ZINA AND ITS EVIL CONSEQUENCES IN THE SOCIETY BY IMAM MASHOOD DAGBO
Zina refers in English as either fornication or adultery. It connotes fornication when illegal sexual intercourse occurs between two individuals that are unmarried either from the anus or vagina, while; it is adultery when the two individuals are married. Zina has become an arch immorality in our society that takes different forms, either between man to man, or woman to woman or both together in numbers as well as between humans and animals. Allah (SWT) says: .. do not near indecencies those which are apparent and those which are concealed.” Q6:151. The verse forbids Muslims from committing any form of immoralities, such as adultery, fornication, gay, lesbian, rape, sex with animals etc; it is because the act will eventually open doors to many indecencies which would have bad influences in the society. In the same vein, the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said in one of his Hadiths related by Abdullah that the Prophet (SAW) said: “there is no one ever jealous than Allah, that is why, He forbade immoralities at the same time, no one ever loved to be praised than Allah” Sahih Bukhari, 5225. This Hadith cautions envy and hatred that would later come out from the commitment of Zina and that which would also envelop the unity and love existing among people.
Indeed, the prohibition of Zina (fornication/ adultery) in Islam is to ensure we live harmonious life and relate among ourselves as a one big family. Meanwhile, there are some established wisdoms behind its prohibition, such as; safeguarding the ideal islamic societies from immoralities; protection of Muslims’ personalities from soiling, protection of lives from fighting that can lead to killing and mayhem, retention of humans’ honour and perternity, establishment of family’s legal trees, and purification of heart from enemity. Notwithstanding, Allah (SWT) has made it prohibited among mankind and declared it as one of the greatest sins after disbelief, association of partner with Allah, murder, disrespect to parents, among many, whereas, the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said that; “no fornicator or adulter is a Muslim while committing it”. The Hadith established the illegality and prohibition of the Zina, and such; actors would be welcoming back to Islam if he/ she regrets, repents and promises never to return to such ugly act.
Substantiating the stand of Islam on the prohibition of Zina, the Muslim scholars have torch-lighted into the possible causes of Zina in our society, therefore their submissions are not limited to these:
1. Weakness of faith: it is opined that when humans’ spirit is down, he tends to grasp any form of immoralities within him or being introduced. The Prophet Muhammad said as related by Abu Hurayrah that: if a believer commits Zina, he has already gone out of his faith and there was a blockage/darkness over his head, so after he realised the mistake and sought for forgiveness, his faith shall be returned back to him” Tirmidh & Abu Dawud (Mishkat al-Masabih, 50).
2. Refusal to marry: This has been one of the causes, when a young boy or girl feels that he has to enjoy life before marriage or marriage is not in his/her dictionary. Whereas, the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) encouraged us to get married because of the benefits therein as said in his Hadith: ‘Abdallah b. Mas’ud reported Allah’s Messenger as saying, “Young man, those of you who can support a wife should marry, for it keeps you from looking at strange women and preserves you from immorality; but those who cannot should devote themselves to fasting, for it is a means of suppressing sexual desire”’. Bukhari & Muslim (Mishkat al-Masabih 3080).
3. Illegal Gathering of Male and Female: it has been part of our system in Nigeria and Africa in general not to restrict or have plans for arranging both male or female for a particular purpose or reason, such as; schools, markets, hospitals etc. whereas unnecessary mingling of male and female who are not prohibited from marrying one another creates room for perpetuation of Zina in our society. Allah (SWT) says: ” ..When you are asking them (women) for a favour, ask them behind the veil, this is pure for your minds and for their hearts…” Q33:53
4. Seclusion with Strangers: Anyone who is not legally allowed to touch a woman or whose stay with her is questionable, such a person is considered ‘Stranger” in Islam. So, unnecessary time spent together between male and female who are not legally consummated is forbidden and it is usually led to committing Zina as humans with innate sexual urge. The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in his Hadith related by Ibn ‘Abbaas that, he heard from the Prophet (SAW) who said: No seclusion (private discussion) between a male and female without his/her family member in the presence and no woman would travel without his family member accompanying her. As the Prophet (SAW) said this, a man among his companions stood up and said: O Prophet (SAW) my wife went out on a trip and I am here to partake in the battle of this and that, the Prophet (SAW) quickly responded to him that, stop going and follow your wife to undertake rites of Hajj” Muslim 1341a.
5. Refusal to Adopt Islamic Mode of Dressing: This is intentionally instituted in Islam to curb sexual immoralities in our society, but reverse is the case as we can see today that our society has become haven of indecent dressing in the name of “dress to kill”, this is not only among unmarried, but unfortunately the married men and women were also involved, irrespective of statuses of their husbands of fathers. Allah (SWT) says while addressing the Prophet (SAW) on the ethics of dressing thus: “O Prophet! say to your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers that they let down upon them their over-garments; this will be more proper, that they may be known, and thus they will not be given trouble; and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful” Q33: 59.
6. Lowering the Gaze: This has been a guard to human sexuality. Allah says regarding lowering the Gaze in al-Qur’an thus: “Say to the believing men that they cast down their looks and guard their private parts; that is purer for them; surely Allah is Aware of what they do. And say to the believing women that they cast down their looks and guard their private parts and do not display their ornaments except what appears thereof, and let them wear their head-coverings over their bosoms, and not display their ornaments except to their husbands or their fathers, or the fathers of their husbands, or their sons, or the sons of their husbands, or their brothers, or their brothers’ sons, or their sisters’ sons, or their women, or those whom their right hands possess, or the male servants not having need (of women), or the children who have not attained knowledge of what is hidden of women; and let them not strike their feet so that what they hide of their ornaments may be known; and turn to Allah all of you, O believers! so that you may be successful” Q24: 30-31
Knowing the nature of Zina reduces its perpetuation, therefore the scholars submitted that there are two kinds of Zina; the Real Zina and Metaphorical Zina. The formal is the actual and physical illegal sexual intercourse between man and woman, while the latter is the use of different parts of the body to contextualise Zina as the Prophet Muhammad SAW said in his Hadith related thus: Abu Hurayrah reported Allah’s Messenger (SAW) as saying. Allah fixed the very portion of adultery which a man will indulge in. There would be no escape from it. The adultery of the eyes is the lustful look and the adultery of the ears is listening to voluptuous (song or talk) and the adultery of the tongue is licentious speech and the adultery of the hand is the lustful grip (embrace) and the adultery of the feet is to walk (to the place) where he intends to commit adultery and the heart yearns and desires which he may or may not put into effect” Sahih Muslim, 2658a.
In attempting to curb the Zina, Islam instituted a strict punishment for Zina to serve as deterrent to others who may want to do the same, whereas the punishment depends in the status of adulterer and fornicator. Meanwhile, the unmarried is punished to one hundred canes each and banishment for a year as Allah says in al-Qur’an thus: “(As for) the fornicatress and the fornicator, flog each of them, (giving) a hundred stripes, and let not pity for them detain you in the matter of obedience to Allah, if you believe in Allah and the last day, and let a party of believers witness their chastisement” Q24:2. While, the married one is punished by stoning to death, though in writing/text, it has been abrogated in al-Qur’an before its compliatuon, but it was practiced during the life of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and its enactment still in use til today. The abrogated verse was quoted thus: “Adulterer and adulteress are to be flogged, it’s a legislation from Allah, verily Allah is Most Honoured and Wise”.
Islam as a perfect and organized religion, highlighted some conditions which must be satisfied before the punishment of Zina can be met on the culprit, such conditions are: the fornicator/fornicatress and adulterer/ adulteress must be Muslim, matured, sane, the act must be established either by four witnesses or confession (as in the case of Ma’iz and Ghaamidiyyah during the life of Prophet Muhammad SAW) who both confessed.
Taking a look at our societies, it is disgusting to witness the highest level of indecencies that aided Zina, while the scholars opined that the remedy to the perpetuation of Zina is the enforcement of causes of Zina mentioned earlier due to the fact that if it is not curbed, its dire consequences might be unstoppable. Hence, some of the evils of Zina in the society are as follows:
1. Enmity among the relatives of the adulterer and fornicator
2. Spreading of sexual evils, such as; diseases, viruses such as; HIV etc.
3. Inability to protect the lives of unborns
4. Murder and War resulting from suspicion and confrontation
5. Denial of blessings of Allah
6. Shattering the blood ties
7. Darkening the illumination of Allah in the eyes of the actors
8. Disappearing of shyness
9. Loss of human dignity and honour
10. Paternal confusion and mix up
11. Denial from inheritance
In conclusion, Muslims are urged, especially scholars to emulate the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in raising their family, keeping them within the limit of Islam, rendering close monitoring on their children especially females, and building Allah trust in them. Hence, members of society, individuals and corporate bodies are called to join hands in the fight to curb indecencies of all forms and Zina at large.
Imam Yusuf Mashood Dagbo, Chief Imam, GGDSS Central Mosque, Okesuna; Anchor, At-Tibyān on SBS FM & Director, YUMAD Consults, specializes in educational consultancy, Cultural Orientation, Marriage Counselling, Event Organization, Public Presentation etc. Contact: dagbomashood@gmail.com (08035215264).
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