سنن ابودوٗد · Hadith 2164

Narrated Abdullah Ibn Abbas: Ibn Umar misunderstood (the Quranic verse, "So come to your tilth however you will")--may Allah forgive him. The fact is that this clan of the Ansar, who were idolaters, lived in the company of the Jews who were the people of the Book. They (the Ansar) accepted their superiority over themselves in respect of knowledge, and they followed most of their actions. The people of the Book (i. e. the Jews) used to have intercourse with their women on one side alone (i. e. lying on their backs). This was the most concealing position for (the vagina of) the women. This clan of the Ansar adopted this practice from them. But this tribe of the Quraysh used to uncover their women completely, and seek pleasure with them from in front and behind and laying them on their backs. When the muhajirun (the immigrants) came to Madina, a man married a woman of the Ansar. He began to do the same kind of action with her, but she disliked it, and said to him: We were approached on one side (i. e. lying on the back); do it so, otherwise keep away from me. This matter of theirs spread widely, and it reached the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. So Allah, the Exalted, sent down the Quranic verse: "Your wives are a tilth to you, so come to your tilth however you will, " i. e. from in front, from behind or lying on the back. But this verse meant the place of the delivery of the child, i. e. the vagina.

Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020