What is zina?
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:
assalamualaikum
brother,
what
is zina? plz explain coverig all the points related to this.and wht is the
kaffara for it?(i mean what one has to do to seek forgiveness if zina is
committed and the person is really sorry for it.).
hope u
will reply this mail also.m thankful to you for sharing your knowledge with us
and this is really helping me and people around me.JAZAKALLAH
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Answer:
What is zina
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.
May Allah Subhanah reward you with the best of this world
and the Hereafter for your kind comments of encouragement for our humble
efforts in the propagation of the Truth.
If our humble and modest efforts have helped even one brother or sister
get closer to Allah and His Deen of Truth, then we would consider ourselves
indeed fortunate to have been given this opportunity by the Lord Most Merciful
to serve in His Cause. We hope, beg, and
pray the Merciful Lord accepts our humble and weak efforts, forgives us our
shortcomings, and saves you, us, and all the believers from the torment of the
Hell Fire. Ameen.
Your Question: what
is zina? plz explain coverig all the points related to this.
In legal terms, ‘zina’ means the
actual act of sexual intercourse between two members of the opposite sex who
are not united in the sacred bond of marriage.
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 Adan 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 of an unmarried
couple, 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 actual ‘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.
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.
Your Question: wht
is the kaffara for it?(i mean what one has to do to seek forgiveness if zina is
committed and the person is really sorry for it.).
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 24 Surah
Noor verse 2:
2 The woman and the man guilty of ‘zina’ (fornication) flog each of
them with a hundred stripes: let not compassion move you in their
case in a matter prescribed by Allah if ye believe in Allah and the Last Day:
and let a party of the believers witness their punishment.
Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 8.810 Narrated by Jabir
A man from the tribe of Aslam came to the
Prophet (saws) and confessed that he had committed adultery (illegal sexual
intercourse). The Prophet (saws) turned his face away from him till the man
bore witness against himself four times. The Prophet (saws) said to him,
"Are you mad?" He said "No." The Prophet (saws) asked, "Are you
married?" He said, "Yes."
Then the Prophet (saws) ordered that he be stoned to death, and he
was stoned to death at the Musalla (public gathering place).
If the one who commits illegal sexual intercourse (zina)
and their case is brought to a
- Fornication: If the man or the woman who is guilty of
‘zina’ (fornication) is unmarried, Shariah Law prescribes a punishment for
a 100 lashes in public.
- Adultery:
If the man or the woman who is guilty of ‘zina’ (adultery) is married,
Shariah Law prescribes that the guilty should be stoned to death in
public.
If one has committed ‘zina’ (adultery or fornication) and
their case is not brought to a court of law, the only way those who wish to
purify themselves from their crime is to turn back to their Lord in ‘Taubah’
and sincerely seek repentance from Him for their transgression. If they are sincere in seeking repentance,
they will find their Lord Forgiving and Merciful.
The conditions or ways to seek
sincere Taubah or Repentance from the Merciful Lord are:
- One is aware that one has sinned, and feels sorry and ashamed at their
sin.
- Makes a solemn covenant and promise with Allah
that they will not repeat the sin again.
- Turns to Allah and seeks forgiveness, before one meets with their appointment
of death.
- Is a believer and does righteous good deeds
thereafter.
Allah says in the Holy
Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumur verses 53-54:
(O Prophet) say: “O My
servants who have wronged their own souls….Do not despair of Allah’s
Mercy! Surely, Allah forgives all sins. He indeed is the All Forgiving, All Merciful. Return to your Lord and submit to Him before
the scourge overtakes you; for then you
may get no help from anywhere.”
Allah says in the Holy
Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imraan verse 135-136:
Allah likes such good
people very much, who, if ever they
commit a base deed or wrong their own soul by the commission of a sin, remember Allah instantly, and ask for forgiveness from Him for their
shortcomings. For who, but Allah,
can forgive sins? (And Allah
loves those) who do not knowingly persist in the wrongs they did. These will be rewarded with forgiveness from
Allah, and with Gardens beneath which
canals flow, and they will reside
therein forever! How excellent is the
reward of those who do good deeds!
Allah says in the Holy
Quran Chapter 25 Surah Furqaan verses 63-71:
The (true) servants of
the Merciful are those who walk humbly on the earth. When the ignorant people behave insolently
towards them, they say, “Peace to you”; (And those) who pass their nights in
prostrating themselves and standing before their Lord and pray, “O our
Lord, save us from the torment of
Hell, for its torment is killing! It is an evil abode, and an evil resting place”. (And those) who, when they spend are neither extravagant, nor miserly,
but keep the golden mean between the two extremes. (And those) who do not invoke any god but
Allah Alone, nor kill a soul
unjustly, which Allah has
forbidden, nor commit adultery…
He who does this shall be punished for his sin,
and his torment shall be doubled on the Day of Resurrection, and he shall abide in a state of ignominy; EXCEPT THE ONE WHO MAY HAVE REPENTED (AFTER
THOSE SINS), AND HAVE BELIEVED AND DONE
RIGHTEOUS DEEDS. For then, Allah will change his evil deeds into good
deeds, and He is very Forgiving and
Merciful. In fact, one who repents and does righteous deeds, returns to Allah as one rightly should!
Allah says in the Holy
Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 54:
When those come to you
who believe in Our Signs, say:
"Peace be on you! Your Lord had
inscribed for Himself (the rule of) Mercy.
Verily if any of you did evil in ignorance, and thereafter repented and amended (his
conduct), Lo! He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2357 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas'ud
Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "He who
repents of a sin is like him who has committed no sin."
There is nothing one can do or give as ‘kaffarah’ to atone
for committing the heinous abomination of ‘zina’ except sincere ‘Taubah’ and
repentance; if one is indeed sincere in their ‘taubah’, it is expected that
they will find their Lord Forgiving and Merciful.
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
Wister