❖ Ruling on Masturbation According to Qur'an and Sunnah
Source: Fatāwā Arkān-e-Islām
◈ Introduction
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, Ammā baʿd!
Islamic Sharīʿah instructs its followers towards chastity, purity, and moral uprightness. It not only prohibits acts of adultery and obscenity but also forbids all those means and pathways that could lead a person toward such forbidden actions.
◈ Lawful Means for Fulfilling Sexual Desires
Islam has designated two legitimate avenues for fulfilling one's sexual needs:
① Conjugal relations with one’s wife
② Intercourse with a slave-woman (as per Islamic rulings)
Allah ﷻ says:
﴿وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَافِظُونَ – إِلَّا عَلَىٰ أَزْوَاجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ – فَمَنِ ابْتَغَىٰ وَرَاءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْعَادُونَ﴾
(Al-Mu’minūn: 5–7)
Translation:
"Those who guard their private parts – except with their wives or those whom their right hands possess – for indeed, they are not to be blamed. But whoever seeks beyond that, then they are the transgressors."
◈ Scholarly Argument for the Prohibition of Masturbation
✔ Imām al-Shāfiʿī رحمه الله and other scholars have derived from this verse that masturbation (istimnā’ bil-yad) is prohibited, as it represents a third means apart from the two lawful ones (wife and slave-woman).
(Refer: Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr: 3/264)
✔ Imām al-Shāfiʿī رحمه الله states:
"Apart from the wife and slave-woman, it is not lawful to make use of the private part; thus, masturbation is not permissible."
(Aḥkām al-Qur’ān by al-Shāfiʿī, p. 210)
◈ Physical and Psychological Harms of Masturbation
Masturbation causes several health-related and mental problems, including:
❖ Weakening of the nerves of the private organ
❖ Heightened sensory alertness, making a person overly sensitive
❖ Leads to sexual disorders like premature ejaculation
❖ Adversely affects one’s marital life
◈ The Prophet ﷺ's Guidance for Unmarried Individuals
For unmarried individuals who are unable to control their sexual desires and cannot marry, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ provided a pure and effective solution:
"The Prophet ﷺ instructed [such individuals] to observe fasting."
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1019)
Fasting not only reduces physical strength but also elevates spiritual resolve, guiding a person towards taqwā (piety) and abstinence.
✔ Conclusion
➊ Masturbation is an unlawful and harmful act in Islam.
➋ Sharīʿah does not allow it under any circumstance. Fulfilling sexual desires outside of marriage or ownership (in slavery) is considered transgression.
➌ Fasting, as recommended by the Prophet ﷺ, remains the best solution to control carnal urges for unmarried individuals.
وَبِاللّٰهِ التَّوْفِيق
