Fiqh, - Fornication and Adultery:Major Sins in Islam

Chastity is defined as "controlling oneself from forbidden desires due
to the love of Allaah The Almighty in response to His command, as well
as for seeking His reward in return."
Islam has always been keen to establish chastity in the Muslim
community and has thus legislated many laws that reduce the strong
impact of these desires and control them; it has also encouraged
remaining on the straight path and warned against transgressing the
defined boundaries by following these base desires.
Islam has preserved people's honor and protected lineages from being
mixed. Therefore, fornication and adultery are forbidden and
classified as major and destructive sins. Islam has even forbidden
everything that could lead to these sins, such as immoral exchange of
looks between the two sexes, depraved words, seductive moves, a man
and a woman being in seclusion in a room, and anything else which
could lead to this awful sin. Allaah The Almighty Says )what
means(:}"And come not near to unlawful sex. Verily, it is a great sin,
and an evil way )that leads one to Hell unless Allaah forgives
him(."{]Quran, 17: 32[
Islam does not have laws which contradict one another as is the case
with man-made legislation which has set penal laws for adultery and
fornication but has facilitated every means that lead to it. Moreover,
there are some societies that see no harm in allowing fornication and
adultery and have set no penal laws for those who commit them. Other
societies differentiate between committing this act in the marital
home and outside of it; they only consider committing it the marital
home as a crime and not if it is committed away from it! Islam, on the
other hand, comprehensively forbids fornication and adultery and
everything that leads to it.
Allaah The Almighty commanded His Messengerto take a pledge from women
who entered Islam to refrain from fornication and adultery. Allaah The
Almighty Says )what means(:}"O Prophet! When believing women come to
you to give you the Bai`ah )pledge(, that they will not associate
anything in worship with Allaah, that they will not steal, that they
will not commit illegal sexual intercourse, that they will not kill
their children… then accept their pledge."{]Quran, 60: 12[
Allaah The Almighty made the punishment for these sins vary from
lashing to stoning to death, along with the humiliation which results
from informing the community of the perpetrators of this sin. Allaah
The Almighty Says )what means(:}"The fornicatress and the fornicator,
flog each of them with a hundred stripes. Let not pity withhold you in
their case, in a punishment prescribed by Allaah, if you believe in
Allaah and the Last Day. And let a party of the believers witness
their punishment. ]This is for unmarried persons, but if married, the
punishment is to stone them to death[."{]Quran, 24: 2[
The Prophetset the penalty for adultery and fornication as follows:"If
the parties )committing fornication( are unmarried, they should
receive a hundred lashes and be put into exile for a year. If they
commit adultery after they are married, they should receive a hundred
lashes and then be stoned to death."]Muslim[
Since Islam has comprehensively forbidden fornication and adultery, it
has also blocked all ways that lead to it. It does not have laws which
contradict one another as is the case with man-made legislation which
has set penal laws for adultery and fornication but has facilitated
every means that lead to it. Moreover, there are some societies that
see no harm in allowing fornication and adultery and have set no penal
laws for those who commit them. Other societies differentiate between
committing this act in the marital home and outside of it; they only
consider committing it the marital home as a crime and not if it is
committed away from it! Islam, on the other hand, comprehensively
forbids fornication and adultery and everything that leads to it.
The evil consequences of fornication and adultery
Imaam Ibn Al-Qayyimsaid,
"Fornication and adultery combine all evils; weakness in commitment to
the religion, lack of piety, corruption of manhood and the decrease of
praiseworthy jealousy. You will never find an adulterer or fornicator
who is pious, fulfils his promises, is truthful in his speech,
maintains friendship or has jealousy over his wife; he will be
characterised by lies, deception, betrayal, accepting prohibitions and
not being mindful of Allaah." All these characteristics are
consequences of fornication and adultery.
There are also other consequences such as:
• Incurring the wrath of Allaah The Almighty.
• Corruption of one's wife and children.
• Poverty and gloominess of the face, which will be apparent to people.
• Darkness of the heart.
• Becoming insignificant in the eyes of people and in the sight of
Allaah The Almighty.
• Loss of the characteristics of chastity and righteousness and
becoming known as a sinful, betraying adulterer or fornicator.
• Not being classified as a believer in general.
• Being decried as an evil person.