Advanced search
Visit
16522
Last Updated: 2012/02/15
Summary of question
What is the Islamic law about having an affair or illicit relationship with a person from the opposite gender? If their relationships do not lead to adultery, are they still sinful?
question
What is the Islamic law about having an affair or illicit relationship with a person from the opposite gender? If their relationships do not lead to adultery, are they still sinful?
Concise answer

Adultery is a great sin according to the Quran. God, the Exalted, says: "Nor come nigh to adultery: for it is a shameful (deed) and an evil, opening the road (to other evils)."[1] In this short verse, three important points have been mentioned:

A) The verse says "do not get near adultery" which not only incorporates an emphasis but it also connotes that the evil of adultery normally has certain preliminaries which drives a man to adultery gradually.   An unlawful gaze, nudity, immodesty, reading sex stories, watching porn movies, bad company, privacy with a non-mahram (a man's being together with a woman in a private place) and finally not taking action for marriage and unreasonable restrictions imposed by both sides in this regard serve as preliminaries leading a person to adultery. The aforementioned short verse forbids all of the above in an implicit manner. However, the Islamic traditions forbid each one of them separately.

B) The sentence "إِنَّهُ کانَ فاحِشَةً"  [verily, it is a shameful (deed) and an evil] consists of three emphasis (The term 'verily' plus the past tense of the verb 'kana' and the term evil) makes further tangible the greatness of this tangible sin.

C) The sentence "ساءَ سَبِیلًا" [it is a bad way] indicates that this evil act opens the road to other evils in society."[2]

In any event, both zina (which is intercourse taking place between a man and woman who aren't married (permanently or via mut’ah) and the other acts that lead to it and are usually done before it are great sins, and the practical difference between the two is that in the former (zina), the Islamic governor or judiciary can carry out the hadd on the fornicating individual (which is a punishment specified in the Quran[3]). On the other hand, if the man and woman haven't committed zina and what they have done are other unchaste acts between each other, they have still sinned and the judiciary can punish them; the punishment’s harshness depending on the greatness of what they have done (this type of punishment is called ta’zir).

 



[1] - Isra (Night Journey), 32, وَ لا تَقْرَبُوا الزِّنى‏ إِنَّهُ کانَ فاحِشَةً وَ ساءَ سَبِیلًا As for the prohibition of adultery/fornication, see: Al-Furqan, 68 and 69; Al-A'raf, 33; Al-An'am, 151; Kulayni, Ya'qub, translated by Mustafavi, Sayyid Jawad, Usul-e Kafi, vol.3, pg. 391, Wafa Publications, 1382 (2003); Najafi, Muhammad Hassan, Hurr Amili, Wasail al-Shi'ah, vol.28, Kitab al-Hodud, Jawaher al-Kalam, vol.41, pg. 260 and 258, Dar Ihya al-Turath al-Arabi, Lebanon, 1981.

[2] - Tafsir Namuneh, vol.12, pg. 103.

[3] - Nur:2 “الزَّانِیَةُ وَ الزَّانی‏ فَاجْلِدُوا کُلَّ واحِدٍ مِنْهُما مِائَةَ جَلْدَةٍ وَ لا تَأْخُذْکُمْ بِهِما رَأْفَةٌ فی‏ دینِ اللَّهِ إِنْ کُنْتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَ الْیَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَ لْیَشْهَدْ عَذابَهُما طائِفَةٌ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنینَ” (As for the fornicatress and the fornicator, strike each of them a hundred lashes, and let not pity for them overcome you in Allah's law, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day, and let their punishment be witnessed by a group of the faithful).

Detailed Answer
This question does not have a detailed answer.
Question translations in other languages
Comments
Number of comments 0
Please enter the value
Example : Yourname@YourDomane.ext
Please enter the value
Please enter the value

Thematic Category

Random questions

  • Where and when did mourning for Imam Hussein (A.S.) start first?
    9356 The infallibles 2012/04/30
    The Holy Prophet of Islam, peace be upon him and his family, wept on the martyrdom of Hamza and Ja’far and also encouraged others to weep. The great Shia Imams, peace be upon them, have encouraged us to keep the memory of the event of Karbala alive ...
  • Why didn’t Imam Ali (AS) punish the murderers of Uthman?
    6020 امام علی ع و خلفا 2018/11/12
    1. Uthman was not killed by only one individual so that he could be brought to book; rather an extensive uprising was launched an angry mob against him. The uprising led ultimately to his death. Imam Ali (AS) could not punish thousands of people for launching an ...
  • What is sex change?
    7029 احکام تغییر جنسیت 2012/08/23
    Although dictionaries do not provide a definition for "sex change", it means any change and transformation in a male, female or genderless in such a way that the current state is different from the previous one. Medically speaking, sex change is different from "genetic modification" ...
  • Why did Islam expand and spread in Asia more than it did in Europe?
    12452 Traditional 2012/04/02
    Islam emerged in Asia and it spread across the Arab world and Asia. There are multiple factors behind the fact that Islam did not spread in Europe. Those factors include the internal discord and conflicts among Muslims themselves and their failure to introduce the true and beautiful image of ...
  • Why did Imam Ali (as) say nothing when Lady Fatimah (as) was bothered and offended?
    14609 History of Fiqh 2008/09/18
    There is no contradiction between Imam Ali (as) not defending Lady Fatimah (as) and her being offended and oppressed and between his courage and strength and being there when it all took place. The reason is that in such a situation, Imam Ali (as) had only two choices; ...
  • What is our duty towards street beggars?
    19912 Practical 2012/09/03
    It is good to help every beggar even if he is not poor but it is necessary to focus our attention on priorities keeping in view the fact that our financial resources are limited. In the present time in which there are certain institutions tasked to identify ...
  • What is the essence of the Ruh (Soul/Spirit) and why doesn’t the Quran explain much about it?
    24229 Exegesis 2010/09/05
    The term "Ruh" has different meanings in different fields of science, referring to a different meaning in each one. In the Quran, this term also has its own special meaning and has been mentioned in different ways.Regarding the verse there are various opinions about ...
  • What does Islam say about sound relationships between boys and girls?
    13006 گوناگون 2012/04/21
    According to Islam, the male and female complement each other and God, the All-Kind, has created them fore each other. One of the needs they have, are sexual ones. Fulfilling these needs must be within the boundaries and guidelines of Islam so that chastity and modesty are ...
  • What is the ruling on having a relation with a non-mahram girl?
    8059 Laws and Jurisprudence 2011/10/02
    Any form of relationship before marriage, let it be speaking intimately, touching and caressing etc. is haram. If one speaks with a girl with the intention of seeking pleasure or if he fears that he might fall into a sin with her, it is not permissible for him ...
  • Who are the Ismaeili Bahreh Shias and what do they believe in?
    6773 تاريخ بزرگان 2010/04/19
    The "Bahreh Davoodis" are a branch of the "Ismaili" sect. The "Ismailis" believe Ismail, the son of Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) which passed away during his father's lifetime, to be the seventh Imam. The followers of this sect have unique beliefs that we will explain in the detailed ...

Popular