The Qur'an lays down the principle that sexual affairs be conducted within the limits it has foreseen. Adultery, which is voluntary sexual intercourse between a married man and someone other than his wife or between a married woman and someone other than her husband, is a capital sin. It contributes to the deterioration of the race and of the moral and spiritual values. The Islam does not allow sexual relations between unmarried couple; not only does it not allow it, but also foresees punishment for it. Both sexes are required to lower their gazes and be careful what they wear. Believers must supplicate God to protect them from temptations.
To protect the right of society and forestall its degeneration the Qur'an foresees the application of punishment to the offender either upon his or her confession or upon the testimony brought against him/her by four witnesses. For adulterers pelting has not been foreseen in the Qur'an
ADULTERY AS CAPITAL SIN
A sura which We have sent down and which We have ordained in it have We sent down Clear Signs, in order that ye may receive admonition. The woman and the man guilty of adultery or fornication,- flog each of them with a hundred stripes: Let not compassion move you in their case, in a matter prescribed by Allah, if ye believe in Allah and the Last Day: and let a party of the Believers witness their punishment. Let no man guilty of adultery or fornication marry and but a woman similarly guilty, or an Unbeliever: nor let any but such a man or an Unbeliever marry such a woman: to the Believers such a thing is forbidden. And those who launch a charge against chaste women, and produce not four witnesses (to support their allegations),- flog them with eighty stripes; and reject their evidence ever after: for such men are wicked transgressors;- Unless they repent thereafter and mend (their conduct); for Allah is Oft- Forgiving, Most Merciful. (24/1-5)
Nor come nigh to adultery: for it is a shameful (deed) and an evil, opening the road (to other evils). (17/32)
… come not nigh to shameful deeds. Whether open or secret; take not life,.. (6/151)
Fornication is human sexual intercourse other than between a man and his wife : sexual intercourse between a spouse and an unmarried person. The Qur'an opposes to it imperatively and declares it a capital sin. An irresponsible sexual life leads to deterioration in matrimonial life, to degeneracy of the race, to corruption of kinship, friendship ties, to hostilities between neighbors and to the depravation in moral and spiritual values. Nowadays, the young people consider cohabitation as normal which leads them to enslavement of their lusts.
The spiritual and moral developments of persons whose sexual drives become their sole objective in life are doomed to remain immature. Human affection, love between spouses and of children are the stages of spiritual development. The love for the Prophet next to love for one's parents marks the peak of human perfection. The love for the Almighty reaches the zenith. In case the sexual drive, a boon granted by God, becomes one's overruling passion, one is deprived of the aforementioned feelings of love and marks the beginning of one's failure in the test the humans are given in this world.
No need to remind the ills that prostitution brings along like venereal diseases and the contemporary disaster of AIDS which may be considered as a punishment and scourge of God.
Prostitution is the act or practice of indulging in promiscuous sexual relations especially for payment. It is a kind of adultery. It also means the state of being prostituted, corruption and debasement such as political prostitution or literary prostitution. Prostitutes are the victims of pimps who exploit them and create a danger for the youngsters. Thus prostitution, open or secret is banned by the Qur'an.
CHASTITY
The believers must (eventually) win through,- Those who humble themselves in their prayers; Who avoid vain talk; Who are active in deeds of charity; Who abstain from sex, Except with those joined to them in the marriage bond, or (the captives) whom their right hands possess,- for (in their case) they are free from blame, But those whose desires exceed those limits are transgressors;- (23/1-6)
And Mary the daughter of 'Imran, who guarded her chastity; and We breathed into (her body) of Our spirit; and she testified to the truth of the words of her Lord and of His Revelations, and was one of the devout (servants). (66/12)
The believers are advised to follow the commandments laid down by the divine law, to keep their chastity giving the example of Mary, the daughter of Imran.
CHASTITY OF MEN
Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: And Allah is well acquainted with all that they do. (24/39)
Exchange of looks is very important in the expression of one's sexual drives. The Qur'an warns first men to beware looking at women. They are told to keep their private parts covered and advised to marry. … Also (prohibited are) women already married, except those whom your right hands possess: Thus hath Allah ordained (Prohibitions) against you: Except for these, all others are lawful, provided ye seek (them in marriage) with gifts from your property,- desiring chastity, not lust … (4/24)
The Qur'an mentions the case of Joseph who had refused the approach of Zaliha, a married woman who had fallen live with the beauty of Joseph despite his temptation. (12/18-35)
CHASTITY OF WOMEN
… And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty … (24/31)
The principle applied to men is also valid for women who are supposed to beware of tempting men and keep their chastity as well as those parts of her body that are likely to seduce a man. … be not too complacent of speech, lest one in whose heart is a disease should be moved with desire: but speak ye a speech (that is) just… And stay quietly in your houses, and make not a dazzling display, like that of the former Times of Ignorance; (33/32-33).
For the sake of preservation of the lawful family life chaste women must be selected for considering as candidate for marriage. … Lawful unto you in marriage) are (not only) chaste women who are believers, but chaste women among the People of the Book, revealed before your time, …(5/5)
PROMOTION OF MARRIAGE
Marry those among you who are single, or the virtuous ones among yourselves, male or female: if they are in poverty, Allah will give them means out of His grace: for Allah encompasseth all, and he knoweth all things. (24/32)
The Qur'an is particular about laying the foundations of marriage on a firm ground and about the procreated generation in good health and sane spiritually. Marriage is encouraged and illicit relations are banned.
Thus, the young people must be trained in religion and live according to the dictates of it. They must make exercises that will promote the secretion of endorphin, any of a group of proteins with potent analgesic properties that occur naturally in the brain which will contribute to their serenity and peace of mind. Persons who cannot help themselves from committing an offense must immediately repent and must beware of being a recidivist. And those who, having done something to be ashamed of, or wronged their own souls, earnestly bring Allah to mind, and ask for forgiveness for their sins,- and who can forgive sins except Allah.- and are never obstinate in persisting knowingly in (the wrong) they have done. (3/135) By resignation to God, a man can master his evil tendencies and control his/her sexual drives. Disbelievers who are the plaything of Satan are noxious both to themselves and to the community and liable to punishment by God.
Men, coming of age must be married even though they may be deprived of necessary means; for God will provide them with them.
CONFESSION OF SIN
Those who slander chaste women, indiscreet but believing, are cursed in this life and in the Hereafter: for them is a grievous Penalty,- (24/23)
Slander is another grievous offense. Such people who cannot prove their allegations by the testimony of four witnesses are punished by 80 stripes. And those who launch a charge against chaste women, and produce not four witnesses (to support their allegations),- flog them with eighty stripes; and reject their evidence ever after: for such men are wicked transgressors. (24/4)
In case the spouses allege that their consorts are committing adultery without being able to produce witness, the judge may divorce them. (24/4-9).
PUNISHMENT FOR ADULTERY
… while it was most serious in the sight of Allah … (24/15)
The woman and the man guilty of adultery or fornication,- flog each of them with a hundred stripes: Let not compassion move you in their case, in a matter prescribed by Allah, if ye believe in Allah and the Last Day: and let a party of the Believers witness their punishment. (24/2)
No distinction is made between the adulterer and the adulteress. Punishment for adultery cannot be applied unless sanctioned before the judge. To prove an act of fornication four witnesses are required or the adulterer or adulteress must confess his/her action. An unmarried woman's conceiving a child also is a case of adultery. However, those who are forced to fornicate are exempt from this. Any one who, after accepting faith in Allah, utters Unbelief,- except under compulsion, his heart remaining firm in Faith - but such as open their breast to Unbelief, on them is Wrath from Allah, and theirs will be a dreadful Penalty.
Punishment for adultery is necessary, which will take place in public, as it will be an exemplary act. Such offenses must be thwarted by certain preventive measures; but once the act has been committed there should be no leniency. The verse is explicit in this point. It should be seen to it that the beating must not aim at wounding the culprit.
There is no mention of pelting, stoning to death, in the Qur'an. This is against God's justice and the human rights. Arabs who stuck to their customs preferred to keep the old tribal custom of pelting even after Islam's advent. Rumors had been raised which claimed that the Prophet had applied pelting and that pelting had been in vigor under Umar. Such lies have unfortunately caused pelting to be introduced in the canon law. This cannot be reconciled with God's mercy and the law that the Qur'an has laid down.
LESBIANISM
If any of your women are guilty of lewdness, Take the evidence of four (Reliable) witnesses from amongst you against them; and if they testify, confine them to houses until death do claim them, or Allah ordain for them some (other) way. (4/15)
Lesbianism or sapphism is sensual desire of a woman for other women. This is against the law of creation and an ignominious affair. Scholars have disagreed on whether this must be considered as adultery or fornication or not. In his Kur'an'daki Islam, Prof. Yaþar Nuri Öztürk, makes the following comment on Prof.Atay's statement on the subject: Some of the verses have to do with homosexuality which the experts on the canon law of Islam have overlooked… Surah 4/15-16 are explicit about this provides sanctions for homosexuality. Nevertheless, as the said experts considered these two verses as abrogated and as adultery formulated judgments without justification…"
HOMOSEXUALITY AMONG MEN
Would ye really approach men in your lusts rather than women? Nay, ye are a people (grossly) ignorant! (27/55)
If two men among you are guilty of lewdness, punish them both. If they repent and amend, Leave them alone; for Allah is Oft-returning, Most Merciful. (4/16)
Homosexuality is atypical sexuality characterized by manifestation of sexual desire toward a member of one's own sex; erotic activity with a member of one's own sex. The Qur'an speaks of these inversions and perversions which had been fought against by prophets and which had been the cause of destruction by God. (See The Qur'an, 26/165; 7/80-84)
The Qur'an foresees for such perverts such punishments as oppression, casting off the society, etc. However, if they ask for pardon from God, they can be forgiven if they remain steadfast in their repentance. Say: "O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah. for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.