Do Not Go Near Adultery (Part 1)
Allah, the Almighty, says, {Nor come nigh to adultery: for it is an indecent (deed) and an evil way.} (Al-Isra’: 32)
The Qur’an also states, {Those who invoke not, with Allah, any other god, Nor slay such life as Allah has made sacred, except for just cause, nor commit fornication,’ -and any that does this (not only) meets punishment. (But) The chastisement on the Day of Judgment will be doubled to him, and he will dwell therein in ignominy.} (Al-Furqan: 68-70)
Allah, the Most High, says, {The woman and the man guilty of 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.” (An-Nur: 2)
The punishment mentioned in the last verse concerns only single fornicators in the world, as argued by the scholars. In case of married adulterers (even if they experienced marriage before), they must be stoned until death as postulated by the Prophet (peace be upon him). But if they escaped the worldly punishment and died without repenting, they will be tortured in the Hell-Fire with lashes of Fire.
In the Psalms, it is narrated that Adulterers will be hanged from their genitals in hellfire, on which they will be scourged with slashes of iron. If they cry out in pain, the angels of punishment will address them, “Where was this cry inaudible before? You just used to laugh, play, and did not keep the thought of Allah, nor were you shy from Him.”
The following hadith was stated by the Prophet (peace be upon him): “An adulterer is not a believer at the time of committing adultery.” (Reported by AI-Bukhari and Muslim)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “When someone falls into adultery, faith leaves his heart and overshadows him, but if he extricates himself, his faith will be restored.” (Reported by Abu-Dawud)
It was related that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever fornicates or drinks wine, Allah takes off his faith from him as a man takes a shirt off over his head.” (Reported by AI-Hakim.)
“There are three people to whom Allah, the Most High, will not talk, nor will He absolve them of sins nor look at them: an aged person guilty of adultery, a king who lies, and a poor beggar who is proud.” (Reported by Musli)
On the authority of Ibn Mas’ud, who said, “I asked the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), ‘What is the most grievous sin at the sight of Allah?” He said, “To associate others with Allah, whereas He created you… and to commit adultery with your neighbor’s wife.”
Allah, the Almighty, said, {Those who invoke not, with Allah, any other god, nor slay such life as Allah has made sacred, except for just cause, nor commit fornication; -and any that does this (not only) meets punishment. (But) The
chastisement on the Day of Judgment will be doubled to him, and he will dwell therein in ignominy.} (AL-Furqan: 68-69)
Behold! How adultery with one’s neighbor, polytheism, and slaying the life of others, except for just cause, are associated with each other. Once, Ibn Mas’ud asked the Prophet (peace be upon him), saying, “O Messenger of Allah, what is the most heinous sin? The Prophet answered, “To hold that Allah has an equal, whereas He has created you. Further, he asked what is next? The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “To kill a child lest he feed with you. He added, “What is next? The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “To commit adultery with your neighbor’s wife.” (Reported before.)
When commenting on Allah’s statement, {To it are seven gates: for each of those gates is a special) class (of sinners) assigne.} (Al-Hijr: 44)
Ata’ said, “The most grievous and hated gate of Hell is that which is assigned for adulterers who committed such a crime after they had been informed of its consequences.
Makhul Ad-Dimashqi said, “When the people of the Hell-Fire smell a stinking odor, they say, ‘We have never smelt an odor more stinking than that. ‘ Then, they will be told that this is the odor of the adulterers.’ genitals. Ibn Zayd, one of the great exegesists, said, “This odor hurts all the people of the Hell-Fire. Of all commandments prescribed by Allah to Moses is the following: “Do not steal and do not commit adultery so as not to screen My Face from you.”
Behold, Moses is the addressee; what about the others?
by Imam Shamsu ed-Deen Dhahabi