Fatwa ID: 09173
Answered by Muftiyah Maryam Badshah
Question:
Salam alaikum, I know that most scholars consider istimna as haram but scholars say that it is makruh, would it be permissible to follow the ruling that it is not sinful?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Istimna’ (masturbation) is forbidden (haram) according to the Hanafi madhab. The only exception to this is if an individual is genuinely unable to fast and also fears they will commit zina (adultery), and they perform this act in order to remove the desire they are experiencing, and not to increase it.[1]
“And those who are guardians of their chastity Except from their spouses or those who their right hands possess, for in that case they shall not be blamed But whoever seeks to go beyond that, then those are the transgressors ” Surah Mu’minoon (23:5-7) [2]
A madhab is a school of thought that follows a train of logic that is consistent and does not contradict itself. Madhabs were developed in order to preserve knowledge, jurisprudence, and to develop a methodology in order to address new issues that were not brought up during the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ. When it comes to following a madhab, the scholars agree that an individual should endeavour to follow the madhab they believe to be correct and have the most access to, and that the average person is only required to seek answers from a knowledgeable Islamic scholar they trust, rather than a specific madhab. However, in order to be logically consistent, an individual should not mix rulings from different madhabs within the same fiqh category (e.g. business, purity, etc.), as doing so can lead to contradictions in the basic principles the rulings are based on. Furthermore, an individual risks following their desires when they decide to pick and choose rulings from different madhabs. Aside from this, if you are truly struggling, you may wish to consider changing to a different madhab altogether.[3]
To rid oneself of any bad habits or misdeeds, sincerity in ending the sin, as well as strength of will, perseverance and genuine desire for Allah’s forgiveness are needed. Find out what leads you to taking part in this act and take steps to remove these causes from your life. Solutions given regarding the sin of masturbation are to profusely make du’a and zikr, fast abundantly and pray salah. Put safeguards in place for yourself, such as lowering your gaze, restricting internet usage and abandoning explicit content, staying in the company of others, seeking professional help and avoiding being alone or idle even at night. Another measure you can take is to seek marriage if you are not already married. Other, more in-depth solutions have also been advised elsewhere on this website.
Narrated from `Abdullah ﵁: We were with the Prophet ﷺ while we were young and had no wealth. So Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said, “O young people! Whoever can afford to get married, let him get married. Indeed it is more effective in lowering the gaze and guarding one’s chastity. And whoever is not able to marry, should fast. Indeed, it is a strength/restraint for him” (Bukhari & Muslim) [4]
Only Allah ﷻ knows best.
Written by Muftiyah Maryam Badshah
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
[1]
قُلْت: وَكَذَا فِيمَا يَظْهَرُ لَوْ كَانَ لَا يُمْكِنُهُ مَنْعُ نَفْسِهِ عَنْ النَّظَرِ الْمُحَرَّمِ أَوْ عَنْ الِاسْتِمْنَاءِ بِالْكَفِّ، فَيَجِبُ التَّزَوُّجُ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَخَفْ الْوُقُوعَ فِي الزِّنَا (قَوْلُهُ: فَإِنْ تَيَقَّنَ الزِّنَا إلَّا بِهِ فُرِضَ) أَيْ بِأَنْ كَانَ لَا يُمْكِنُهُ الِاحْتِرَازُ عَنْ الزِّنَا إلَّا بِهِ؛ لِأَنَّ مَا لَا يُتَوَصَّلُ إلَى تَرْكِ الْحَرَامِ إلَّا بِهِ يَكُونُ فَرْضًا بَحْرٌ، وَفِيهِ نَظَرٌ إذْ التَّرْكُ قَدْ يَكُونُ بِغَيْرِ النِّكَاحِ وَهُوَ التَّسَرِّي، وَحِينَئِذٍ فَلَا يَلْزَمُ وُجُوبُهُ إلَّا لَوْ فَرَضْنَا الْمَسْأَلَةَ بِأَنَّهُ لَيْسَ قَادِرًا عَلَيْهِ نَهْرٌ لَكِنْ قَوْلُهُ: لَا يُمْكِنُهُ الِاحْتِرَازُ عَنْهُ إلَّا بِهِ ظَاهِرٌ فِي فَرْضِ الْمَسْأَلَةِ فِي عَدَمِ قُدْرَتِهِ عَلَى التَّسَرِّي وَكَذَا فِي عَدَمِ قُدْرَتِهِ عَلَى الصَّوْمِ الْمَانِعِ مِنْ الْوُقُوعِ فِي الزِّنَا فَلَوْ قَدَرَ عَلَى شَيْءٍ مِنْ ذَلِكَ لَمْ يَبْقَ النِّكَاحُ فَرْضًا أَوْ وَاجِبًا عَيْنًا، بَلْ هُوَ أَوْ غَيْرُهُ مِمَّا يَمْنَعُهُ عَنْ الْوُقُوعِ فِي الْمُحَرَّمِ
Raddul Muhtār (Vol.3, pg.6, Dār Al-Fiqr)
الِاسْتِمْنَاءُ حَرَامٌ، وَفِيهِ التَّعْزِيرُ…
قَوْلُهُ الِاسْتِمْنَاءُ حَرَامٌ) أَيْ بِالْكَفِّ إذَا كَانَ لِاسْتِجْلَابِ الشَّهْوَةِ، أَمَّا إذَا غَلَبَتْهُ الشَّهْوَةُ وَلَيْسَ لَهُ زَوْجَةٌ وَلَا أَمَةٌ فَفَعَلَ ذَلِكَ لِتَسْكِينِهَا فَالرَّجَاءُ أَنَّهُ لَا وَبَالَ عَلَيْهِ كَمَا قَالَهُ أَبُو اللَّيْثِ، وَيَجِبُ لَوْ خَافَ الزِّنَا
Raddul Muhtār (Vol.4, pg.27, Dār Al-Fiqr)
[2]
… وَكَذَا الِاسْتِمْنَاءُ بِالْكَفِّ وَإِنْ كُرِهَ تَحْرِيمًا لِحَدِيثِ «نَاكِحُ الْيَدِ مَلْعُونٌ» وَلَوْ خَافَ الزِّنَى يُرْجَى أَنْ لَا وَبَالَ عَلَيْهِ…
… (قَوْلُهُ: وَلَوْ خَافَ الزِّنَى إلَخْ) الظَّاهِرُ أَنَّهُ غَيْرُ قَيْدٍ بَلْ لَوْ تَعَيَّنَ الْخَلَاصُ مِنْ الزِّنَى بِهِ وَجَبَ؛ لِأَنَّهُ أَخَفُّ وَعِبَارَةُ الْفَتْحِ فَإِنْ غَلَبَتْهُ الشَّهْوَةُ فَفَعَلَ إرَادَةَ تَسْكِينِهَا بِهِ فَالرَّجَاءُ أَنْ لَا يُعَاقَبَ… وَيَدُلُّ أَيْضًا عَلَى مَا قُلْنَا مَا فِي الزَّيْلَعِيِّ حَيْثُ اسْتَدَلَّ عَلَى عَدَمِ حِلِّهِ بِالْكَفِّ بِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى {وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَافِظُونَ} [المؤمنون: ٥] الْآيَةُ وَقَالَ فَلَمْ يُبَحْ الِاسْتِمْتَاعُ إلَّا بِهِمَا أَيْ بِالزَّوْجَةِ وَالْأَمَةِ اهـ فَأَفَادَ عَدَمَ حِلِّ الِاسْتِمْتَاعِ أَيْ قَضَاءِ الشَّهْوَةِ بِغَيْرِهِمَا هَذَا مَا ظَهَرَ لِي وَاَللَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ أَعْلَمُ
Raddul Muhtār (Vol.2, pg.399, Dār Al-Fiqr)
[2]
وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَافِظُونَ إِلَّا عَلَىٰ أَزْوَاجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ فَمَنِ ابْتَغَىٰ وَرَاءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْعَادُونَ
Qur’an (23:5-7)
[3]
… وَقَدْ شَاعَ أَنَّ الْعَامِّيَّ لَا مَذْهَبَ لَهُ
إذَا عَلِمْت ذَلِكَ ظَهَرَ لَك أَنَّ مَا ذُكِرَ عَنْ النَّسَفِيِّ مِنْ وُجُوبِ اعْتِقَادِ أَنَّ مَذْهَبَهُ صَوَابٌ يَحْتَمِلُ الْخَطَأَ مَبْنِيٌّ عَلَى أَنَّهُ لَا يَجُوزُ تَقْلِيدُ الْمَفْضُولِ وَأَنَّهُ يَلْزَمُهُ الْتِزَامُ مَذْهَبِهِ وَأَنَّ ذَلِكَ لَا يَتَأَتَّى فِي الْعَامِّيِّ
وَقَدْ رَأَيْت فِي آخِرِ فَتَاوَى ابْنِ حَجَرٍ الْفِقْهِيَّةِ التَّصْرِيحَ بِبَعْضِ ذَلِكَ فَإِنَّهُ سُئِلَ عَنْ عِبَارَةِ النَّسَفِيِّ الْمَذْكُورَةِ، ثُمَّ حَرَّرَ أَنَّ قَوْلَ أَئِمَّةِ الشَّافِعِيَّةِ كَذَلِكَ، ثُمَّ قَالَ إنَّ ذَلِكَ مَبْنِيٌّ عَلَى الضَّعِيفِ مِنْ أَنَّهُ يَجِبُ تَقْلِيدُ الْأَعْلَمِ دُونَ غَيْرِهِ
وَالْأَصَحُّ أَنَّهُ يَتَخَيَّرُ فِي تَقْلِيدِ أَيٍّ شَاءَ وَلَوْ مَفْضُولًا وَإِنْ اعْتَقَدَهُ كَذَلِكَ، وَحِينَئِذٍ فَلَا يُمْكِنُ أَنْ يَقْطَعَ أَوْ يَظُنَّ أَنَّهُ عَلَى الصَّوَابِ، بَلْ عَلَى الْمُقَلِّدِ أَنْ يَعْتَقِدَ أَنَّ مَا ذَهَبَ إلَيْهِ إمَامُهُ يَحْتَمِلُ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ. قَالَ ابْنُ حَجَرٍ: ثُمَّ رَأَيْت الْمُحَقِّقَ ابْنَ الْهُمَامِ صَرَّحَ بِمَا يُؤَيِّدُهُ حَيْثُ قَالَ فِي شَرْحِ الْهِدَايَةِ: إنْ أَخَذَ الْعَامِّيُّ بِمَا يَقَعُ فِي قَلْبِهِ أَنَّهُ أَصْوَبُ أَوْلَى، وَعَلَى هَذَا اسْتَفْتَى مُجْتَهِدَيْنِ فَاخْتَلَفَا عَلَيْهِ الْأَوْلَى أَنْ يَأْخُذَ بِمَا يَمِيلُ إلَيْهِ قَلْبُهُ مِنْهُمَا. وَعِنْدِي أَنَّهُ لَوْ أَخَذَ بِقَوْلِ الَّذِي لَا يَمِيلُ إلَيْهِ جَازَ؛ لِأَنَّ مَيْلَهُ وَعَدَمَهُ سَوَاءٌ، وَالْوَاجِبُ عَلَيْهِ تَقْلِيدُ مُجْتَهِدٍ وَقَدْ فَعَلَ. اهـ
Raddul Muhtār (Vol.1, pg.48, Dār Al-Fiqr)
[4]
حَدَّثَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ حَفْصِ بْنِ غِيَاثٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عُمَارَةُ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ، قَالَ دَخَلْتُ مَعَ عَلْقَمَةَ وَالأَسْوَدِ عَلَى عَبْدِ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ كُنَّا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم شَبَابًا لاَ نَجِدُ شَيْئًا فَقَالَ لَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهُ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ يَا مَعْشَرَ الشَّبَابِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ الْبَاءَةَ فَلْيَتَزَوَّجْ، فَإِنَّهُ أَغَضُّ لِلْبَصَرِ، وَأَحْصَنُ لِلْفَرْجِ، وَمَنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَعَلَيْهِ بِالصَّوْمِ، فَإِنَّهُ لَهُ وِجَاءٌ ”.
Sahih al-Bukhari 5066 (Bk.67, ch.3, sunnah.com)