Praise be to Allaah.
Zinaa, in Arabic, means immorality, and is used with two meanings
in shar’: a general meaning and a specific meaning.
The general meaning includes that which carries
the punishment (hadd) and that which does not carry it. Islam does not give
the name of zinaa only to that which carries the punishment, which is just one
of many types of zinaa. Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them both)
said: “I have never heard any better definition of ‘small faults’
[al-Najm 53:32] than that which Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him)
narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him): ‘Allaah has decreed for every son of Adam his share
of zinaa, and there is no way to escape from it. The zinaa of the eye is a glance,
the zinaa of the tongue is speaking, and the zinaa of the mind is wishing and
hoping; then the private part either acts upon this or it does not.’”
(Reported by al-Bukhaari, 11/26; Muslim, 4/2046).
Al-Bukhaari included this hadeeth in a chapter entitled Baab
zinaa al-jawaarih doon al-farj (Chapter on the zinaa of faculties other
than the private part).
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “Zinaa
is not always associated with the private part itself, but may involve other
faculties such as the eyes and so on.” Ibn Battaal (may Allaah have mercy
on him) said: “Looking and speaking are called zinaa because they lead
to real zinaa. This is why he said that the private part either acts upon this
or it does not”
Zinaa is one of the forbidden deeds, one of the most serious
major sins (kabaa’ir) after shirk and murder. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meanings):
“And those who invoke not any other god along with Allaah,
nor kill such life as Allaah has forbidden, except for just cause, nor commit
illegal sexual intercourse – and whoever does this shall receive the punishment.
The torment will be doubled to him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide
therein in disgrace; except those who repent and believe and do righteous deeds,
for those Allaah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allaah is Oft-Forgiving,
Most Merciful.” [al-Furqaan 25:68-70]
“And come not near to unlawful sexual intercourse. Verily,
it is a faahishah [anything that transgresses its limits – a great sin],
and an evil way (that leads one to Hell unless Allaah forgives him).” [al-Isra’
17:32]
Imaam al-Qurtubi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “The
‘ulama’ said that the phrase And come not near to unlawful sexual
intercourse is more eloquent than merely saying ‘Do not commit zinaa’,
because the meaning is, Do not even come close to zinaa.” This means not
doing any deed that may get close to zinaa or lead to it, such as being alone
with a member of the opposite sex, touching, looking, going to evil places,
speaking in a haraam manner to a woman to whom one is not related, thinking
about and planning immoral acts, and so on.
‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood said: “I
asked the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him), ‘Which sin is worst in the sight of Allaah?’
He said, ‘To make any rival to Allaah, when He has created you.’ I
asked, ‘Then what?’ He said, ‘To kill your child for fear that
he will eat with you.’ I asked, ‘Then what?’ He said, ‘To
commit zinaa with the wife of your neighbour.’” (Reported by
al-Bukhaari, 8/492; Muslim, 1/90).
All religions are agreed that zinaa is haraam; no religion
allows it. The punishment for zinaa is the most severe of punishments, because
it violates people’s honour and lineages.
The sin of zinaa may be of varying degrees,
and the gravity of the offence depends on the nature and circumstances of the
deed, although all zinaa is haraam, a major sin and an act of immorality. Zinaa
with a mahram [i.e., incest] (Allaah forbid) or with a married woman is far
worse than zinaa with a woman to whom one is not related or with an unmarried
woman, because it involves violating the rights of the husband, contaminating
his bed, attributing a child to him that is not his, and other kinds of offence
and harm. If her husband is a neighbour, the crime of being a bad neighbour
is added to the offence; if her husband is one's brother or relative, the crime
of breaking family ties is added. The Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: He will not enter Paradise whose
neighbour is not safe from his evil actions.” (Reported by Muslim,
1/68). There is no evil action worse than zinaa, and if the husband
is absent for the sake of Allaah, such as in worship, seeking knowledge or jihaad,
then the sin is compounded. Buraydah (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported
that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: “The wives of the mujaahideen are as sacred and forbidden
to those who stay behind as their own mothers. There is no man of those who
stay behind who is entrusted by one of the mujaahideen with the care of his
family and then betrays him (by committing zinaa), but he will be detained on
the Day of Resurrection, and (the one whom he betrayed) will take as much of
his good deeds as he wishes. So what do you think?” (Reported by
Muslim, 3515). If the adulterer is married, the sin is greater, and the punishment
is stoning, and if he is an old man, the sin is greater and the punishment is
as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) mentioned in the hadeeth about the three whom Allaah will neither
look at nor praise on the Day of Resurrection, and who will have a painful punishment.”
(Saheeh Muslim, 156). If the deed is also committed
during a sacred month or in a sacred place or at a time which is special in
the sight of Allaah, the sin is compounded.
The fuqaha’ (may Allaah have mercy on them) stated that
the basic act of zinaa which carries the punishment is illegal sexual intercourse,
whereby the two “circumcised parts” [i.e. genitals] come together
and there is penetration of the tip of the penis, because this is actual penetration
(which carries the prescribed hadd or punishment).
A person must avoid evil deeds and everything that can lead
to them. Allaah has commanded us to avoid the traps of the Shaytaan, because
if a man takes one step in that direction, his shaytaan and his own ego (nafs)
will keep urging him to do evil until he commits immoral deeds.
One should think about how serious it is to
touch a woman to whom one is not related, as the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) explained: “If one of you were
to be stabbed in the head with a piece of iron it would be better for him than
if he were to touch a woman whom it is not permissible for him to touch.”
(Reported by al-Tabaraani; see also Saheeh al-Jaami’, 5045).
This refers to the punishment for touching, so how about worse
deeds, such as embracing and kissing, and even worse kinds of illicit activity?
The Muslim qaadi is empowered to stipulate an appropriate punishment for every
proven action other than actual intercourse; in the case of intercourse, the
punishment set out by Islam is one hundred lashes and a year’s exile for
one who is unmarried, and stoning for one who is married. This is the punishment
in this world, and the punishment in the Hereafter is far more severe.
One of the important principles which the salaf (may Allaah
have mercy on them) pointed out is that the sincere believer who truly hopes
for Allaah and the Hereafter should not look at whether the sin is major or
minor, or whether is carries a punishment (hadd) or not. It was reported that
Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them both) said: “There is
no major sin if one asks for forgiveness, and there is no minor sin if one persists
in repeating it.” Someone else said: “If you want to disobey Allaah,
do not think about the smallness of the sin, think about the greatness of the
One Whom you are disobeying.”
With regard to the matter of repentance from
zinaa, please refer to the book "I Want to Repent,
But...", …”, under the heading Books
on this website. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.
Learn Holy Quran because it will be a proof for us muslim on the Day of Judgment.
This is due to the statement of the Messenger: “And the Quran is a proof for you or against you.” [Muslim] so the deputy of every Muslim is to read quran and learn quran with tajweed so one of two things will occur with this proof, the Book of Allah. And this quran education will be in your favor, a proof for us on the Day when we will need every single good deed and learning quran along with doing quran memorization is one of it and to add more spread the quran teaching and spread the kids quran knowledge and listening to quran online and understand the quran tafseer , it will be something standing against us and follow the guidance of or prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, and these good deeds will be a proof against us! Who could be saved from the terrors of that Day if Allah’s own Speech is against him?!?! Think carefully, so reading Arabic Quran and teaching our kids quran qaida with the tafseer of quran and let the kids memorize quran dear Muslim brother or sister, about your position with the reading Quran! Are you neglecting it, contradicting it, being heedless of its orders and prohibitions, are you thinking deeply over it?! Will it be on your side on the Day of Judgment.? So learn quran recitation! O Allah! We ask you, by Your Glorious Speech and the rest of your beautiful Names and Attributes, to make the Quran a proof for us! So the Quran tutor should let his student know about these facts also,
