Islam on pornography: A definite NO NO | SoundVision.com

Islam on pornography: A definite NO NO

Islam on pornography: A definite NO NO

Every Friday we hear the Imam conclude his sermon by reciting the following verse of the Quran:

"Surely God enjoins justice, kindness and the doing of good, to kith and kin; and He forbids all that is shameful, indecent, evil, rebellious and oppressive." InnaAllah Yamuru bil adel, wal ehsane, wa itae zil qurba; wa yanha anil fuhshae, wal munkari walbaghi; yaizukhum lallakum tazakkaroon. (Quran 16:90)

Pornography and the culture of pornography has all the three elements which God has prohibited in the above verse of the Quran: Fuhsha; Munkar, baghi. Here is a bit of terminology before we review the rest of the evidence on the question is watching porn haram.

Fuhsha:

According to the Al-Mawrid Arabic-English dictionary of Munir Baalbaki, Fuhash is obscenity, vulgarity, indecency, shamelessness and something that is dirty, filthy and foul. Al-Mawrid's English-Arabic dictionary translates pornographic as Fahish. The Hans Wehr Dictionary Of Modern Written Arabic adds monstrosity, abomination, vile deed and fornication to its meaning as well.

Fuhsha, translated as anything shameful, is a Quranic term which in the Quran and Hadith has been used widely for unIslamic sexual behavior. The Quran uses it as in the above verse (Quran 16:90). It is a set of vices that embraces the whole range of evil and shameful deeds. Scholars of the Quran have included every vice which is intrinsically of a highly reprehensible character into this category whether it be fornication, nudity, public foreplay as depicted in films and photos, pornography, hurling abuses and curse words, promiscuous mixing, or dresses designed to expose the body. At the highest level of Fuhsha, Allah has included adultery (Quran 17:32) and same gender sex (Quran 7:80; 27:54).

When asked, is watching porn haram? All scholars agree pornography is included in the term Fuhsha.

Al-Munkar

Al-Mawrid English - Arabic Dictionarydescribes Munkar as gross, abominable, detestable, atrocious, outrageous, flagrant.

As a major Quranic term it means something which is universally acknowledged as bad and immoral. This category includes all evils which have been unanimously condemned by the human conscience and which have been forbidden by Divine Law in all ages.

People of all faiths abhor watching porn. Even the norms of American society do not allow its propagation in mainstream newspapers and prime time TV, forcing it to hide in dark alleys. Those who are addicted to watching porn try to watch it mostly discreetly. This indicates that it is a universally accepted immoral act which Quran calls al-Munkar.

Al-Baghi

According to Al-Mawrid English - Arabic dictionary, this term means wrong, injustice, outrage, and transgression.

Al-Baghi in the Quranic terminology means transgression and trespassing into the space and the rights of others, whether those rights be of God or of a fellow human being. Pornography is a transgression towards God as well as towards human beings and animals. The pornographic industry trespasses on the rights of women especially by turning them into sex objects. Pornographic emails trespass the private email boxes of Americans at least four times a day.

God is Against Pornography (Fuhsha) whether Open or Hidden

"Tell them (O Muhammad): 'My Lord has only forbidden indecent acts, whether overt or hidden?"

innama haram rabbial fawahisha ma zahar aminha wma batan.. (Quran 7:33).

Therefore, the question is watching porn haram is answered and other indecent acts in the privacy of the home or on the internet is also forbidden.

Allah Asks Us Not to Even Go Close to It

"Say to them (O Muhammad!) ?do not even draw near to things shameful–be they open or secret;? " (Quran 6:151 partial)

?wa la taqrabul fawahisha ma zahara minha wa ma batan?

Allah has mentioned this instruction along with shirk and murder which means that Allah considered shameful things like watching porn among the major sins.

Allah knows best. He knows His creation. He knows that we are weak. Therefore, He likes us to stay away from shameful things.

Those who Propagate Shameful things among the Believers

"Verily those who love that indecency should spread among the believers deserve a painful chastisement in the world and in the Hereafter. Allah knows, but you do not know." Quran 24:19

Innal lazeena yuhibbuna an tasheeal fahishatu fillazeena amanou lahum azabun aleemun fid dunya wal akhirate, wallahu yalamu wa antum la talamoon.

The words used in the verse (fahishatu) embrace all the various forms that might be used to spread shameful and lewd behavior though any means be it pictures, films, or internet. 

Don't follow Satan

At several places in the Quran, God warns us not to follow the steps of Satan: "He will incite you for shameful things (fuhsha) and encourage you to do universally accepted wrong things (al-munkar) Quran 24:21

Restrain Your Gaze & Guard Your Private Parts

"Enjoin believing men to restrain their gaze and guard their private parts. That is purer for them. Surely Allah is well aware of all what they do.

And enjoin believing women to restrain their gaze and guard their private parts and additionally not to reveal their adornment except that which is revealed of itself." Quran 24:30-31

Sayings of the Prophet: Hadith

No man or woman should look at the naked body of each other (unless married). Sahih Muslim

By God, I would prefer to be thrown from the skies and spatterred in parts than to look at someone's private parts or let someone look at my private parts. Narrated by Salman. Almabsooth kitabul istehsan.

Don't expose your thigh to anyone and don't look at the thigh of any person even if s/he is dead. Narrated Ali ibn abi Talib. Ibn e Maja, Abi Dawud, Darqutani. Tafseer Kabeer

Once someone's thigh was open in public. The Prophet said don't you know thigh is supposed to be kept covered? Jerhad Aslami. Muatta Imam Malik, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud

Allah has written for Adam's son his share of adultery which he commits inevitably. The adultery of the eyes is the sight (to gaze at a forbidden thing), the adultery of the tongue is the talk, and the inner self wishes and desires and the private parts testify all this or deny it. Abu Hurairah. Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud.

Other Scholarly Perspectives

"It's absolutely Haram," notes Shaykh Muhammad Nur Abdullah. He is the Imam of the Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis in Missouri.

"If someone is looking at someone committing Zina (sex outside of marriage) whether it is in movies or pictures or the actual thing, it's all Haram," he adds.

"Pornographic pictures and movies are haram (prohibited). Muslims should not watch, sell or make such movies. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is reported to have said: 'The eyes commit adultery, the tongue commits adultery, the hands commit adultery, the feet commit adultery and then the private parts confirm it or deny it." (Reported by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal)

"This means that watching pornographic movies, listening to such songs or singing them, using one's hands and feet for this purpose, all these are sins that are related to Zina and then the final act of Zina takes place through haram intercourse." Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi

So, is watching porn by Logging in and browsing pornographic sites is forbidden? Yes, because a Muslim is always commanded to lower his/her gaze, let alone give a loose rein to his/her ? eyes to look at the private parts of others.

May Allah keep us all safe spiritually and physically.

Comments

Assalam-0-Alikum everyone,i highly appreciate our brother's efforts in warning us not to look at pornographic materials.i think it is the duty of every Muslim brother and sister to help each other in any-way possible. i would like to recommend a website, where you can control your children, younger brothers/sisters from this menance.www.cyberpatrol.com

Location

Kabul, Afghanistan

Thanks for keeping us from this evil thing. Well I don’t know how the other takes this but I you have made a BIG…BIG chance in my life and I pray Allah Almighty to help me and all my Muslim brothers and sister and of course others as well to keep away from this stuff. Thank you again.

Location

thank you for making the effort to increase awareness about this subject. porn and those who practice and watch it is negative. i believe its humiliating to women and damaging to the image of women. the unfortunate thing is that there are people who use that to reinforce the idea that all women are loose. the first time i was exposed to pornography was at home unfortunately, my older brother was downloading videos and pictures and i came across them one time by chance on his computer. i respect my parents but i dont feel they acted as they were supposed to when i told them. my other brother started doing the same thing when he was 15. it made me feel bad because it indicates that they have no respect for women at all, which means they dont respect their mother or sisters because if they did they would not expose us to it like that. i know for a fact that i will fight porn wherever i come across it, and i will do everything i can to make sure that my children do not have access to it, and teach them why its haram to get involved in such sin.God blessamneh

Location

a great article,all i can say!!!!

Location

Canada

The muslim ummah is at a very difficult time at the moment. it is important that we fight the evils of this world. We can see it already around the world and in the news for example. Al hamdullillah i am happy about this websitewhich has stopped me from doing HARAM. We as muslims around have to get ourselves out of the horrible situation that we are in. Fighting PORNOGRAPHY is the first step. Getting away from this and other acts disgusting acts, and drawing close to ALLAH (SWT), the muslim ummah can get out of this situation we are seeing around the world. (BEING IN THE PLEASURE OF ALLAH (SWT) IS BETTER THAN ANY OTHER KIND OF PLEASURE!!!). -AMIR 16

Location

LONDON

I am really gald to know about this site.I am Azhar kaleem President Camp International Pakistan.CAMP(Council Against the Misuse of internet and Pornography.Really it is burning issue of the time.Pornography doenot recognize any boundry and whome it effects,Molvee,Paster,buisnessmen,teacher no one is spared.

Location

I think that this section on your website is excellent.

Location

UK

Your comment about hizb ut tahrir is not only incorrect but also shows poor research on your behalf. If You go to one of the adopted books of Hizb ut tahrir called Systems of islam under the chapter of culture and Civilisation page 84 you will see that it states that the picture of a naked woman contradicts the civilisation of islam and such pictures would be prohibited in the Islamic State. This book was published in 1953 which was the year the Party was founded. You should openly recant on your statement on your main website page and fear Allah swt for ever making any other untrue statements. By Allah, Allah sees and hears all we do.www.hizb-ut-tahrir.org official webpage of the party

Location

Manchester

Assalam-0-Alikum, I think that u are performing a great job to introducing the bad usage of internet for the pornography but i think that we should be toghter to thought that what is the ways to stop these pornography because i think that it is not enough to describe the demerits of pornography.Firstly, we look at our house and tell our brother and sister that this is very bad thing to watch the 'porn' picture in the internet or other resources, then we tells our friends and forbid them to watch these things.I am trying my best to tell about the demerits of pornography. Proud to be a Muslim. M.Farhan Siddiq

Location

pakistan

Thanks for tapping on this important issue. Pronography is spreading like wildfire in Saudi Arabia following opening the gates of internet to this conservative society. Though a firewall has been used (quiet functional) pornographic material is circulating via emails. Its unfortunate but I believe that this conservative society has been given a big dose of such material and things are getting out of control. I suggest that internet use should be limited and be under supervision by parents. As for both children and adults they should be educated about pornography on internet and how bad it is so that their concious is awakened and they become aware about the concequences of their actions while online. Good luck and jazakumallah.

Location

Saudi Arabia

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