Times to avoid intercourse?

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,

Firstly, it should be remembered that sexual intercourse and cohabitation with one’s spouse is generally permissible at all times, unless there is some a reason of prohibition, such as the time of prayer, or the woman being in a state of menstruation, etc.

  Transmitted Preferences

However, it has been reported from certain companions (sahaba) and predecessors the dislike to cohabit on specific times, and the preferment of other times.

For example, the great Hanafi faqih Imam Abu al-Layth al-Samarqandi (Allah have mercy on him) mentions in his work al-Bustan that the correct time for intercourse is the latter part of the night because the stomach is full during the earlier part of the night, and intercourse is detrimental on a full stomach. Intercourse would therefore be undesirable in the early hours of the night.  

It should be remarked here that, this undesirability is merely from a medical point of view, and it is not a ruling of Shari’ah (hukm shar’i). In fact it has been reported that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) cohabited at various times of the day and night (as mentioned in works of hadith such as the Shama’il of Imam Tirmizi).

It has also been reported from some scholars that cohabitation should take place when there is a state of relaxation and temperamental balance in both spouses. Any form of tension, pressure, depression, etc... will dampen the pleasure.

The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) is reported to have advised Sayyiduna Ali (Allah be pleased with him) not to cohabit on the fourteenth night of every month, as the Shayatin appear in large numbers on this night, (Tibb al-Nabawi, I am unaware of the authenticity of this narration).

Some have mentioned that it is disliked to cohabit during the three nights of each month; the first, the last and the middle (fourteenth). This has also been narrated from Ali (Allah be pleased with him), (See: Rif`at al-Muslimin).

It has also been reported from Sayyiduna Ali (Allah be pleased with him) that he said in his advises (wasaya):  

“The result of conception due to intercourse on:

Monday night: is a child that will be a scholar of Islam

Tuesday night: a generous, big hearted child

Thursday night: an upright and God-fearing child

Friday night: a sincere child” (Rif’at al-Muslimin)

In conclusion, the above are some of the guidelines reported from Sayyiduna Ali (Allah be pleased with him) and others with regards to which night one should (or shouldn’t) engage in sexual intercourse. [It should be noted, however, that virtually all the poetry transmitted from Sayyiduna Ali (Allah be pleased with him) is not authentically established with proper chains of narration.]

Given such transmitted preferences, one should not object or consider baseless what some books mention in terms of times to have marital relations and times to avoid them. However, these preferences are based on either experience, wisdom, or personal judgments. They do not constitute a legal ruling regarding the likedness or dislikedness of these times and circumstances.

It is obvious that this is not something which is a fundamental part of the teachings of Islam; rather some of these things have been mentioned based on experience. Therefore, it is necessary that they should not be given the importance to the level of other major aspects of Shari’ah.

As far as the man washing the wife’s feet and then sprinkling it is concerned, I personally have not come across it in a reliable book.

And Allah knows best

Muhammad ibn Adam al-Kawthari, UK