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Is the punishment for adultery applicable to acts leading to it, and what are these acts?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

In Islamic jurisprudence, zina (fornication/adultery) is defined as the deliberate insertion of the glans penis, or an equivalent part, into a human private part without a valid marriage, ownership (slavery), or شبهة (shubha - semblance of right). This type of zina necessitates the prescribed punishment (hadd), whether it occurs in the vagina or anus of a woman, or the anus of a man. Anal sex with a man is considered a more severe sin, and the preponderant opinion regarding it is the killing of both the perpetrator and the one upon whom the act is perpetrated, based on the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "Whoever you find doing the deed of the people of Lot, kill the doer and the one to whom it is done." As for actions that lead to zina, such as looking, seclusion (khalwa), touching, and listening, they are considered zina in a general sense and do not necessitate the hadd punishment. This is based on the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "Indeed, a share of zina has been written for the son of Adam, and he will inevitably attain it. The zina of the eyes is looking, the zina of the ears is listening, the zina of the tongue is speaking, the zina of the hand is touching, the zina of the foot is walking, and the heart desires and wishes, and the private part confirms or denies that."

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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