophet is the most complete, and by it health
is preserved and the soul’s gladness is complete, and the aims for which it was instituted are
attained.”22
The ḥadīth (tradition) of Jabir23 was regarded as the foundation of Islamic erotology
according to many of the Muslim erotologists as as-Suyūṭī wrote, “Some erotologists said, ‘If
there wasn’t a section on erotology except the ḥadīth of Jābir it would have been sufficient in
its comprehensiveness. It has the following benefits:
1) It teaches good treatment of spouses;
2) Encourages the desire to learn something from the Chosen One (i.e. Messenger of
Allah);
3) It emphasises the duty to study a topic and learn from the wisdom of people who
excelled in sexual matters;
4) And emphasises the duty of spreading and teaching, making knowledge clear,
exhorting people and urging them to conduct themselves well.’”24

Non-Muslim sources
On the basis of the words of the Prophet, “Wisdom is the lost property of the believer, so
wherever he finds it then he has a right to it.”25 Muslim medieval writers such as as-Suyūṭī
and Ibn Nāṣir made use of the works of both Muslim and non-Muslim scholars in their
investigation of human sexuality. Traditionalist Muslim erotic writers frequently cited ancient
Greek and Indian philosophers and physicians in their works, but would ultimately rely upon
the Qur ͗ān and Sunnah for determining the morals and ethics of human sexual behaviour.
Their message was clear: sex is a gift from the Creator, and we are supposed to enjoy it! The
prayer of as-Suyūṭī in one of his sex manuals demonstrates this;

                                                            
19
As-Ṣuyūṭī, Abū Faḍl ‘Abd ar-Raḥmān. Tafsīr ad-Durr al-Manthūr. Beirut: Dār el-Fikr, 2009. p. 20
20
El Feki, Shereen, Sex and the Citadel: Intimate Life in a Changing Arab World, London: Vintage, 2014. p.
21
As-Suyūṭī, 2011, p. 154
22
Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya, (translated by Penelope Johnstone), Medicine of the Prophet, Cambridge: The Islamic Texts
Society, 1998. pp. 181-182
23
The ḥadīth of Jābir - Jābir ibn ͑Abdullāh reported that when he was on his way back to Madīnah with the Prophet a from an
expedition, he began to hurry his mount. The Messenger of Allah a asked him why he was in such a hurry to return home. Jābir
replied, “I recently married!” The Prophet asked, “To a widow or a virgin?” to which he replied, “A widow.” The Prophet said, “But
why didn't you marry a virgin, so that you could play with her, and she could play with you?”23 Jābir replied, “Messenger of Allah!
My father died as a martyr at the Battle of Uḥud, leaving behind daughters, so I did not wish to marry a young lady like them, but
rather an older one who could take care of them.” The Messenger of Allah said, “You have made the correct choice.” Jābir
continued, “So when we were about to enter Madinah, the Prophet a said to me, ‘Slow down, and enter at night, so that she who
has not combed, may comb her hair, and she who has not shaved, may shave her private area.’ Then he a said to Jābir, ‘When
you enter upon her you should be gentle (kays)! Be gentle!’23 When we arrived back [in Madinah] in the evening, I [Jābir] said to
my wife, ‘The Messenger of Allah told me to behave gently.’ She replied ‘I hear and I obey.’ Then I slept with her until the morning.”
As-Suyūṭī, 2011, p. 153
24
As-Suyūṭī, 2011, p. 153
25
At-Tirmidhī, Abū ‘Īsā Muḥammad ibn ‘Īsā. Jāmi‘ at-Tirmidhī. Riyadh: Dār as-Salām, 1999. no. 2687.

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“May Allah grant glory and eternal salvation to those who

know how to stroke a soft cheek in an accomplished manner,
to give a just accolade to a slender waist, and to probe into
the sweetest vagina with a befitting skill.”

Nicknamed the jurist of love (faqīh al-ḥubb), as-Suyūṭī wrote at least twenty-three
treatises on various aspects of erotology.26 Like his predecessors, as-Suyūṭī’s role was more
of an editor and compiler than an original writer, drawing upon various sources in his treatises
about aphrodisiacs and female sexuality. Ibn Nāṣir was also concerned with female pleasure,
where he related the advice of Muslim and non-Muslim female authorities on sexuality, and
shows a fine appreciation of female physiology, giving detailed classifications of women's
libidos and types of orgasms. The sexual insatiability of women was a well-established theme
in many of the erotology treatises that preceded Ibn Nāṣir’s Encyclopedia of Pleasure in the
10th century. However, unlike many of its predecessors, Ibn Nāṣir did not try to curb the female
sex drive. Rather, he goes to great length to advise his male readers on how to fulfil it. It should
begin with unabashed romance - love letters "full of sweet words, nice poems," not to mention
patience, kindness, and tact, as well as the occasional gift. Further recommendations include
mastering the art of cunnilingus, French kissing, and post-orgasm cuddling.27

Decline of Erotology
The heyday of the Arab-Muslim erotological tradition was between the ninth and fourteenth
centuries, after which it tapered off considerably, with only a few isolated works in the
seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The nineteenth century marked the end of the literary
genre, which completely disappeared in the early twentieth century. Due to a puritanical
concept of modesty afflicting Muslims, sexual studies were soon regarded as taboo and seen
as shameful in many Muslim societies. Researchers have argued that the development of
Western science was at the root of the decay of erotology.28
The abolition of slavery has also been cited as a reason for the demise of erotology.
Classic Arabic erotological literature relied to a considerable extent on the institution of slave
concubinage, and erotologists may have taken for granted that their male readers had
concubines or could at least purchase one if they wanted. Since slavery was gradually
abolished in Muslim countries starting in the late nineteenth century, this avenue for the
practice of erotology teachings was no longer available. Professor Daniel Newman cited the
influence of Christian missionaries on Muslim sexual ethics as another cause for the decline
of erotology. The Victorian Christian understanding of morality soon became embedded in
Muslim societies and the discussion of sexual matters came to be considered taboo.29 Patrick
Franke concurred with this and said,

“Wherever the teachings of ͑ilm al-bāh have survived the

cataclysms caused by the Western intellectual invasion, they
have done so only in a filtered or transformed version. True, the
many commercial editions of classical bāh-books published in
the last year’s show that the textual products of this discipline
still have a public in Muslim countries today, but the recent
                                                            
26
Newman, 2014, p. 47.
27
El-Feki, 2014, p. 54
28
Franke, 2012, p. 169
29
Newman, 2014, p. 49.

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interest in this literature seems not to be a scientific one

anymore.”30

As the erotology tradition began to decline in the Muslim world, a new science
dedicated to the study of human sexuality (scientia sexualis) arose in nineteenth century
Europe. The concept of a theoretical scientific and scholarly effort devoted to sex was first
proposed by the Berlin dermatologist Iwan Bloch, who also coined the new term for
it: sexualwissenschaft, literally translated as sexual science but better translated as sexology.
Although often used interchangeably with sexology, erotology differs from it in several ways.
Proponents of sexology argue that sexology is an objective and scientific study of human
sexuality whereas erotology, they argue, is subjective and without scientific evidence. It can
be argued that erotology is superior as a discipline to sexology as it consists of both subjective
and objective study of human sexuality. Erotology encompasses the [sexologists’] scientific
research as well as the sacred knowledge, morals and ethics found in religious and
philosophical texts. Whereas sexology lacks the ethics and morality that erotologists derived
from religious and philosophical sources to gain a holistic understanding of human sexuality.

Conclusion
Inspired by Islam’s sacred sources and the works of ancient erotologists, the Arab-Muslim
erotology genre flourished spectacularly in the Muslim world prior to its eventual decline in the
nineteenth century after puritanical sentiments became common amongst the populace. There
was a strong demand for erotology in the pre-modern world, and the erotic writers’ sex
manuals responded to that demand in a systematic way. Unfortunately, not much is known
about the Islamic contribution to the study of sexuality, where very little of the Muslim
erotological literature has survived today. Perhaps the loss of sacred sensuality afflicting
*modern society can be reclaimed by a revival of the classic erotological tradition.

                                                            
30
Franke, 2012, p. 169

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References
Qur ͗ān

Abdel Haleem, M. A. S., ‘Euphemism in the Qur’an: A Case Study of Marital Relations as
Depicted in Q. 2:222-3,’ in Journal of Qur’anic Studies, Volume 13, 2011.

Akande, Habeeb, A Taste of Honey: Sexuality and Erotology in Islam, London: Rabaah
Publishers, 2015.

Al-Ḥasanī al-‘Ulwii, Abd Allah ibn Ahmad, Nuzhah al-Nufūs fīmā yușliḥ lil'arīs wa al'arūs, Dār
al-‘Arabiyyah al-muwasswiāt Beirut, 2011.

As-Ṣuyūṭī, Jalal ad-Din (Edited by Jūrj Kadr), Fann al-Nikaah fii turaath shaykh al-Islam
Jalaal al-Diin al-Suyuti, Vol 1 – Fann al-Nikah fi al-Qur’an al-Karim wa al-Hadith al-Sharif wa
al-Athar wa funun al-Zina wa al-Gunij wa mula’aba wa al-Juma’, Beirut: Atlas Publishing,
2011.

As-Ṣuyūṭī, Abū Faḍl ‘Abd ar-Raḥmān. Tafsīr ad-Durr al-Manthūr. Beirut: Dār el-Fikr, 2009.

At-Tirmidhī, Abū ‘Īsā Muḥammad ibn ‘Īsā. Jāmi‘ at-Tirmidhī. Riyadh: Dār as-Salām, 1999.

El Feki, Shereen, Sex and the Citadel: Intimate Life in a Changing Arab World. London:
Vintage, 2014.

Franke, Patrick, ‘Before scientia sexualis in Islamic cultures between erotology, medicine and
pornography’ in Social Identities: Journal for the Study of Race, Nation and Culture. Volume
18, Issue 2, pp. 161-173, 2012.

Gutiérrez, Ramón A., ‘Islam and sexuality,’ a History Department, University of Chicago,
Chicago, USA, Version of record first published, in Social Identities: Journal for the Study, 22
Feb 2012.

Ibn Mājah, Abū ‘Abdullāh Muḥammad. Sunan Ibn Mājah. Riyadh: Dār as-Salām, 1999.

Ibn al-Ḥajjāj, Muslim al-Qushayrī. Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim. Beirut: Dār Iḥyā’ at-Turāth al-‘Arabī, 2000.

Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya, (translated by Penelope Johnstone), Medicine of the Prophet.

Cambridge: The Islamic Texts Society, 1998.

Newman, David, The Sultan’s Sex Positions: Arab Aphrodisiacs in the Middle Ages. London:
Saqi Books, 2014.

http://islamqa.org/hanafi/qibla-hanafi/43523

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