Having SEX with multiple wives or multiple slave girls at the same time in Islam

In Islamic teachings, the permissibility of sexual intimacy involving more than one wife or slave woman at the same time has been debated by Muslim scholars. The key factor discussed in classical Islamic jurisprudence is whether their private parts (from the navel to the knees) are visible to each other during such intimacy.

Here is the summary of Scholarly Opinions (for Wives):

• Permissible (Halal): According to some scholars, it is allowed as long as the wives do not see each other's private parts.

• Mildly Disliked (Karāhat Tanzīhiyyah): Some scholars consider it discouraged but not sinful if done discreetly.

• Forbidden (Harām): Others deem it completely prohibited due to issues of modesty and morality.

However, if either wife is uncomfortable, even if the husband insists, she has the right to decline without being considered disobedient.

The largest Islamic Website IslamWeb.Net writes:

^{الإجابــة}

^{الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله، وعلى آله وصحبه، أما بعد:}

^{فلا مانع من أن ينام الرجل بين زوجتيه أو يقبل إحداهما أمام الأخرى أو يحتضنها والأفضل ترك ذلك -أي التقبيل والاحتضان-، وأما الجماع فإن كان بحيث تظهر العورة أمام الأخرى، أو قصد به الإيذاء فيحرم وإلا فهو مكروه وهذا مذهب جمهور الفقهاء رحمهم الله تعالى.}

^{قال الكمال بن الهمام في فتح القدير: ويكره وطء إحداهما بحضرة الأخرى فلها أن لا تجيبه إذا طلب. انتهى.}

^{وقال الإمام الشربيني رحمه الله تعالى في مغني المحتاج: قال الشيخان: كره أن يطأ إحداهما بحضرة الأخرى، لأنه بعيد عن المروءة، وظاهره كراهة التنزيه، وبه صرح المصنف في تعليقه على التنبيه، وقضية كلام جماعة تحريم ذلك، وصرح به القاضي أبو الطيب، وصوبه الأذرعي، وقال إنه مقتضى نصه في الأم لما في ذلك من سوء العشرة وطرح الحياء. انتهى.}

^{ويمكن الجمع بينهما بأن يكون محل التحريم إذا كانت إحداهما ترى عورة الأخرى، ولو طلب الزوج ذلك وامتنعت لم يلزمها الإجابة، ولا تصير ناشزة بالامتناع قاله الشيخان مع قولهما بكراهة الوطء في هذه الحالة. انتهى.}

^{وقال الرحيباني الحنبلي في مطالب أولي النهى: (و) كره (مباشرتها) أي: وطؤها (بحضرة الناس إن كان) أي الزوجان (مستورة العورة) لأنه دناءة (وإلا) يكونا مستوري العورة (حرم) عليه ذلك مع رؤية العورة، لحديث: "احفظ عورتك" (و) كره (تحدثهما بما جرى بينهما) ولو لضرتها (وحرمه) الشيخ عبد القادر الكيلاني في "الغنية". انتهى.}

^{والله أعلم.}

Question:

My husband has married a second wife, and he wants to know whether he is allowed to take a nap (qaylulah) with both wives at the same time, without having intercourse, with one lying to his right and the other to his left. May Allah reward you with all goodness.

Answer:

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, and companions.

There is no prohibition on a man sleeping between his two wives, or kissing one of them in front of the other, or embracing her. However, it is better to avoid kissing and embracing in front of the other wife.

As for sexual intercourse, if it involves the exposure of the private parts in front of the other wife, or if it is intended to cause harm (emotionally or psychologically), then it is haram (forbidden). Otherwise, it is discouraged (makrooh). This is the opinion of the majority of scholars.

Al-Kamal ibn al-Humam said in Fath al-Qadeer:

“It is disliked to have intercourse with one wife in the presence of the other. She (the witnessing wife) has the right to refuse if he asks for it.”

Imam al-Shirbini said in Mughni al-Muhtaj:

“The two Shaykhs (Imam Nawawi and al-Rafi’i) said: It is disliked to have intercourse with one wife in the presence of the other, because it contradicts proper etiquette. This appears to be a mild form of dislike (karāhat tanzeehi), and the author explicitly stated this in his commentary on al-Tanbih. However, some scholars considered it haram, including Qadi Abu al-Tayyib, and this was supported by al-Adhra’i. He said that this is in line with the opinion in al-Umm (by Imam Shafi’i), due to the indecency and loss of modesty it involves.”

A reconciliation between these views can be made by saying that it is haram if one wife can see the private parts of the other. If the husband demands this and the wife refuses, she is not required to comply, and she does not become disobedient (nashizah) by refusing. This was the view of the two Shaykhs, despite their opinion that the act is disliked.

Al-Ruhaybani, a Hanbali scholar, said in Matalib Uli al-Nuha:

“It is disliked for a man to have intercourse with his wife in front of others even if the private parts are covered, as this is considered disgraceful. However, if the private parts are uncovered and seen, then it is haram, based on the hadith: ‘Guard your private parts.’ It is also disliked to talk about what happens between spouses in intimacy, even to a co-wife. Sheikh Abdul Qadir al-Gilani ruled it as haram in his book al-Ghunyah.”

And Allah knows best.

According to Islam, naked breasts of women are not considered as private parts among themselves, but their private parts are only from navel to the knees. Moreover, please also remember that Islam prohibited slave women from wearing the Hijab and even kept their breasts naked in public (link). 

Intercourse with Multiple Slave Women at the Same Time in Classical Islamic Law?

In case of free wife, she may refuse if she is uncomfortable.

But what about a salve girl?

• If she is uncomfortable, is she also allowed to decline, despite her master demands it from her?

The things become complicated while Islam also allowed the master, if he got lust for the wife of his male slave, then he could take away the wife from his male slave for himself. 

Sahih Bukhari, Book of Nikah:

[ (25) Chapter: "Forbidden to you (for marriage) are: your mothers, your daughters..."]:

وَقَالَ أَنَسٌ: {وَالْمُحْصَنَاتُ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ} ذَوَاتُ الأَزْوَاجِ الْحَرَائِرُ حَرَامٌ إِلاَّ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ لاَ يَرَى بَأْسًا أَنْ يَنْزِعَ الرَّجُلُ جَارِيَتَهُ مِنْ عَبْدِهِ.

Anas said: The meaning of the Quranic verse: {وَالْمُحْصَنَاتُ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ} Married free women are forbidden to you except your married slave women that your right hands possess. But there is no problem if a man (i.e. the owner) takes his (married) female slave (for himself) from his male slave.

Grade: Sahih (Shuaib al'Arnauut)

And Ibn Hajar al-Asqallani wrote in his commentary of Sahih Bukhari (link):

وفي رواية الكشميهني جارية ( من عبده ) وصله إسماعيل القاضي في كتاب " أحكام القرآن " بإسناد صحيح من طريق سليمان التيمي عن أبي مجلز عن أنس بن مالك أنه قال في قوله تعالى والمحصنات : ذوات الأزواج الحرائر إلا ما ملكت أيمانكم فإذا هـو لا يرى بما ملك اليمين بأسا أن ينزع الرجل الجارية من عبده فيطأها 

In the narration of Al-Kashmihani, there is a mention of a slave girl (who was wed with the male slave) that Isma'il al-Qadi included in his book "Ahkam al-Quran" with an AUTHENTIC chain of transmission through Sulaiman al-Taymi from Abu Majliz from Anas ibn Malik. Anas ibn Malik commented on the verse "And the married women" (in the Quran), saying it refers to free women with husbands, except for those whom your right hands possess (i.e., slave women). He explained that there is no issue if an owner takes a slave girl, who is a wife of his male slave and has intercourse with her.

Similarly, a master has so much authority that he can also give her as a gift to any of his brother or even to guests. 

Tafsir Dur-e-Manthur, under the commentary of verse 23:6:

وأخرج عبد الرزاق عن عطاء قال: كان يفعل يحل الرجل وليدته لغلامه، وابنه، وأخيه، وأبيه، والمرأة لزوجها، ولقد بلغني أن الرجل يرسل وليدته إلى ضيفه.

Abd al-Razzaq narrated on the authority of Ata’ that he said: It is a common practice that a man would made his slave girl Halal (permissible) to his slave, son, brother, and father. And the woman (made her slave girl permissible) to her husband.  Indeed, I have heard that a man would send his slave woman to his guest.

And mastrers have the authority to even swap their slaver girls with each other. 

Tafsir-e-Mazhari is a commentary of the Quran, which is taught in every Hanafi school. It is written under the commentary of verse 33:52 (Link):

Ibn Zayd said about this verse {وَلَآ أَن تَبَدَّلَ بِهِنَّ مِنْ أَزْوَٰجٍ nor to exchange your present wives for other women (Verse 33:52)} that people used to swap their wives during the era of ignorance ... upon that Allah revealed this verse and the swapping of wives is thus not allowed. But the slave women are not included in it, and you can swapp them and there is no issue in it.