What is the meaning of a forbidden act not being permissible except out of necessity when there is no other substitute, and does this mean permitting masturbation out of severe necessity?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
Masturbation is forbidden, and abandoning it is obligatory. However, if the matter revolves between it and something that is more gravely forbidden, then in such a case, it falls under the rubric of committing the lesser of two evils to avoid the greater, which is a principle established in . So, if a person cannot repel fornication except by masturbation, he should prioritize it over fornication, committing the lesser of the two evils.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/102149
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- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 102149
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy