WARNING

WARNING: Do not be tempted!!!

Affair, adultery, fornication - different words describing the same thing! Everyone must guard themselves against it for not only does it ruin marriages but it also leads them to jahannum (hell). In a dream (Prophet’s dreams are part of revelation), Prophet Muhammad (s) saw two angels coming to him and took him to show him some things. From among the things he (s) saw was a baking oven and in it were naked men and women making much noise. He (s) was later told that the naked men and women in the oven are adulterers (Bukhari, 9/171). This is the punishment for adulterers in jahannum (hell). The punishment in the dunya (worldly life) in an Islamic society is stoning to death for a married person [Ibn Masud (r) related that
Prophet Muhammad(s) said, “The blood of a Muslim may not be spilt other than in one of three instances: the married person who commits adultery; a life for a life; and one who forsakes his religion and abandons the community.” (Bukhari, Muslim)] and whipping or caning 100 times and banished for the unmarried person.
         Restraining desire is a difficult thing to do. Therefore, the person who controls his lust will be among people who Allah bestows mercy on: Abu Huraira (r) narrated that Prophet Muhammad (s) said that among the seven persons whom Allah will shade in the Shade of His Throne on the Day of Judgement when there is no shade except His Shade, is a man who is tempted by a beautiful woman and refused to respond for fear of Allah (Bukhari, Muslim). In another narration by Ibn Umar (r), the Prophet (s) was telling a story of three people who were travelling and who took shelter in a cave from the rain: A big rock fell from the mountain over the mouth of the cave and blocked it. They said to each other, “Think of such good (righteous) deeds which you did for Allah’s sake only, and invoke Allah by giving reference to these deeds so that Allah may relieve you from your difficulty...(the first person was good to his parents, see ‘Good Treatment of Parents’ in vol.3, iss.2)...Then the second person said, “O Allah! I had a female cousin whom I loved as much as a passionate man loves a woman. I tried to seduce her but she refused till I paid her one-hundred dinars. So I worked hard till I collected one-hundred dinars and went to her with that. But when I sat between her she said, ‘O Allah’s slave! Be afraid of Allah! Do not deflower me except legally (by marriage).’ So I left her. O Allah! If you consider that I had done that only for seeking your pleasure, then please let the rock move a little to have a wider opening.’ So Allah shifted that rock to make the opening wider for them...” (Bukhari, 8/5). Subhanallah, if every adulterer could control themselves!!!
         Below are some ways a person can guard him/herself from it.
1 Do not stare at a person who is forbidden to you. If your gaze happens to fall on an attractive person who is haram (forbidden) to you then avert your eyes and do not take a second look or stare! The Prophet (s) said, “...do not let a second look follow the first. The first look is allowed to you but not the second.” (Ahmad, Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi). Prophet Muhammad (s) also said that the eyes also commit adultery by looking at someone with lust (Bukhari).
2 Do not touch a person who is forbidden to you. No matter how “innocent” the touch may be - a pat on the knees, a touch on the shoulders - do not do it (or let someone do it to you)! Ma’qal bin Yasar (r) narrated that the Prophet (s) said, “It is better that a steel nail is driven into your head than for you (man) to touch a woman who is not permissible for you.” (Tabarani, Baihaqi).
3 Do not be alone with a person who is forbidden to you. If you find yourself alone with a person forbidden to you then get out of there quick! Amr ibn Rabiah (r) narrated that Prophet Muhammad (s) said, “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day must never be in private with a woman without there being a mahram of hers (her protector whom she cannot marry e.g. father, brother, uncle...) otherwise shaytan will be the third person with them.” (Ahmad). When there are only the two of you, shaytan will whisper and tempt you with forbidden thoughts.
4 Do not describe others to your spouse and vice versa. People often do not think that it is harmful to describe others to their spouse. They mindlessly say things like, “O so and so has beautiful hair, I wish my hair was the same”, “So and so has a great body!”, “So and so bought beautiful clothes!” and so on. Little do they realise that their spouse has an imagination too and can visualise the other person being described. Abdullah ibn Masud (r) narrated that the Prophet (s) said, “A woman should not look at or touch another woman so that she may describe this woman to her husband in such a way as if he was
actually seeing her.” (Bukhari, Abu Dawud).
        However, what does one do when one observed the above but finds oneself in a forbidden situation? The following might help:
a If you are the perpetuator of the heinous act then control yourself!!! Remember Allah (swt), fear Him and remember His reward for controlling your lust. Always remember that Allah sees everything that we do and he is Aware of all our secrets.
b If you are the victim then do as Maryam, mother of Prophet Isa (a), did when she saw a man appearing in her room (who was actually an angel sent by Allah to give her the good news of a son): “She said, ‘Verily! I seek refuge with the Most Beneficent from you, if you do fear Allah!” (Qur’an, Maryam 19:18). That is, she immediately sought refuge with Allah and she reminded him to fear Allah (swt).
        Fornication is a heinous act. It not only destroys the people involved but it also destroys the society
at large. For this reason, Islam says that it has to be eradicated.