Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

As Salaam Ailaikum

What is to be said about viewing Haram pictures.... Pornography Generally and related Genre?

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Viewing Haraam pictures

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

The principle of Islam is that when a thing is declared ‘haraam’ or prohibited by Allah and His Messenger (saws), all the roads that lead to that sin are also considered ‘haraam’.

Allah and His Messenger (saws) have clearly declared the sin of ‘zina’ (adultery and fornication) haraam; thus watching any indecent or pornographic pictures or movies, although it cannot be considered a sin as grave as ‘zina’, will be considered a smaller zina of the eyes, ears, etc.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter24 Surah Noor verse 30:O Prophet, enjoin the believing men to restrain their gaze, and guard their private parts. This is a more righteous way for them. Allah has knowledge of whatever they do.

Allah has commanded the believers to lower their gaze, and guard their chastity. This is a more righteous way for them. The act of ‘zina’ (fornication or adultery) is a great sin in Islam. But the Prophet(saws) warned us against committing ‘zina’ of the eyes, ‘zina’ of the feet, ‘zina’ of the hands, etc. If one’s eyes are constantly watching sexual movies, magazines, etc. it would be considered ‘zina’ of the eyes. If one goes to a place to commit ‘zina’ or to the place of sexual movies, magazines, etc., it would be considered ‘zina’ of the feet. All the above are roads that ultimately might lead one to the grave sin of ‘zina’, thus all of them are a sin and an evil act, and must be avoided by the believers.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 7 Surah Aaraaf verse 33:Say (O Prophet): “The things which my Lord has declared haraam are: shameful deeds, whether open or secret; and sinful things; and transgression against the Truth.”

Every deed done by the Children of Adam, will be brought forth in an Open Book in the Court of Allah on the Day of Judgment. And if a believer, who sincerely fears Allah and the Last Day, has done evil and shameful deeds in the past, must strive to immediately seek forgiveness from Allah and fear the Day when no deed will be hidden from the All Knowing, All Wise; and each individual will have to give a full accounting of the deeds that he had done.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 99 Surah Zilzaal verses 7-8:(On the Day of Judgement) whoever has done an atom’s weight of good shall see it; and whoever has done an atom’s weight of evil, shall see it!

Thus the believers should fear Allah and the Day of Severe Accounting, and strive to stay away from the haraam. On that Inevitable Day, even an atom’s weight of evil done by man will be brought forth, and every individual will have to give a full accounting of every deed that he had done.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan