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:

is it a major sin if you masturbate? 

(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:

Is Masturbation Major Sin

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 barometer to determine which sins fall into the ‘major’ category and which fall into the ‘minor’ category is the terminology and the prescribed punishment by Allah Subhanah and His Messenger (saws). The bigger the punishment prescribed for a particular act, the bigger the enormity of the sin!

For example, the single biggest sin in Islam is the heinous act of ‘shirk’ or associating others with Allah Subhanah; and that is because Allah Subhanah has Himself Declared this abomination of ‘shirk’ as unforgivable for the one who dies in that state!

Allah says in the Quran: Chapter 4 Surah An-Nisa Verse 48

Shirk (associating other deities with Allah) is the only sin that Allah does not forgive, and He forgives, whomsoever He pleases, sins other than this. For whosoever associates any other partner with Allah, does indeed forge a big lie and commits the most heinous sin

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verse 72:

Whoever commits ‘shirk’ (invoking anything with Allah), Allah shall forbid for him Paradise, and Hell shall be his abode. And for such wrong doers there will be no one to help.

There are several other sins, like intentional murder of a believer without just cause, or the sin of adultery, or the usurping of someone’s inheritance, or the consumption of usury, etc., whereby Allah Subhanah Decrees that one who does those and does not subsequently repent, will deserve the everlasting punishment of the Hell-Fire! These will obviously be considered ‘major’ sins.

Ref: Intentional murder of a believer without just cause:

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse 93:

If a man kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell to abide therein (for ever): and the Wrath and the Curse of Allah are upon him, and a dreadful penalty is prepared for him.

Ref: Shirk, Murder, and ‘Zina’:

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 25 Surah Furqaan verses 68-69:

68 Those who invoke not with Allah any other god, nor slay such life as Allah has made sacred except for just cause, nor commit ‘zina’, and any that does this (not only) meets punishment,

69 (But) the Penalty on the Day of Judgment will be doubled to him, and he will dwell therein in ignominy

Ref: Unjust eating of the orphan’s property:

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse 10:

Those who unjustly eat up the property of orphans, eat up a fire into their own bodies: they will soon be enduring a blazing fire!

Ref: Not abiding by Allah’s Boundaries, especially in distributing inheritance.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse 14:

But those who disobey Allah and His Messenger, and transgress His limits, will be admitted to a fire to abide therein: and they shall have a humiliating punishment.

Ref: The consumption of ‘riba’ or usury:

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 278:

O Believers!, fear Allah and give up that ‘riba’ which is still due to you, if you are true believers. But if you do not do so, then you are warned of the declaration of war against you by Allah and His Messenger!

The Messenger of Allah (saws) categorized the major sins in some of his authentic narrations:

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 4.28 Narrated by Abu Huraira

The Prophet (saws) said, "Avoid the seven great destructive sins." The people enquire, "O Messenger of Allah (saws)! What are they?" He (saws) said,

1. "To join others in worship along with Allah,
2. to practice sorcery,
3. to kill the life which Allah has forbidden except for a just cause, (according to Islamic law),
4. to eat up riba (usury),
5. to eat up an orphan's wealth,
6. to give back to the enemy and fleeing from the battlefield at the time of fighting,
7. and to accuse chaste women, who never even think of anything touching chastity and are good believers.”

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 8.8 Narrated by Anas bin Malik

The Messenger of Allah (saws) mentioned the greatest sins or he was asked about the greatest sins. He (saws) said, "To join partners in worship with Allah; to kill a soul which Allah has forbidden to kill; and to be undutiful or unkind to one's parents."

The sins which have no prescribed punishment in the Quran and Sunnah, or the sins which are not mentioned as ‘major’ sins by Allah and His Messenger (saws), will be deemed minor sins in Shariah. Allah and His Messenger (saws) have guided the believers regarding the absolutely destructive ‘major’ sins, and not provided the list of the minor sins as the list of minor sins is indeed innumerable; for man is indeed prone to short-comings, error and sin. Every sin which does not have a prescribed punishment in the Quran or Sunnah, or which are not listed as deserving of Allah’s Anger and Wrath and Punishment, or not mentioned as ‘major’ sins by Allah and His Messenger (saws), will be deemed ‘minor’ sins in Islam.

Your Question: is it a major sin if you masturbate? 

Because the evil act of ‘masturbation’ is not listed as a major sin by Allah and His Messenger (saws), nor is there a specific punishment prescribed for this evil act in the Shariah, it will not legally constitute a ‘major’ sin….but it is a sin nonetheless and the believers must strive to abstain from any and all sin.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 120:

120 Eschew all sins, open or secret! Those who earn sin will get due recompense for their "earnings."

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 99 Surah Zalzalah verse 8:

8 And (on the Day of Judgment) anyone who has done an atom's weight of evil shall see it.

Beloved brother in Islam, there is a general false misconception amongst the Muslim Ummah that it is ‘okay’ to commit minor sins; but Allah is our witness, every person will bear the burden of his evil in the Majestic Presence of The All-Mighty Lord on the Day of Judgment, regardless of whether the sin committed was classified as ‘major’ or ‘minor’! Allah Subhanah has commanded the believers who sincerely believe in Him and the Last Day to eschew and stay far away from any and all sins, whether they are open and manifest, or secret and hidden. A sin is a sin, and unless one sincerely seeks repentance from their Lord Most Merciful, that sin will be brought forth to account on that Inevitable and Tumultuous Day of Resurrection in the Majestic and Supreme Presence of the All-Knowing Lord Most High.

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

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan