Zina
الزناUnlawful sexual intercourse and the paths that lead toward it
Qur'an
القرآن الكريموَلَا تَقْرَبُوا الزِّنَىٰ ۖ إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَاحِشَةً وَسَاءَ سَبِيلًا
And do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse. Indeed, it is ever an immorality and is evil as a way.
Translation: Saheeh International
الزَّانِيَةُ وَالزَّانِي فَاجْلِدُوا كُلَّ وَاحِدٍ مِّنْهُمَا مِائَةَ جَلْدَةٍ وَلَا تَأْخُذْكُم بِهِمَا رَأْفَةٌ فِي دِينِ اللَّهِ إِن كُنتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ ۖ وَلْيَشْهَدْ عَذَابَهُمَا طَائِفَةٌ مِّنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
The [unmarried] woman or [unmarried] man found guilty of sexual intercourse - lash each one of them with a hundred lashes, and do not be taken by pity for them in the religion of Allah, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day. And let a group of the believers witness their punishment.
Translation: Saheeh International
Hadith
الحديث النبويعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " ثَلاَثَةٌ لاَ يُكَلِّمُهُمُ اللَّهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَلاَ يُزَكِّيهِمْ - قَالَ أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ وَلاَ يَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِمْ - وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ شَيْخٌ زَانٍ وَمَلِكٌ كَذَّابٌ وَعَائِلٌ مُسْتَكْبِرٌ "
Abu Huraira reported:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Three are the persons with whom Allah will neither speak, nor purify them on the Day of Resurrection, nor look at them, and they will have a grievous punishment: an aged adulterer, a lying king, and an arrogant poor man.”
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " لاَ يَزْنِي الزَّانِي حِينَ يَزْنِي وَهْوَ مُؤْمِنٌ، وَلاَ يَشْرَبُ الْخَمْرَ حِينَ يَشْرَبُ وَهْوَ مُؤْمِنٌ، وَلاَ يَسْرِقُ حِينَ يَسْرِقُ وَهْوَ مُؤْمِنٌ، وَلاَ يَنْتَهِبُ نُهْبَةً يَرْفَعُ النَّاسُ إِلَيْهِ فِيهَا أَبْصَارَهُمْ حِينَ يَنْتَهِبُهَا وَهْوَ مُؤْمِنٌ "
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “When an adulterer commits unlawful sexual intercourse, he is not a believer at the time he is doing it; when a drinker drinks alcohol, he is not a believer at the time of drinking it; when a thief steals, he is not a believer at the time of stealing; and when a robber commits robbery while people look at him, he is not a believer at the time of committing it.”
إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَتَبَ عَلَى ابْنِ آدَمَ حَظَّهُ مِنَ الزِّنَا أَدْرَكَ ذَلِكَ لاَ مَحَالَةَ فَزِنَا الْعَيْنِ النَّظَرُ وَزِنَا اللِّسَانِ الْمَنْطِقُ وَالنَّفْسُ تَمَنَّى وَتَشْتَهِي وَالْفَرْجُ يُصَدِّقُ ذَلِكَ كُلَّهُ وَيُكَذِّبُهُ
Allah has written for Adam's son his share of adultery which he will inevitably encounter. The adultery of the eyes is the sight, the adultery of the tongue is speech, the soul wishes and desires, and the private parts confirm all of this or deny it.
عَنْ أَبِي أُمَامَةَ قَالَ إِنَّ فَتًى شَابًّا أَتَى النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ائْذَنْ لِي بِالزِّنَا فَأَقْبَلَ الْقَوْمُ عَلَيْهِ فَزَجَرُوهُ قَالُوا مَهْ مَهْ فَقَالَ ادْنُهْ فَدَنَا مِنْهُ قَرِيبًا قَالَ فَجَلَسَ قَالَ أَتُحِبُّهُ لِأُمِّكَ قَالَ لَا وَاللَّهِ جَعَلَنِي اللَّهُ فِدَاءَكَ قَالَ وَلَا النَّاسُ يُحِبُّونَهُ لِأُمَّهَاتِهِمْ قَالَ أَفَتُحِبُّهُ لِابْنَتِكَ قَالَ لَا وَاللَّهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ جَعَلَنِي اللَّهُ فِدَاءَكَ قَالَ وَلَا النَّاسُ يُحِبُّونَهُ لِبَنَاتِهِمْ قَالَ أَفَتُحِبُّهُ لِأُخْتِكَ قَالَ لَا وَاللَّهِ جَعَلَنِي اللَّهُ فِدَاءَكَ قَالَ وَلَا النَّاسُ يُحِبُّونَهُ لِأَخَوَاتِهِمْ قَالَ أَفَتُحِبُّهُ لِعَمَّتِكَ قَالَ لَا وَاللَّهِ جَعَلَنِي اللَّهُ فِدَاءَكَ قَالَ وَلَا النَّاسُ يُحِبُّونَهُ لِعَمَّاتِهِمْ قَالَ أَفَتُحِبُّهُ لِخَالَتِكَ قَالَ لَا وَاللَّهِ جَعَلَنِي اللَّهُ فِدَاءَكَ قَالَ وَلَا النَّاسُ يُحِبُّونَهُ لِخَالَاتِهِمْ فَوَضَعَ يَدَهُ عَلَيْهِ وَقَالَ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ ذَنْبَهُ وَطَهِّرْ قَلْبَهُ وَحَصِّنْ فَرْجَهُ فَلَمْ يَكُنْ بَعْدُ ذَلِكَ الْفَتَى يَلْتَفِتُ إِلَى شَيْءٍ
Abu Umamah reported:
A young man came to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and said, “O Messenger of Allah, give me permission to commit adultery.” The Prophet reasoned with him by asking whether he would accept such a thing for his mother, daughter, sister, paternal aunt, or maternal aunt. Each time the young man said no. Then the Prophet placed his hand upon him and said, “O Allah, forgive his sins, purify his heart, and guard his chastity.” After that, the young man no longer inclined toward anything sinful.
وَأَمَّا الرِّجَالُ وَالنِّسَاءُ الْعُرَاةُ الَّذِينَ فِي مِثْلِ بِنَاءِ التَّنُّورِ فَإِنَّهُمْ الزُّنَاةُ وَالزَّوَانِي
As for the naked men and women whom you saw in a structure resembling an oven, they are the adulterers and adulteresses.
إِذَا ظَهَرَ الزِّنَا وَالرِّبَا فِي قَرْيَةٍ فَقَدْ أَحَلُّوا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ عَذَابَ اللَّهِ
When zina and usury become widespread and open in a community, they have brought down upon themselves the punishment of Allah.
زِنَى الْعَيْنَيْنِ النَّظَرُ
The adultery of the two eyes is the lustful gaze.
عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ قَالَتْ قَالَ رَسُول اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَيُّمَا امْرَأَةٍ نَزَعَتْ ثِيَابَهَا فِي غَيْرِ بَيْتِهَا خَرَقَ اللهُ عَنْهَا سِتْرًا
Umm Salamah reported:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Whenever a woman removes her clothes in a place outside of her home, Allah will tear open the veil hiding her sin.”
عَنِ الْمِقْدَادِ بْنِ الأَسْوَدِ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لِأَصْحَابِهِ مَا تَقُولُونَ فِي الزِّنَا قَالُوا حَرَّمَهُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ فَهُوَ حَرَامٌ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ قَالَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَأَنْ يَزْنِيَ الرَّجُلُ بِعَشْرَةِ نِسْوَةٍ أَيْسَرُ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَنْ يَزْنِيَ بِامْرَأَةِ جَارِهِ
Al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad reported:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, asked his companions, “What do you say about adultery?” They said, “Allah and His Messenger have forbidden it, so it is forbidden until the Day of Resurrection.” The Prophet said, “For a man to commit adultery with ten women is less serious for him than to commit adultery with the wife of his neighbor.”
Statements of the Salaf
أقوال السلفFaith is stripped from the person who commits zina like a shirt is pulled over one's head; if he sincerely repents, it returns to him.
Source: Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr 7/173
No person looks at something forbidden except that a seed of illicit desire is sown in his heart.
Source: Ibn Abī Shaybah, al-Muṣannaf 25372
The beauty and dignity of a man lies in his chastity, and his nobility lies in his self-restraint.
Source: Ghurar al-Ḥikam wa Durar al-Kalim 1/240
Do not even come near the paths, whispers, and gaze that lead to it, for whoever wanders around the perimeter is bound to fall into the pasture.
Source: al-Ṭabarī, Tafsīr al-Ṭabarī 17/438
The looking at forbidden sights is a poisoned arrow from the arrows of Iblis; whoever abandons it out of fear of Allah, Allah will grant him the sweetness of faith in his heart.
Source: Ibn al-Jawzī, Dhamm al-Hawā 1/92
Statements of Scholars
أقوال العلماءI do not know of any sin after the taking of an innocent life that is greater in the sight of Allah than zina.
Source: Ibn al-Qayyim, al-Jawāb al-Kāfī 1/134
Be chaste and your women will remain chaste; and stay far away from that which is unfitting for a Muslim. For zina is a debt: if you take that debt, its repayment will be exacted from your own household.
Source: al-Shāfiʿī, Dīwān al-Imām al-Shāfiʿī 1/94
Zina combines the filthiest characteristics: it diminishes faith, extinguishes godliness, weakens modesty, removes the light of dignity from the face, and casts over the person the garment of shame and disgrace.
Source: Ibn al-Qayyim, Rawḍat al-Muḥibbīn wa Nuzhat al-Mushtāqīn 1/360
The delight of a forbidden impulse lasts only a fleeting moment, but its shame and humiliation linger for a lifetime, followed by regret in the grave and the Reckoning.
Source: Ibn al-Jawzī, Ṣayd al-Khāṭir 1/142