I'm sure you're waiting with bated breath for "Sexual Ethics and Islam" by Kecia Ali. And if not, you should be. It will be available shortly in fine bookstores everywhere, insha'Allah, and if you don't have a fine bookstore near you, then get on over to Amazon. But its very title has sparked a curious line of thought.

If Muslims are to strive for moral excellence, I can't see how this would exclude intimate acts and relationships. Passages of the Qur'an would concur with this view, but the Qur'an also condones certain acts that would now be seen as morally repugnant (sex with slaves, sex with those who would now be considered underage), and condemns certain acts that many don't consider immoral in this day and age. Classical fiqh can complicate this issue, lending authority to ideas that now seem hopelessly outdated, if not repellent. There are arguments  to support the maintainance of tradition, and equally sound arguements to support change that is consistent with Qur'anic injunctions of justice, mercy, and respect for universal human dignity. So my question: how do we find the eternal ethical and moral principles that should guide us through the ages? Preserving the past for the sake of preserving the past isn't any more consistent with the Qur'an's teachings as change for the sake of change. In the bedroom and beyond, Muslims will need to separate fads from new moral insights, and outdated custom from established moral principles. It may be a mood killer, but before we turn down the lights, we're going to need to have a discussion on how to follow the straight path- even when it's strewn with discarded clothing.