How can a couple avoid self-gratification when one partner caresses the other's genitals, if it is permissible for the husband to masturbate his wife with his hand, and for the wife to masturbate her husband with her hand?

The Quranic verses and Prophetic traditions have clarified what is permissible and what is not permissible concerning sexual pleasure. Allah has negated blame for enjoying one's wife and slave-woman, and has clarified that anything beyond that in terms of sexual pleasure is considered transgression, indicating the prohibition of sexual enjoyment with anyone other than one's wife or slave-woman. The Sunnah (definition) excluded from permissible sexual enjoyment intercourse during menstruation and anal intercourse, both of which are forbidden.

Therefore, self-sexual enjoyment (masturbation) is forbidden, whether it involves foreplay with one's wife or is done independently, and whether or not it leads to the emission of semen. Men and women are equal in this regard.

It is not permissible to analogize forbidden foreplay with permissible foreplay, because this analogy contradicts the Quranic text and is termed "corruption of consideration" (fasad al-i'tibar). The scholar Al-Shinqiti mentioned that the verse: (But whoever seeks beyond that, then those are the transgressors) [23:7] by its apparent meaning includes one who has intercourse with his hand. It is not permissible to deviate from the apparent generality of the Quran except with evidence from the Book or the Sunnah.

One must submit to the rulings of Sharia (definition) and not oppose them with rational analogies; for "the foot of Islam will not be firm except upon the back of submission and surrender."