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:

I still do not see how you could link this with masturbation. How would you know what the limits are? And its not a persons fault if his desires exceed his limits. Human being has been created with desires. I think being a studnt in US, away from my family and in an environment where I see girls and parties all around. And being in a situation where the girls would themselves wanna do stuff with me, would increase my chances on doing something that I might regret. If my desires increase under such circumstances and I opt for the act of masturbation to reduce my desires and hence keep myself away from acts that are unlawful in Islam, this is actually a good thing. Dont you think?

(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:

Masturbation instead of illegal sex

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.

Your statement: I still do not see how you could link this with masturbation. How would you know what the limits are?

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 21 Surah Muminoon verses 5-7:

5        (The believers who will win through are those) Who abstain from sex, 

6        Except with those joined to them in the marriage bond,  or (the captives) whom their right hands possess;  for (in their case) they are free from blame.

7        But those whose desires exceed those limits,  are transgressors.

Beloved brother in Islam,  it is absolutely clear from the above Aayahs of the Glorious Quran that any act of sexual nature done outside of the sacred bond of marriage would be ‘exceeding’ and ‘transgressing’ the limits ordained by Allah Subhanah.   It does not matter if the sexual act is concerning phone-sex,  cyber-sex, masturbation,  etc.;  if it is exercised outside the sacred bond of marriage,  it will be considered exceeding the limits ordained by Allah Subhanah!

Your statement: And its not a persons fault if his desires exceed his limits. 

Allah Subhanah has given man (and Jinn) two things which He has not given to any amongst His creation:

Intelligence and the Power of Reasoning

A Free Will to do what he chooses

The person, by his intelligence and power of reasoning,  and of his own free will chooses to control his desires,  and live his life within the limits of Allah Subhanah;  will pass the test ordained upon man by the Lord.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 79 Surah Naziaat verses 40-41:

40      And for such as had entertained the fear of standing before their Lord's (tribunal) and had restrained (their) soul from lower Desires

41      Their abode will be the Garden.

The person, by his intelligence and power of reasoning,  and of his own free will,  chooses to be a slave to his desires,  and exceeds and transgresses the limits of Allah Subhanah;  will miserably fail his test of life! 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 79 Surah Naziaat verses 37-39:

37      Then for such as had transgressed all bounds

38      And had preferred the life of this world

39      Their Abode will be Hell-Fire.

Thus it is entirely upto the person to control and restrain his desires,  or transgress the limits ordained by Allah Subhanah.  The reward and punishment for each choice is clearly Decreed by Allah Subhanah in the above Aayahs of the Glorious Quran!

Your statement: Human being has been created with desires.

Indeed,  it is true human being has been created with desires!  And that is the precise test of life ordained for the human being by Allah Subhanah. 

He who fears the tribunal of the Lord and restrains his desires,  he will succeed!

He who transgresses the bounds of Allah Subhanah,  and becomes a slave of his illegal desires,  he will miserably fail the test! 

Q-4: If my desires increase under such circumstances and I opt for the act of masturbation to reduce my desires and hence keep myself away from acts that are unlawful in Islam, this is actually a good thing. Dont you think?

Beloved brother in Islam,  it should matter very little what a simple person like me thinks or does not think!   If you are truly in such circumstances as you have described,  the last thing you need is a ‘fatwa’,  or a ‘religious ruling’,  or an opinion from a person like me!  

You are the best person to judge for yourself whether what you propose to do is right or wrong,  good or bad,  virtue or sin, within the limits of Allah or exceeding the limits of Allah!   Allah Subhanah has bestowed upon every man a ‘balance’ or ‘conscience’ right in his own heart; which will tell you immediately whether the act you do or the thing you say is right or wrong,  good or evil,  within the limits of Allah or exceeding it!  

If you seriously are in a situation where you sincerely believe that the sinful act of masturbation is the absolute only alternative than the evil and abomination of the  grave sin of ‘zina’;  and you can convince Allah Subhanah on the Day of Judgement with this your argument in opting for the smaller sin;  then the matter is something between you and the All-Knowing,  All-Seeing,  All-Mighty Lord of the Worlds;  Who Knows even the most hidden secrets of our hearts!  If you sincerely think and believe that Allah Subhanah will accept your justification and argument for opting for the smaller sin of masturbation compared to the abomination of ‘zina’,  then that is a choice you will have to make yourself!

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