What is the Shar'i ruling on masturbation? And are the Noble Verse (And those who guard their private parts...) and the Hadith "O company of youth..." definitive proofs of its prohibition, especially given that it has health and psychological benefits, and taking into account the difficulty of early marriage and the widespread temptations?

The preservation of the private parts (al-farj) mentioned in the Quran is not limited to marriage but also includes the prohibition of masturbation, as interpreted by Al-Shanqeeti and other scholars, who cite the verse: "But whoever seeks beyond that – then those are the transgressors." Scholars believe that the absence of mentioning masturbation as a solution in the context of marriage in the Prophetic tradition confirms its prohibition. Patience and fasting are solutions for those unable to marry, and this does not contradict the permissibility of marrying a slave woman. Scholars have unanimously agreed that masturbation is not a new issue and its ruling is well-known. Enjoyment between spouses is permissible except in the anus or the vagina during menstruation and post-natal bleeding (nifas), and masturbation with the wife's hand is permissible. There are health and psychological harms associated with masturbation, and it is not considered helpful in lowering the gaze.