What Every Muslim Adult Needs to Know

What Every Muslim Teenager and Adult Needs to Know About Sexuality

Everywhere in this society, sex, and sexuality are openly displayed for all to see. In this climate of free sex and loose moral standards, it becomes imperative for Muslim parents to be proactive in the sexual education of their children. Now, although for many of us, the thought of telling our children the whys, how, and where of the proper sexual behavior between a man and woman might make us cringe, when we think of the alternative, we'll see that we have no choice.

Sexual education is a phrase that is taboo for many Muslims. Part of the reason for this misunderstanding is that people who encourage fornication and sexual deviations are often the ones who teach sexual education in this society. How can a Muslim parent then not worry when schools and mass media portray fornication as sexual freedom, and homosexuality as an acceptable 'sexual orientation'?

But does this mean that Muslim parents and educators should choose that their children have no sexual education at all? The answer is no! Children will always receive some kind of sexual education, and even if you isolate them, they will still get it from other children! The correct attitude should be to give our children the right sexual education, one that is derived from the Qur'an and the Sunnah. It is therefore the obligation of every parent to be prepared to carry out this task, and to be able to do so in the best manner.
This few words will, Insha’Allah, present some guidance that may make the chore less stressful for all parties involved.

The Different Stages of Sexual Education

As a child goes through different developmental stages, his sexual education should too be planned in stages, and each lesson should be appropriate to the age of the child. Although children's maturity varies greatly at any given age, there are four main stages that most children go through:

7-10 Years: the Age of Discernment
At this age, the child should know the etiquette of entering the parents' room, and the rules concerning looking at others.

10-14 Years: Adolescence
At this age, the child should learn how to avoid sexual arousal, and should be protected from it.

14-16 Years: Puberty
It’s the time when the child should know the etiquette of sexual intercourse, if he or she is ready to get married in the near future.

16 and Above: Young Adults
The unmarried young men and women should learn sexual abstinence, and the dangers of adultery and fornication (zina).