Surah Al-Muminoon (23) — Ayah 7

(Ayah 7) {فَمَنِ ابْتَغٰى وَرَآءَ ذٰلِكَ … :} That is, those who fulfill their desires in any way other than with their wives and slave women are the ones who exceed the limits. From this verse, it is established that intercourse with any woman other than one's lawful wife or slave woman is exceeding the limits. Thus, it is said: «وَ لَا تَقْرَبُوا الزِّنٰۤى اِنَّهٗ كَانَ فَاحِشَةً وَ سَآءَ سَبِيْلًا » [ بنی إسرائیل : ۳۲ ] "And do not go near adultery; indeed, it is ever an immorality and is an evil way." Similarly, the act of the people of Lot, committing indecency with an animal, and such acts by hand or any other means are also exceeding the limits. Although there are differences in the degrees of transgression, it is not permissible for a believer to exceed the limits of Allah in any way.

Note: Extracting semen by hand, although it is a despicable act and against dignity, and is exceeding the limits, but among the warnings regarding it, none of the narrations attributed to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) are established. For example, the narration: [ نَاكِحُ الْيَدِ مَلْعُوْنٌ ] "The one who marries with his hand is accursed." And the narration that there are seven people whom Allah will neither look at nor purify on the Day of Resurrection, and will admit them to the Fire first, the first of whom is {’’نَاكِحُ الْيَدِ‘‘} (the one who marries with his hand), and the narration that on the Day of Resurrection, the hands of those who commit this act will be in a state of pregnancy, etc.

7-1. From this it is understood that Mut'ah is absolutely not permitted in Islam, and there are only two lawful ways to fulfill sexual desire: by intercourse with a wife or by cohabiting with a slave woman. In fact, now only the wife remains for this purpose because the technical existence of slave women has currently ended. If ever circumstances bring them into existence again, then intercourse with them will be permissible just like with a wife.

7. But whoever seeks beyond that, then such people are the transgressors [7].

[7]
The Three Possible Forms of Carnal Desire and the Path of Moderation:

There were only three possible ways regarding carnal desires. One was that a person should completely abandon such desires. The second was that a person should be completely free in fulfilling these desires. The third was that a moderate approach should be adopted. Islam has chosen the moderate approach among these.

All Forms Except Lawful Marriage and Possession by the Right Hand Are Forbidden:

That is, the way to fulfill these desires has been opened, but only in the form of lawful marriage or possession by the right hand. The other two extremist approaches have been declared unlawful and forbidden. Neither has the abandonment of desire in monasticism been favored, nor the unbridled freedom in this matter. In this verse, this unrestrained freedom has been declared forbidden, and in it, adultery, sodomy or pederasty, lesbianism, masturbation, or any form of sexual gratification other than the above two forms are all declared unlawful. It is clear that by lawful marriage is meant such a marriage that is done to establish a home for the woman, the woman's consent is considered primary, the woman's guardian performs the marriage, the marriage is announced, at least two witnesses are present, and the Mahr (dower) is fixed. A marriage that does not fulfill these conditions, such as temporary marriage (Nikah Mut'ah), marriage for the sake of making something lawful (Nikah Halalah), or marriage of exchange (Nikah Shighar), is not lawful. In the time of the Prophet ﷺ, there were several other types of marriages in practice that did not fulfill these conditions. Therefore, they were automatically rendered void. Thus, Hazrat Aisha ؓ says that in the time of ignorance, people used to marry in four ways. One was the well-known marriage, as people do nowadays, that is, a person would ask another for marriage, and he would marry off his female relative (such as a sister, niece, etc.) or daughter by fixing a dowry. (This type of marriage has been maintained by Islam.) The second form was that when a man's wife became pure from menstruation, the husband would say to his wife, "Call such and such a man to you and embrace him (i.e., have intercourse with him)." When the woman had intercourse with that man, her husband would stay away from her until the pregnancy from that other man became apparent. And when the pregnancy was clear, her husband, if he wished, would have intercourse with her. The husband would do this so that a noble and excellent child would be born (so that the child would be a cause of the husband's fame). Such a marriage was called Nikah Istibda'. The third form of marriage was that a woman had several husbands, but they were less than ten, and all of them would have intercourse with her. Then, when she became pregnant, a few days after childbirth, she would call all those husbands, and they would all have to come at her invitation. When they gathered at her place, she would say, "You know what you have done. Now, the child that has been born to me is the child of so-and-so among you." In this matter, the woman had full authority to name whomever she wished, and the child would be considered his, and no one could object to her decision (because it was the custom of the nation). The fourth form was that many men would come and go to a woman's place, and she would have intercourse with each one, refusing none, and these were prostitutes, at whose doors a flag was placed for identification. Now, whoever wished could have intercourse with her. Then, when she became pregnant and gave birth to a child, all the men who had been with her would gather at her place, and a physiognomist would be called. The physiognomist, according to his knowledge, would declare one of the men to be the father of the child, and the child would be considered his son and he would be called the child's father, and no one could object to the decision of the physiognomist. Then, when Allah Almighty sent Muhammad ﷺ as a Prophet, he abolished all the marriages of the age of ignorance. Only one type of marriage remained, which people practice today. [بخاری۔ کتاب النکاح۔ باب من قال لانکاح الا بولی۔۔]