Advanced search
Visit
17573
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

Random questions

  • Did the Holy Prophet (pbuh) prostrate on the Turbat of Karbalah?
    14273 Traditional 2013/05/15
    According to Shia jurisprudence, firstly, Sajda should be performed on earth, and on those things which are not edible nor worn, and on things which grow from earth (e.g. wood and leaves of trees). The Holy Prophet (pbuh) also performed Sajda on soil and other things which ...
  • What are the origin and beliefs of Ya'furiyah sect?
    6398 تاريخ کلام 2011/10/30
    There is not much information about Ya'furiyah in history. What has been mentioned in historical resources is the following: 1. Ya'furiyah sect refers to the followers of Muhammad bin Bashir who ceased to believe in the Imamate (leadership) of Musa bin Ja'far and later denied ...
  • Is it permissible to receive interest from Iranian banks?
    6742 Laws and Jurisprudence 2011/09/27
    The nature of the deposits made by the clients in the banks of the Islamic Republic of Iran is such that the clients deposit their money with the bank on short or long term basis. The bank acts as an agent of the client using his savings ...
  • What are the different dimensions of Lady Fatimah’s (as) character?
    8029 The infallibles 2008/09/21
    The dimensions of Lady Fatimah’s (as) character are very vast and can only be understood through deep and profound thought and study. Reading and researching about her spirituality, knowledge and political struggles and the other aspects of her life, will help us in reaching our goal.
  • Is it true that the Sunni traditions which are in favor of Shia have been entered in their books by Shiites themselves?
    7312 Contextual study 2011/12/03
    In order to get a clear answer to your question, you need to go through the following points:Firstly, it is good that you ask the person, who has made this allegation about Shia, to provide you evidence from their sources. If he provides ...
  • What is the Islamic law about pictures ascribed to the Imams (a.s.)?
    8586 Laws and Jurisprudence 2011/10/29
    What follows are answers given to the above question by the religious authorities (grand jurists):Grand Ayatollah Khamenei (may Allah grant him long life): As per the Islamic law, there is no problem in it by itself provided that it is ...
  • Is it haram to get a tattoo?
    9853 Laws and Jurisprudence 2011/12/01
    The answer given by Ayatollah Mahdi Hadavi Tehrani (may Allah grant him long life) is as under:If it is not harmful to your body and the tattoo shapes are not offensive and do not in any way degrade your personality, there is no objection.
  • What is the ruling regarding eating harām (forbidden) food?
    20796 Laws and Jurisprudence 2010/11/10
    One who realizes after eating food that he has eaten a harām meal, in case there was no likelihood of the food being harām and there were signs indicating that it was halal, for example, he had received the food from a Muslim, such a ...
  • Did Umar scold and punish Abu-Hurairah as a result of him forging hadiths?
    41846 Science of narrators 2008/07/02
    Bukhari, Muslim, Dhahabi, Imam Abu Ja’far Iskafi, Muttaqi Hindi and others have reported that the second khalifah, whipped Abu-Hurairah as a result of him going too far in forging hadiths from the Prophet (pbuh) and strongly prohibited him from narrating any more till the end of his reign.The reason ...
  • Can we ascribe the oppression of tyrants to Allah, the Almighty?
    2707 Traditional 2021/03/30

Popular