Exploring Purity And Sexuality In Muslim Communities

As part of HuffPost Live's Deep Dive series on sex and religion, host Nancy Reed spoke with Muslim leaders and authors to unpack some of the myths about what the Quran says about pleasure.

Asra Nomani, author of Standing Alone, shared her personal story of having sex and getting pregnant before marriage -- which she said proved to be a positive and empowering experience in her life. The author said she was able to overcome the stigma that is often attached to sexual experience outside of wedlock and she continues to embody her faith by being a good mother and a compassionate person.

"My interpretation of Islam is that sex is a personal matter between ourselves and our partner and that it's not for other people to judge," Nomani said. "This is something that I have personally had to carry myself. [...] I personally chose that I was not going to live my life with a sense of shame."

To learn more about sexuality in Islam watch the full clip above.

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