Q. A couple of weeks back I stumbled upon your website, and I find it to
be a very interesting, informative, and above all, a logical take on Islam.
Now, I have a question about masturbation in Islam.
I know that in the time of the Prophet (SAW), people used to
marry at a very early age and thus were able to fulfill their sexual desires
with their spouses. However, in today's society, with all of the sexualized
images around, and where people tend to get married in their late twenties (or
even later), it often becomes difficult to control
one's desires if one is unmarried.
So, I have looked on the Internet at a number of websites
and the various views have been as follows:
1) Masturbation is totally haram.
2) Masturbation is permissible if a person is not married.
3) Masturbation is permissible if a person believes that not
indulging in it will lead to adultery.
4) Masturbation is permissible.
I was wondering what your opinion is on this issue, and also
whether you had any suggestions on how to prevent oneself
from resorting to this act.
A. Our view is that of the psychologists on the subject, and you should
consult with them. As far as our understanding, the needs and wants of the
sexual human creature is often decided by
circumstances. One of the unique things about Islamic law is that it takes the
individual situation into account, so much so that it is often impossible for
any serious scholar to rule for a definitive yea or nay on certain subjects.
This becomes a greater problem when such a matter is not covered in the Qur'an,
since our view is that when God prohibits something, we have to find clear
evidence for such proscription in scripture. If we cannot, then we prefer to go
with the idea that if God has not prohibited it, then it is lawful under normal
circumstances, unless logic or other factors dictate otherwise.
Note that our view is that there is no such thing as
"Islamic" psychology or medicine, since there is no criterion that
would make a science un-Islamic. Knowledge is what it is, and a professional
has studied the negative and positive aspects of any practice, which is why we
refer you to a psychologist. It is certainly true that there are Muslims who
will seek to impose their understanding of Islam on their professional practice,
and that is their right. The problem is that some may mistakenly prohibit what
God has allowed, or vice-versa. We feel that any specialist, Muslim or not,
listening to a particular case, can better provide an answer.
It might be of use to you to know that some jurists would
apply the rule "committing the lesser of two evils" in the case you
ask, given the choice between fornication and masturbation. The problem,
however, with such a method raises the question: "Is masturbation an evil
to begin with?" If you prefer a Muslim psychologist, I am sure that there
must be a board of professional psychologists who can give you the contact
information for one in your area. While we recommended psychologists, do note
that there are other professionals who can assist, among them medical doctors.
You may surf the web and assess the answers that you find based on your
intellectual analysis. Our position is, I think, pretty clear; we cannot find a
reliable prohibition.
Posted October 23,
2008