Halal Sex

The Intimate Lives of Muslim Women in North America

By: Sheima Benembarek, Mona Eltahawy

Narrated by: Sheima Benembarek, Mona Eltahawy

*SHORTLISTED FOR THE QWF CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY FIRST BOOK PRIZE*

An unprecedented glimpse into the sex lives of female and gender-expansive Muslims living across Canada and the United States.

In the Muslim world, sex is permissible (or halal) only within the confines of marriage. Outside of wedlock, the act is considered haram, a sin of the faith. Girls are taught to protect their virginity; their mothers, if not forgoing “the talk” altogether, obscure the facts with elliptical language and metaphors.

So, what happens when immigrants and the children of immigrants set about pursuing an open and active sex life on a more sexually liberated continent, amid western peers and attitudes? The six deeply personal stories in Halal Sex attempt to answer this question, bringing a hushed conversation out into the open.

Within these pages you’ll meet Azar, a non-binary trans Sufi; Bunmi, a Nigerian navigating shame and Tinder; Eman, a lesbian stand-up comic in an interfaith marriage; Taslim, a virgin in her forties struggling to erect healthy boundaries; and Khadijah, an exotic dancer and sex worker.

With great empathy, Sheima Benembarek makes space for the honesty and vulnerability of each participant and handles their stories with gentleness and care. What emerges is a tapestry of a diverse Islam—encompassing a wide variety of cultural and religious and socioeconomic backgrounds—and a frank, feminist contribution to the advancement of Muslim sexual education and pleasure.

©2023 Sheima Benembarek (P)2023 Viking

Critic reviews

“About halfway through this extraordinary book, one participant reflects on what it was like growing up in a traditional and religious household, where topics such as sexuality, desire, and her changing body were never discussed. ‘Imagine if we talked about it rather than me having to Google things,’ she says. Through these six often hilarious and always inspiring stories, Halal Sex does just that: it pulls these vital conversations into the open. I loved every minute I spent reading this book.”—Robyn Doolittle, author of Had It Coming

“Halal Sex is an inspiring portrait of intimacy built on a remarkably intimate process. Through empathetic reportage and meticulously cultivated trust, Sheima Benembarek has made possible a frank, generous conversation about the pursuit of pleasure. The many voices in this book–including Benembarek’s own personal reflections–emerge distinctively, playfully, and joyfully as they name their desires. Halal Sex is a thrilling collaboration between writer and subject and a testament to the liberatory power of listening.”—Tajja Isen, author of Some of My Best Friends

“Each word of Halal Sex is a kind of transgression . . . Trenchant and urgent . . . brilliantly accomplished.”—Quill & Quire