Category: Zinaa (Adultery – Fornication)

By Shaykh ‘Abdullaah ‘Ateeq al-Harbee

Shaykh ‘Abdullaah ‘Ateeq al-Harbee is one of the professors in the University of al-Madeenah, he is a student of Shaykh Rabee’ Ibn Haadee al-Madkhalee

The Shaykh began by giving his salutation after sending peace and blessings upon the Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) and after praising Allaah subhanahu wa ta’ala.

He says: O Muslims indeed Allah subhana wa ta’ala has created us and He has not left us to our own desires. Indeed He has prohibited us and He has given us command and He has made it clear to us the path of khair and the path of good and He has encouraged us to follow that. And He has made clear to us the path of evil and has prohibited us from following that. And indeed Allaah subhanahu wa ta’ala is more knowledgeable concerning that which is good and that which has the best for His servant in this life and the Hereafter. And He is the Most Knowledgeable concerning that which will give them bliss and that which will give them good fortune in this life and in the Hereafter.

And indeed from the things that Allaah subhanahu wa ta’ala has made it important and placed importance upon
protecting it and upon making sure that the Muslims are mindful with regards to it and that He has prohibited us and made us something that we should be distant from corrupting and that is the honour of the Muslim and that is going to be the title of the talk. And indeed it has been established in a hadith in Saheeh al-Bukhari that the Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said : ‘indeed your blood, and your wealth and your honour, is haraam upon you (it is prohibited upon you) just as this day is haram or considered sacrilegious and just as this month is considered sacrilegious.

And indeed the honour is something that should be protected by the Muslims in two ways :

1. As for the first way, that which is apparent from the honour of the Muslims : and that is by clothing it using the
   garments that the Shariah has laid down and prescribed and what the Messenger has prescribed (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam).
2. And as for the second type is that which is hidden from the honour : and that is to protect it from zina and to protect it from homosexuality and those types of affairs.

Allaah tabarak wa ta’ala has said : ‘O you who believe, indeed Allaah subhanahu wa ta’ala has sent down upon you a garment that will cover your modesty and He has given you a leash which is something other than from the standard covering. And indeed from the greatest of things that will make the honour of the Muslim corrupt whether they are male or whether they are female and indeed it is that which is referred to or known as ‘zina.’

And indeed Allaah tabarak wa ta’ala has said, ‘.. and do not come close to zina. Indeed it is something that is lewd and it is an evil way.’

And indeed in this ayah Allaah tabarak wa ta’ala has made Haraam anything that leads to zina and that is never mind the actual committing of the act. Allaah tabarak wa ta’ala has said, ‘ and do not come close to fawahish, do not come close to lewdness, that which is apparent from it and that which is hidden.

And indeed the issue of fornication (may Allaah protect us all from it). Indeed along with it being prohibited it is something that likewise corrupts the society, corrupts the community. And indeed it is from the reasons for the spreading of corruption in and amongst the community.’ Insha-Allaah I am going to mentions some of the reasons and some of the things that corrupts the society.

And from the first of the evils that come from zina is that it is one of the causes for the spread of many evils and many diseases connected to fornication, just like the sickness of AIDS and other in that from the sicknesses that destroy the lands and destroy the servants.

And likewise it is from the reasons that causes commotion in and amongst the family — as far as it relates to the husband or as far as it relates to the wife and to the children and if the family indeed is split, that will lead to the splitting of the community and indeed they will fall into that which are of the lowly actions and will fall into corruptions.

And likewise from the evil effects of zina is that it is from the reason for talaaq (or divorce) being plentiful in the societies. Because you find after the marriage, after a small space of time you will find the people divorcing each other and sometimes this happens after a space of few hours.

And likewise, from the evil effects of zina and fornication is that it lowers the marriage rates in the society. So as for the person who commits fornication and is constant and regular in doing that, then he does not look to marriage except as another way of having a sexual relationship. Not that it is a beautiful way of uniting two bodies, neither it is a life that is built of love and emotions and raising a family and having children and indeed from bringing and having children, it is by way of those children our that lives become happy lives. And likewise it makes life easy with the presence of the children.

And likewise we see from the evil effects of zina and fornication is that we find the level of children and the level of having kids fall in that particular society. Because when zina is one of the reasons for the spread of deadly diseases like AIDS and other than AIDS, we find as a result of that many people die in the society. And as a result of that we find people having children as a result of that die. And as a result of that also the strength of the community is lost.

And also from the evil effects of zina, is that it leads to much crime in that society. And from that the crimes that generate and likewise a person will enter into stealing and rape in order to satisfy his sexual desires. And likewise as a result of that we find people even killing each other and killing themselves as a result of this spread of this zina.

And likewise from the evil effects of zina, is that we find that we have many children, many offspring that are the children that have come as a result of that fornication. And this likewise is from the sins meaning these children have come about as a product of fornication. This is also from the sins that increases crimes, and increases evil doings in and among society. Because the child from a young age is in need of receiving the love and attention from both his parents. So when the child loses out on that care and loses out on that attention, and when he loses that love, then what happens is that he has a reactory feeling as he grows that he was not nurtured upon love and upon affection. So that breeds from him and lead him to haste and dislike to society and the surrounding that he lives in. So, when he reaches the age of maturity, we find that these individuals enough of time end up themselves being individuals that commit evil acts and committing different crimes in order to avenge that society.

And brothers and sisters from the things that we can utilize to protect this evil, to protect ourselves from this evil is by following the message, and the measures and the means that al-Islam has laid down for us. The means have been laid down for protecting our ‘ird — lineage.

So from the most important means for protecting the limits is the establishment of the belief of Allaah in the hearts of the servant. So if the slave then knows and believes that Allaah is the Creator of the creation, and He is the One that is worshipped and there is none worthy of worship other than Him, then he would carry out his commands and he would stay away from his prohibitions.

And likewise he will believe in his heart that Allaah subhanahu wa ta’ala knows the hidden things and knows those things which are apparent. And likewise he will know that Allaah subhanahu wa ta’ala sees everything that takes place in this creation. And so this Imaan of his will carry him to be odd and over keeping in mind the presence of Allaah subhanahu wa ta’ala. And it will lead him likewise, to be distant from disobeying Allaah and it will make him to carry out Allah’s commands and the things that please Allaah. So not once will Allaah see him in a place where Allaah subhanahu wa ta’ala dislikes to see him in and likewise he will not be absent from places that Allaah subhanahu wa ta’ala loves for him to be in. And that is a condition with the mu’min and the believer who is sincere with his Imaan, the one who is certain concerning his Lord.

Listen O brother and listen O sister, to the story of that great Sahabah ; that Sahabi who before Islaam used to commit sins as of fornication and he used to visit prostitutes ; look at his condition after his Islaam. Did he continue upon that which he was upon, in his days of Jaahiliyah before Islaam? .. (not clear) …. And likewise he took upon himself chastity and distanced himself form all evil and all lowly acts.

This appears in the Sunnan of Tirmidhi that a person from amongst the Sahaba (radiallahu anhu) who was referred to as al-Martad. He used to carry the prisoners of war from Makkah until he reached Medina and there was a woman from amongst the Mushrikeen who was a prostitute or she was a fornicator and her name was ‘Anaaq and she was his girlfriend before Islaam. And he had promised a man from amongst the prisoners of war from the people of Makkah that he was carrying. He said to them radiallaahu ‘I continued until I came to a wall from the walls of Makkah in the shade of a wall on the full moon night man, so ‘Anaaq (this woman) came to him and she had noticed that this man being detained near the wall. So when she came to me she realized that it was me. So I said, ‘my name is Martad’ and she said, ‘welcome.’ She then said, ‘come and sleep with me tonight.’ So she was calling him to the lewdness. So I said, ‘O Anaaq, indeed Allaah has made zina Haraam. Allaahu Akbar!’. So the Shaykh is saying look then brother Muslim may Allaah guide you and myself to success. Look at the Imaan that Martad had concerning Allaah subhanahu wa ta’ala and how it prevented him from committing zina even though it was easy for him to commit that act. So may Allaah have mercy upon him and be pleased with him. Look how his complete turn around came for him after he was a committer of major sins and major evil deeds prior to his Islaam? Look how Islaam turned the whole direction of his life. And he became the best of the people as regards to him being chaste, as regards to him having adab, and with regards to him having taqwa.

Therefore from the first of the things that we can utilize to protect ourselves from this sick disease, it is to have Imaan in Allaah subhanahu wa ta’ala.

As for the second affair is that we make sincere tawbah to Allaah tabarak wa ta’ala for all of our sins. Allaah subhanahu wa ta’ala has said, ‘and those who when they commit a sin or when they run themselves, they remember Allaah subhanahu wa ta’ala and make isthighfar for their sins. And who will forgive sins other than Allaah as long as they do not persist upon that which they did while they know.’

Likewise from the things that will protect ourselves and from the methods and means that have been laid down in the Shariah is that indeed Islaam is the deen of the fitrah and its way is the just way, balanced way.

And it has affirmed for mankind that which he has established or that which he has within him a way of desire for sexual actions. But Allaah subhanahu wa ta’ala has not made it absolute for him to utilize or enjoy his desire in any way that he pleases. And at the same time He has not prohibited him from enjoying sexual pleasures absolutely but rather it has reigns and orders for him that desire of his. And that sis with the connection of the link of marriage. Because when Allaah tabarak wa ta’ala created mankind, He created for him his wife so that he may receive tranquility from her.

Allaah subhanahu wa ta’ala says, ‘and indeed from His signs is that He has created for you wives so that you may
receive tranquility and reside with them. And He has made between you love and He has made between you Mercy.’

Therefore Allaah has made and prescribed marriage by way or which a person can increase in love and emotional feelings. And a way for him to protect himself from falling into evil deeds and lewd deeds. And for that reason Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) encouraged that we should marry.

In both Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim it is recorded that Ibn Mas’ud (radiallaahu anhu) that the Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said: ‘O gathering of youth, whosoever from amongst you is able then let him marry. Because it is better for the lowering of the gaze. And it is better as a protection of the private parts. And whosoever is not able to do so then let him fast, because then indeed it is a protection for him.’

And likewise from the things that protect ones private parts (and things connected to that), that the method of protecting — – that men not mix with the women. Ibn Qayyim rahimahullah mentions in his book, ‘and there is no doubt that to let the women mix with the men is the origin of every evil. And it is from the greatest reasons for Allaah subhanahu wa ta’ala revealing or sending upon the people punishments and likewise it is from the reason that the general and the specific affairs become corrupt. And the men mixing with the women is a reason for zina, fawahisha, lewdness and evil act connected to sexual related acts being committed between men and women. And it is from the reasons for diseases and plagues when the prostitutes began to mix with the army of Musa, and evil deeds and lewdness began to spread among them. Indeed Allaah sent upon them at that point plague and diseases and 70,000 people died as a result of that. And we ask Allaah that He protects us.

And likewise from the protective reasons that has been laid down by the Shariah for the male Muslim and the female Muslim, that the women wear the hijaab and screen themselves from strange men. Allaah subhanahu wa ta’ala says, ‘..and stay in your homes and do not display yourselves like the displaying of the days of Jaahiliyah’ and Allaah azzawajal says addressing his message to his Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) : ‘O Messenger, say to your wives, daughters and to the women from amongst the Muslimeen, that they should throw the jilbaabs over themselves, that is better for them not to be known or not to be recognized and they will not be harmed. And indeed Allaah is al- Ghaffoor ar-Raheem.’

And likewise from the reasons is that a woman stays in her home and that she doesn’t leave her home except for a
pressing need. Allaah says in the previous ayah, ‘.. stay in your homes and do not display yourselves like the displaying of jaahiliyah. And you know O servants of Allaah, (O female slave of Allaah) that the Shaitaan who is the major enemy for us utilizes the issue of the women leaving out of their homes, using her as a means of corrupting the men and utilizing the men for corrupting her. And indeed the Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) has said, ‘indeed the whole of the woman is an awrah. So if she leaves her home, then indeed the shaitaan beautifies her and makes her fall into some type of fitnah and attempts her to fall into some lowly deeds.

And likewise from that a person distances himself from music as it is established with the people who have intellect that the beautiful voice has a direct effect upon the heart especially the heart of the woman. Music has an effect more on the woman than it has on the men. And if that music is accompanied with singing and with the playing of musical instruments, the effect that it has on the hearts in calling that person to lewdness is indeed greater. And for that reason Fudayl Ibn Iyyad rahimahullah mentioned that music is the ruqya of zina – meaning it is the thing that will lead towards it and will draw towards it.

Indeed Allaah subhanahu wa ta’ala says in the Qur’aan, ‘and indeed from the people of those who buy lahwal hadeed (meaning music here) in order to misguide from the path of Allaah and Ibn Masood radiallaahu anhu swore three times by Allaah regarding the tafseer concerning this ayah and the explanation of the lahwal hadeed that it is ghina, it is music and likewise from the reasons that protect ourselves from this lewdness will be mentioned in a summarized form so that we don’t spend too long here.

The first of them the Shaykh mentions is that a person both men and women lowers their gazes. Because the sight that it takes to look is from the arrows from the arrows of Iblees. And for that reason the Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) explained, ‘that the first look that you take for a woman is for you i.e it is overlooked and the second one is against you. And that is because the first look that a person took was not intentional i.e he did not intentionally take that look of that woman. So Allaah subhanahu wa ta’ala had mercy upon us and forgave us for that. And as for the second look then the mu’min the male and the female believer are both taken to account for that.

Likewise, the woman should not perfume herself when she leaves from her house. Indeed Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) prohibited that. And likewise from the reasons that will protect the society from this is that a woman does not show her beautification or that which she wears underneath her jilbaab except to those individuals who are from her mahrim (Mahram) who are lawful from her relatives.Allaah subhanahu wa ta’ala has said that she should not show anything of her beautification except that which is
apparent from her.

And likewise from the reasons that will protect us bi-iznillaah that a woman does not enter in her speech i.e she does not go into too much depth with her speech and that she does not soften her speech to strange men. Whether that is upon the telephone or upon other than the telephone. And this is indeed from the greatest of reasons that leads to that evil. Because indeed if she is soft in her speech, then that one who has something from sickness from his heart , will enter into his heart to have something with her by way of evil actions or by way of adultery or fornication.

And likewise from the reasons that we can protect, is that a person distances himself from intoxicants. Because indeed the khamr and the intoxicant are the mother of all evils. And by way a person would fall into zina and likewise it is a stealing and likewise it is a killing these souls that have been prohibited for us to kill. Rather a person would fall into every type of lowly act.

And likewise from the things that will protect us is that we keep clear from touching in any way a strange woman except in extreme necessity. O Servants of Allaah, indeed when the believer believes in Allaah subhanahu wa ta’ala there is no doubt that he is going to be tested and that he is going to be under trial. And for that reason Allaah subhanahu wa ta’ala when he created the Jannah, He surrounded it with the distasteful things. It was surrounded by things that are distasteful like Jihaad because a person may possibly die and it is something that is difficult for a person.

And likewise he wakes up at night at the time that it is very cold, and that you make wudhu and you pray. As for the tareeq or path to the Hellfire may Allaah protect us and you from it, is something that is easy iyaazu billaah. By doing those things that have connections with our desires like zina and drinking khamr and consuming wealth unlawfully and other than that from the evil act. Allaah subhanahu wa ta’ala has said, ‘Alif Laam Meem, do the people believe that they are going to be left alone saying that we believe and that they will not be put under trial. Indeed we put to trial those who came before them and Allaah subhanahu wa ta’ala will know those who were truthful in their Imaan and Allaah tabarak wa ta’ala will know by way of those that who are liars – the kaazibeen.nd likewise Allaah tabarak wa ta’ala has said, ‘do you believe that you are going to enter Jannah and it did not come to you that which came to those who came before you? They were struck with hardships and calamities and they were shook until the Messenger and those who believe along with him said, ‘when is the aid of Allaah going to come? Indeed the aid of Allaah is near.’

So you O my brother Muslim, and you O my sister Muslimah indeed you have chosen al-Islaam as your religion and this is the way of the anbiya alaihissalaatu wassalam and it is upon you that you remain firm upon the religion of Allaah and that you are not shaken in your Imaan and that you are not deceived by the duny and by its beautification and by Allaah you don’t know when you are going to die. And you don’t know when that thing that thing that stops all of one’s desires and stops all of one’s pain is going to end and going to come, so die while you are upon Islaam and while you are upon Imaan and while being in a state of being distant from the lewd deed and the evil deeds. ‘O Allaah make us to see the Haqq and bless us to follow it. O Allaah make us see the baathil and the falsehood and bless us to stay away from it. And do not make it something that is not clear to us, so that we go astray. O Allaah make the best of our deeds of the dunya the last of our deeds, and the best of our action the last of our actions and the last of our days the day that we meet you.’

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May Allaah reward the sister who Transcribed from the Audio