Masturbation #1 | Masturbation | Shaykh Ibn Baz Q: O noble Shaykh, please inform me about the Islamic ruling on masturbation; also, how can one rid himself of this habit? A: Masturbation, inciting ejaculation by using one’s hand, is unlawful; its harms are great, a fact that many doctors have pointed out. Allah Almighty says describing the people faith: وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَافِظُونَ إِلَّا عَلَىٰ أَزْوَاجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَفَمَنِ ابْتَغَىٰ وَرَاءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْعَادُونَ "And those who guard their chastity (i.e. private parts, from illegal sexual acts), Except from their wives or (the captives and slaves) that their right hands possess, for then, they are free from blame; But whoever seeks beyond that, then those are the transgressors;" [23:5-7] Masturbation goes against those qualities that Allah Almighty described the believers with: it involves transgression against one’s own self. Whoever practices it must abandon it, replacing it with what the Prophet ﷺ prescribed: يَا مَعْشَرَ الشَّبَابِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ الْبَاءَةَ فَلْيَتَزَوَّجْ، فَإِنَّهُ أَغَضُّ لِلْبَصَرِ، وَأَحْصَنُ لِلْفَرْجِ، وَمَنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَعَلَيْهِ بِالصَّوْمِ، فَإِنَّهُ لَهُ وِجَاءٌ "O young people! Whoever among you can marry, should marry, because it helps him lower his gaze and guard his modesty (i.e. his private parts from committing illegal sexual intercourse etc.), and whoever is not able to marry, should fast, as fasting diminishes his sexual power." [Al-Bukhari no.5066] By applying this prophetic advice, anyone can — by the will of Allah Almighty — overcome this wicked habit. Moreover, there is no harm in asking a doctor to prescribe some kind of treatment for someone who is neither able to fast nor to abstain from this wicked habit. In an authentic Hadith the Prophet ﷺ said: مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ دَاءً إِلاَّ أَنْزَلَ لَهُ دَوَاءً "Allah does not send down any disease, but He also sends down the cure for it.” [Ibn Majah no.3438] The Prophet ﷺ also said: “O servants of Allah, seek cure em your ailments), but don’t seek a cure by unlawful means.” [At-Trimidhi] • [Fataawaa Islamiyah Vol 8, Page no.296-297]