Fatwa ID: 08300
Answered by: Maulana Yusuf Badshah
Question:
Since last year, I have been in a haraam relationship (prohibited relationship) with a girl, during which we performed Anal intercourse several times.
So my questions are:
1) is anal intercourse also a fornication?
2) is it necessary for me to marry that girl, although we kept promising each other for marriage during this time?
3) will Allah forgive my sin? And what is the best method of repentance of this sin?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Answer:
1) Anal intercourse is of course a type of fornication. Although not subject to the same rulings as normal intercourse, any form of impermissible physical relationship falls under Zina, one of the most severe major sins, and the one who does not repent will receive an appropriate punishment in the hereafter. Rather, even in a Halal marriage, anal intercourse has been explicitly prohibited [1].
2) Nowhere in Islam does it stipulate that the fornicators must marry each other, although those who are chaste are discouraged from marrying the fornicator. One is however commanded to uphold their promises, provided the consequences of doing so are not more severe. Either way, you are completely prohibited from having any relations with her until you marry her [2]. If you think you will return to having Haraam relations of any kind with her, if marrying another woman would lead to you mistreating her by comparing the two, or you cannot find another woman to marry given your past actions, then it would be better that you fulfil your promise and marry her, provided she is a Muslim and is genuinely willing to change. However, if staying with her means either of you risks losing their Iman, failing to uphold the Fara’idh of Islam, falling back into sin, being unable to raise decent children in an Islamic and pure environment or committing anal intercourse again, then you should separate from her permanently.
3) Allah s.w.t can forgive any sin, no matter how grave [3]. As for whether or not you will be forgiven, that is up to Allah s.w.t, and will depend on the sincerity of your repentance, your regret and your attempt to change.
There are several stages to repenting from a major sin such as this. First, one must stop the sin that they are committing, taking practical measures to distance or prevent themselves from committing it. Secondly, they must hold genuine regret for the sin that they have committed, understanding the gravity of their actions and demonstrating this in their words, actions and demeanour. They must then repent sincerely to Allah s.w.t for their actions, seeking his forgiveness and hoping for his acceptance. The best repentance is where one is able to shed tears of regret. This should be done without delay, preferably after a Fardh Salah, Tahajjud or following some other act of Ibadah. Finally, one must take genuine steps to ensure they do not repeat the sin again. This will mean either marrying her after making your desire to change clear and ensuring she is equally willing to do so, or separating from her permanently and taking steps to prevent any form of contact with her again [4].
All of this is dependent upon the strength of one’s Iman and sincerity. The sins you have committed are deserving of some of the most severe consequences in Islam, and when one chooses to commit such clear transgressions that even the least knowledgable Muslim knows is impermissible, they risk jeopardising not only their hereafter but also their relationship with Allah s.w.t.
And Only Allah knows best
Written by Maulana Yusuf Badshah
Checked and approved by Mufti Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
[1] Sunan Abi Dawud 2162:
حَدَّثَنَا هَنَّادٌ، عَنْ وَكِيعٍ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ سُهَيْلِ بْنِ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ مُخَلَّدٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ مَلْعُونٌ مَنْ أَتَى امْرَأَتَهُ فِي دُبُرِهَا ”
Jami’ At-Tirmidhi 1165:
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو سَعِيدٍ الأَشَجُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو خَالِدٍ الأَحْمَرُ، عَنِ الضَّحَّاكِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ، عَنْ مَخْرَمَةَ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ، عَنْ كُرَيْبٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ لاَ يَنْظُرُ اللَّهُ إِلَى رَجُلٍ أَتَى رَجُلاً أَوِ امْرَأَةً فِي الدُّبُرِ ”
[2] Surah An-Nur 3:
{ الزَّانِي لَا يَنكِحُ إِلَّا زَانِيَةً أَوْ مُشْرِكَةً وَالزَّانِيَةُ لَا يَنكِحُهَا إِلَّا زَانٍ أَوْ مُشْرِكٌ ۚ وَحُرِّمَ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ۞}
Surah Al-Mu’minun 1-8:
{ قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۞ الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ ۞ وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَنِ اللَّغْوِ مُعْرِضُونَ ۞ وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِلزَّكَاةِ فَاعِلُونَ ۞ وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَافِظُونَ ۞ إِلَّا عَلَىٰ أَزْوَاجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ ۞ فَمَنِ ابْتَغَىٰ وَرَاءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْعَادُونَ ۞ وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَانَاتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَاعُونَ ۞}
[3] Surah Al-Furqan 68-70:
{ وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَدْعُونَ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا آخَرَ وَلَا يَقْتُلُونَ النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَلَا يَزْنُونَ ۚ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ يَلْقَ أَثَامًا ۞ يُضَاعَفْ لَهُ الْعَذَابُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَيَخْلُدْ فِيهِ مُهَانًا ۞ إِلَّا مَن تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا فَأُولَٰئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ حَسَنَاتٍ ۗ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا ۞}
Surah Az-Zumar 53-54:
{ قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ ۞ وَأَنِيبُوا إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمْ وَأَسْلِمُوا لَهُ مِن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِيَكُمُ الْعَذَابُ ثُمَّ لَا تُنصَرُونَ ۞}
[4] Riyadhus Saliheen, pg. 34, Muas’asatul Risalah:
قَالَ العلماءُ: التَّوْبَةُ وَاجبَةٌ مِنْ كُلِّ ذَنْب, فإنْ كَانتِ المَعْصِيَةُ بَيْنَ العَبْدِ وبَيْنَ اللهِ تَعَالَى لاَ تَتَعلَّقُ بحقّ آدَمِيٍّ, فَلَهَا ثَلاثَةُ شُرُوط:
أحَدُها: أنْ يُقلِعَ عَنِ المَعصِيَةِ. والثَّانِي: أَنْ يَنْدَمَ عَلَى فِعْلِهَا. والثَّالثُ: أنْ يَعْزِمَ أَنْ لا يعُودَ إِلَيْهَا أَبَداً. فَإِنْ فُقِدَ أَحَدُ الثَّلاثَةِ لَمْ تَصِحَّ تَوبَتُهُ.
Jami’ At-Tirmidhi 1633:
حَدَّثَنَا هَنَّادٌ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْمَسْعُودِيِّ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ عِيسَى بْنِ طَلْحَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ لاَ يَلِجُ النَّارَ رَجُلٌ بَكَى مِنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ حَتَّى يَعُودَ اللَّبَنُ فِي الضَّرْعِ وَلاَ يَجْتَمِعُ غُبَارٌ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَدُخَانُ جَهَنَّمَ ”
