Definition of Zina and Acts Leading to Zina
What is the practical definition of zina and in what category does any of the close to zina related action fall under? Are there any rights to be restored? Is a woman islamically still a virgin if her hymen got broken with a finger of a non-mahram man or engage in oral sex? Can she still marry a chaste man if her repentence is not good enough?
Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
There is the actual Zina (unlawful sexual intercourse), of which the Quran spoke, describing it with the most hideous descriptions, as an act of immorality and an evil way, and stated the obligation of executing the Hadd (corporal punishment) prescribed for it. Scholars defined it as follows: “The penetration of the head of the male organ into a woman’s vagina without marriage.” And there are acts that are described as Zina because they lead to it, but they are not actual Zina. These include what was mentioned in the Hadeeth narrated on the authority of Ab
What Is Zina?
Praise be to Allah.
What is Zina?
Zina, in Arabic, means immorality, and is used with two meanings in Shari`ah: a general meaning and a specific meaning.
The general meaning includes that which carries the punishment (hadd) and that which does not carry it. Islam does not give the name of Zina only to that which carries the punishment, which is just one of many types of Zina.
Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: I have never heard any better definition of small faults [al-Najm ] than that which Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): Allah has decreed for every son of Adam his share of Zina, and there is no way to escape from it. The Zina of the eye is a glance, the Zina of the tongue is speaking, and the Zina of the mind is wishing and hoping; then the private part either acts upon this or it does not. (Reported by al-Bukhari, 11/26; Muslim, 4/).
Al-Bukhari included this hadeeth in a chapter entitled Bab Zina al-jawarih doon al-farj (Chapter on the Zina of faculties other than the private part).
Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have m
Answered by Shaykh Jamir Meah
Question: Assalamu alaykum
I have been struggling with masturbation. I just wanted to know what exactly zina is, what are some ways to avoid it, and if masturbation falls under this category.
Answer: Assalam alaykum. Jazakum Allah khayr for your question. May Allah reward you for striving to correct your religious practice.
While masturbation is prohibited, it does not fall under the legal definition of Zina.
The legal definition of Zina
Linguistically, zina means adultery or fornification i.e. illicit sexual intercourse.
The basic legal definition of Zina is more specific, which is, ‘The act of a legally responsible person entering the head of the male organ in a genital orifice that is forbidden.’ [edited from Al Yaqut al Nafis]
From this, we can see that masturbation cannot legally be considered zina.
Zina as a general concept and its prohibition
There is a more general concept of zina which is also prohibited, and which is described in the hadith of the Prophet ﷺ, Praise be to Allah. Zina (adultery, fornication) does not refer only to penetration, rather there is the zina of the hand, which is touching that which is forbidden, and the zina of the eyes, which is looking at that which is forbidden, even though zina that is committed with the private parts, is the zina which is punishable with the prescribed punishment. Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah has decreed for every son of Adam his share of zina, which he will inevitably commit. The zina of the eyes is looking, the zina of the tongue is speaking, one may wish and desire, and the private parts confirm that or deny it.” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, ; Muslim, ) It is not permissible for the Muslim to long for the things that lead to zina , such as kissing, being alone, touching and looking, for all these things are haram and lead to the greater evil which is zina. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And come not near to unlawful sex. Verily, it is a Fahishah (i.e. anything that transgresses its limits: a great sin,
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‘Allah has decreed for every son of Adam his share of zina, which he will inevitably commit. The zina of the eyes is looking, the zina of the tongue is speaking, o
What Constitutes Zina?
Types of zina
The prohibition of approaching zina