Al Isrā’

وَلاَ تَقْرَبُوا الزّ‌ِنَي إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَاحِشَةً وَسَآءَ سَبِيلاً

32. “And do not approach fornication, verily it is an indecency and an evil way.”

Illegitimate sexual relationship (fornication) paves the way for numerous individual, social, and familial corruptions which follow the act and, therefore, it is forbidden in Islam, and in the Qur’an it has been mentioned alongside such capital sins as paganism, murder, and theft. It is for this very reason that this noble verse refers to fornication as an indecent behaviour and recommends not to approach the act of fornication which is a heinous act and an evil way.” It does not state:

“Do not fornicate”

but it says:

Here is a delicate allusion made to the fact that involvement in the heinous act of fornication usually requires certain pre-requisites which predispose one for the act in a gradual manner. The verse says:

“And do not approach fornication, verily it is an indecency and an evil way.”

The act of ‘voyeurism’ is one of such pre-requisites. ‘Nudity’ and ‘unveiling’ of oneself are other steps preceding the act. The prevalence of counter-didactic books, misleading films, corruption-inciting publications and also centers for corruption, are all serving as the preliminary steps for such an act. Moreover, associating of men and women in private, that is, of those who are not bound to be together by lawful marriage is another factor leading to the act of fornication.

And finally, distancing of the young from marriage as well as imposing of severe unreasonable demands by the two sides in connection with marriage both provide the grounds for ‘approximation to fornication’, which has been dissuaded in a concise sentence in the above verse. In Islamic quotations, each also has separately been dissuaded. In the meantime, other issues which are at stake in fornication consist of absence of commitment and duty with regard to the survival of generations, lack of education for the children, and absence of fatherly love and motherly affection for the child, which totally disappear.

Fornication also wipes out and disrupts the foundations of the laws of inheritance, the consequences of which make it impossible to locate the true inheritors.

The Philosophy Underlying the Prohibition of Fornication

1) The emergence of anarchy in the family institution and the disappearance of the relationships of parents and children are the consequences of fornication the lack of which leads to the cognition of the society and also serve as a backbone for the full protection of children.

In the society where there is an increase in the number of illegitimate children and of single mothers, the social relationship, which is based upon family relationship, will seriously be stumbling and, finally, disrupted. Moreover the society will be further deprived of the element of affection which is the determining factor in controlling the crimes and atrocities, and the human society will be fully turned into an animal type of gathering which is constantly coupled with all types of atrocities.

2) Experience reveals and science has also proven the fact that such an act leads to the spread of all kinds of infections. Despite all organizations which have been established for combating the consequences of the impact of this act today, the statistics again indicate to what extent individuals have suffered in losing their happiness thereby.

3) One must not overlook the fact that the goal in marriage is not solely the gratification of one’s sexual instinct.

On the contrary, participation in family life and one’s spiritual association as well as one’s peace of mind along with the education of children and cooperation in all spheres of life constitute all-in-all the end-result of marriage, which all are impossible to bring about without the union in marriage of men and women and along with the prohibition of ‘fornication’.

4) Fornication provides the basis for numerous kinds of entanglements, suicides, escaping from family life and homes, the rise of fatherless illegitimate children, infections diseases, and anxiety for respectable families.

5) Fornication has been regarded as a heinous, and indecent act throughout history and has also been prohibited in other religions as well.

Islam has been quick to present preventive measures against heinous act of fornication, among which one may name the following:

1) Prohibition of association of men with unallowed women in some private places.

2) Prohibition of private relationship of a man with an unallowed woman.

3) Prohibition of women’s wearing make-up for unallowed men or in their presence.

4) Prohibition of looking of unallowed women and men at each other, and abstention from thinking of fornication, or of watching seducing photographs.

5) One must not only avoid the act of fornication but he must also abstain from the acts which precede fornication. Sometimes, a look, a telephone call, a letter or a contact may pave the way for illegitimate relationships.

6) Severe punishments issued for those who engage in fornication.

7) Recommendation for marriage and lowering of the level of ‘dower’ at the time of marriage.

8) Blaming of the act of marriage which has long been overdue.

9) Sanctification of the institution of marriage, and struggling for having a family life.

In conclusion, Imam-Ali-Ibn-i-Abi-Talib (as) has been quoted who has said:

“I heard from the blissful Prophet who stated: ‘There are six negative impacts in the act of fornication, three of which belong to this world and the other three belong to the Hereafter.

As for those which exist in this world are the fact that it removes sincerity and illumination from one’s life, cuts off one’s means of sustenance, and accelerates human beings process of extermination.

The three (negative) effects which come about in the Hereafter are: The Wrath of the Almighty, severity in the settlement of one’s account and the initiation into the Fire of Hell’.” ¹