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:

slam aleikom wa rahmatullalh wa barkatuh can you please tell us what the meaning of ZINAH in islam ? for example if the one boy sleep with his girl friend is that zinah ?? or zinah is that boy or man sleeps with one girl that he do not know only sleep with her for plaisure or zinah is to sleep with prostetue girl from street and pay money ? hope can you help here 

(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:

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.

Beloved brother in Islam, the Arabic term ‘zina’ is used in Islamic Jurisprudence and Fiqh to denote the act of sexual intercourse between two people of the opposite sex who are not legally married to each other. Such is this act and abomination of unlawful sexual intercourse or ‘zina’ hated and despised by Allah Subhanah, that Shariah Law prescribes extremely severe punishment for those guilty of ‘zina’ in the life of this world; and if those guilty of the abomination of ‘zina’ do not turn back to their Lord and seek sincere repentance for their crime, their punishment in the Presence of their Lord Most Majestic in the Hereafter will be much more severe and lasting.

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 ‘zina’ (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).

The prescribed punishment for the sin of ‘zina’ in Shariah Law depends on the marital status of the person convicted of the crime in a court of Shariah Law:

1. 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.
2. 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.

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 ‘zina’ which he commits inevitably. The ‘zina’ of the eyes is the sight (to gaze at a forbidden thing), the ‘zina’ 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 out of wedlock, the Messenger of Allah (saws) warned the believers regarding the minor ‘zina’ of the eyes, hands, legs, etc. Not only is the actual 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.

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: ‘fahisha’ (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: for example if the one boy sleep with his girl friend is that zinah ??

Any man and any woman who are not legally married and have sexual intercourse with each other, they would be deemed guilty of the abomination of ‘zina’ or illegal sexual intercourse in the Sight of Shariah Law and of Allah Subhanah.

Your Question: …or zinah is that boy or man sleeps with one girl that he do not know only sleep with her for plaisure or zinah is to sleep with prostetue girl from street and pay money ?

Absolutely regardless of whether the couple know each other or not, regardless of whether money is exchanged for the services of sexual intercourse or not, absolutely regardless of whatever reasons or situations whatsoever; if the man and the woman who are not legally married to each other indulge in the act of sexual intercourse with each other, they would be guilty of the abomination of ‘zina’ in the Sight of Shariah Law and of Allah Subhanah.

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