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 salam alaikum

I am a teenager boy aged 18 and have a question to ask and advice needed on a very crucial issue which is troubling me. It is about "masturbation"

I have checked most of the websites and the answer i get is: It is either haram (as some say) or it is not permitted . But still what dusnt satisfy me is , it is not properly mentioned in Quran kareem. I really try hard not to go into it (maturbation) but eventually end up doing it coz therz somewhere in my mind that I am not doing any harm to anyone by getting into it

so do tell me coz i dont think i do any evil when i commit masturbation, though i am trying to end this!!

i have a chcked even Q&A website and have read the article and ways how to control masturbation

But the thought that it is not evil allows me to practice masturbation!!

do answer as soon as possible

kHuda hafiz

(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

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 none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 23 Surah Muminoon verses 1-11:

1 The Believers must (eventually) win through

2 Those who humble themselves in their prayers;

3 Who avoid vain talk;

4 Who are active in deeds of charity;

5 Who scrupulously guard their modesty (private parts),

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!

8 Those who faithfully observe their trust and their covenants;

9 And who (strictly) guard their prayers

10 Those will be the heirs

11 Who will inherit Paradise: they will dwell therein (forever).

The scholars of all schools of thought are unanimous in their opinion that the evil act of ‘masturbation’ would, without an iota of a doubt, fall under the category of ‘those whose desires exceed the limits’.

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 says in the Holy Quran Chapter 17 Surah Israa verse 32:

Do not even go near ‘zina’ (fornication or adultery) for it is a very indecent thing and a very evil way!

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 4886 Narrated by Anas ibn Malik

That he heard the Messenger of Allah (saws) say: ‘The eye commits ‘zina’, and the palm of the hand, the foot, the body, the tongue and private part of the body confirm it or deny it.’

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 8.260 Narrated by Ibn Abbas

I have not seen a thing resembling 'lamam' (minor sins) than what Abu Huraira narrated from the Prophet (saws) who said "Allah has written for the children of Adam their share of adultery which he commits inevitably. The adultery of the eyes is the sight (to gaze at a forbidden thing), the adultery of the tongue is the talk, and the inner self wishes and desires and the private parts testify all this or deny it."

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 36 Surah Ya-Seen verse 65:

65 That Day shall We set a seal on their mouths. But their hands will speak to Us and their feet bear witness to all that they did.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 41 Surah Ha-Meem verses 19-23:

19 On the Day that the enemies of Allah will be gathered together to the Fire they will be marched in ranks.

20 At length when they reach the (Fire) their hearing, their sight, and their skins will bear witness against them as to (all) their deeds.

21 They will say to their skins: "Why bear ye witness against us?" They (their skins) will say: "Allah hath given us speech, (He) Who giveth speech to everything: He created you for the first time and unto Him were ye to return.

22 "Ye did not seek to hide yourselves lest your hearing, your sight, and your skins should bear witness against you! But ye did think that Allah knew not many of the things that ye used to do!

23 "But this thought of yours which ye did entertain concerning your Lord hath brought you to destruction, and (now) have ye become of those utterly lost!"

Although in legal terminology ‘zina’ would constitute the actual penetration of the male organ into the female organ, the Messenger of Allah (saws) warned the believers regarding the minor ‘zina’ of the eyes, hands, legs, etc. Not only is the evil act of ‘zina’ prescribed as absolutely forbidden in Islam, every path or every way that leads one to this evil path is also declared as forbidden! Such is the gravity of this abomination of ‘zina’, that Allah Subhanah commands the believers in the Quran: ‘Do not even go near ‘zina’!!!

Thus if one intentionally sees and watches ‘fahisha’ (indecency), it would constitute ‘zina’ of the eyes; if one derives pleasure from talks of ‘fahisha’, it would constitute ‘zina’ of the ears and mouth, if one touches or goes towards something or someone with the intention of ‘fahisha’, it would constitute ‘zina’ of the hands and the legs! Although there is no prescribed punishment for the ‘zina’ of the eyes, mouth, ears, hands and feet in the life of this world, if one dies without seeking ‘taubah’ and repentance from their Lord, he will be held severely accountable for these acts of ‘minor’ zina in the Presence of their Majestic Lord in the Hereafter. The abomination of masturbation is a sin and an evil act, and the believers who sincerely fear Allah and the Last Day must strive to absolutely abstain from this and all evil.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 7 Surah Aaraaf verse 33:

33 Say (O Prophet (saws)): ‘The things that my Lord hath indeed (absolutely) forbidden (declared ‘haraam’) are: shameful deeds whether open or secret; sins and trespasses against truth or reason; assigning of partners to Allah for which he hath given no authority; and saying things about Allah of which ye have no knowledge.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 7.4 Narrated by Abdullah

We were with the Prophet (saws) while we were young and had no wealth whatever. So Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "O young people! Whoever among you can marry, should marry, because it helps him lower his gaze and guard his modesty (i.e. his private parts from committing illegal sexual intercourse, etc.), and whoever is not able to marry, should fast, as fasting diminishes his sexual power."

Thus if one is unable to control his sexual desire, he should get married, rather than get involved in committing sins like masterbation and ‘zina’ (fornication or adultery). And if one is unable to marry, he should fast, as the Messenger of Allah (saws) says, that fasting reduces the person’s sexual desire, and thus help the believer to stay away from committing sin.

Your Statement: But the thought that it is not evil allows me to practice masturbation!!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 208:

208 O ye who believe! Enter into Islam whole-heartedly; and follow not the footsteps of The Shaytaan (Iblees); for he is to you an avowed enemy.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 7 Surah Aaraf verse 27:

27 O ye children of Adam! Let not the Shaytaan seduce you in the same manner as he got your parents (Adam and Hawwa) out of the Garden stripping them of their raiment to expose their shame: for he and his tribe watch you from a position where ye cannot see them: We made the ‘shayateen’ friends (only) to those without faith.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verses 120-121:

120 Shaytaan makes them (mankind) promises, and creates in them false desires; but Shaytaan's promises are nothing but deception.

121 They (his dupes) will have their dwelling in Hell and from it they will find no way of escape.

Dear and beloved brother in Islam, believe with absolute conviction that the Shaytaan is an avowed enemy of man, and he will do everything in his power to seduce man to disobey and transgress the boundaries of the Lord Most High, Most Majestic. One amongst his classic time-honored ploys is to make a good deed seem hard and burdensome, and present evil and shameful deeds as fair-seeming and acceptable!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 43:

43 When the suffering reached them from Us why then did they not learn humility? On the contrary their hearts became hardened, and Shaytaan made their (sinful) acts seem fair-seeming to them.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 14 Surah Ibraheem verse 22:

22 And Shaytaan will say when the matter is decided (on the Day of Judgment): "It was Allah Who gave you a promise of Truth: I too promised but I failed in my promise to you. I had no authority over you except to call you but ye listened to me: then reproach not me but reproach your own souls. I cannot listen to your cries nor can ye listen to mine. I reject your former act in associating me with Allah. For wrongdoers there must be a Grievous Penalty."

without an iota of a doubt, the shameful and evil act of masturbation is a manifest sin in the Sight of Allah, and as your brothers and sincere well-wishers in faith, we beseech you to not let the Shaytaan convince you otherwise.

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