Understanding Forgiveness for Zina in Islam: Key Teachings and Stories

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Hi all readers! Are you looking for an explanation of forgiveness for Zina in Islam? If your answer is "Yes," congratulations! You are now reading the right article. Why? Because that’s what I will explain in this piece. As Muslims, we must understand this concept, which is why I wrote this article. So, make sure to read it until the end.

Specifically, there are some important points of forgiveness for Zina in Islam that I will cover in this article. The important points I will discuss are as follows:

Is There Forgiveness for Zina in Islam?

The important question regarding forgiveness for Zina in Islam is, "Is there forgiveness for Zina?" I want you to grasp this before you read any further explanations in this article. Why? Because it is the main focus of this discussion.

If we examine various verses of the Quran and hadiths, we will find that Zina is a type of sin that can be forgiven if the person who committed it sincerely repents. Therefore, in Islam, there is indeed forgiveness for Zina.

Forgiveness for Zina in the Quran

The Quran is the primary reference for Muslims, meaning it should serve as their standard for living. It contains numerous explanations about sin and the process of repentance, including Zina.

One such explanation can be found in the following Quranic verse:

أَلَمۡ يَعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ يَقۡبَلُ ٱلتَّوۡبَةَ عَنۡ عِبَادِهِۦ وَيَأۡخُذُ ٱلصَّدَقَٰتِ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ١٠٤

"Do they not know that Allah accepts repentance from His servants and takes the alms, and that Allah is the Oft-returning (to mercy), the Merciful?" (At-Taubah [9]; 104).

The Quranic verse above is one of the many that discuss repentance. There are numerous other verses that elaborate on this topic, but I won’t explain them all right now.

Forgiveness for Zina in Hadith

Hadith is one of the primary references for Muslims, following the Quran. In the hadith, there are many explanations regarding Zina and how to repent.

We can find explanations that Zina is a type of sin that can be forgiven if the person who committed it sincerely repents in the following hadiths:

عَنْ أَنَسٍ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: كُلُّ ابْنِ آدَمَ خَطَّاءٌ، وَخَيْرُ الْخَطَّائِيْنَ التَّوَّابُوْنَ. رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ

From Anas, the Prophet (Muhammad) sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, "All the descendants of Adam are guilty, and the best of the guilty are those who repent." This hadith was narrated by at-Tirmidhi.

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: إِنَّ اللهَ يَقْبَلُ تَوْبَةَ الْعَبْدِ مَا لَمْ يُغَرْغِرْ. رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ

From Abdullah bin Umar, the Prophet (Muhammad) sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, "Verily, Allah accepts the repentance of a servant as long as he has not experienced naza' (the arrival of the soul in the throat when a person is about to die)." This hadith was narrated by at-Tirmidhi.

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ تُوْبُوْا إِلَى اللهِ، فَإِنِّي أَتُوْبُ إِلَيْهِ فِي الْيَوْمِ مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ. رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ

From Abdullah bin Umar, he said, "The Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, 'O people, repent to Allah! Verily, I repent to Him a hundred times a day.'" This hadith was narrated by Muslim.

عَنْ أَبِيْ هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: مَنْ تَابَ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَطْلُعَ الشَّمْسُ مِنْ مَغْرِبِهَا، تَابَ اللهُ عَلَيْهِ. رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ

From Abu Hurairah, he said, "The Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, 'Whoever repents before the sun rises from its setting, Allah will accept his repentance.'" This hadith was narrated by Muslim.

This is a brief explanation of "Is there forgiveness for Zina in Islam?" As Muslims, we must understand this concept.

Interesting Story About Forgiveness for Zina in Islam

The important point about forgiveness for Zina in Islam that I will explain now involves an interesting story. I want you to understand this so that you can be more confident that Allah will forgive a person who has committed Zina if they sincerely repent.

We can find the story of forgiveness for Zina in Islam in the hadith below:

أَنَّ مَاعِزَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ الأَسْلَمِيَّ، أَتَى رَسُوْلَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُوْلَ اللهِ، إِنِّي قَدْ ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي، وَزَنَيْتُ، وَإِنِّي أُرِيْدُ أَنْ تُطَهِّرَنِي، فَرَدَّهُ

Ma'iz bin Malik al-Aslami came to the Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and said, "O Messenger of Allah, indeed I have wronged myself. I have committed Zina, and I want you to purify me." The Prophet Muhammad then rejected his confession.

فَلَمَّا كَانَ مِنَ الغَدِ، أَتَاهُ، فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُوْلَ اللهِ، إِنِّي قَدْ زَنَيْتُ، فَرَدَّهُ الثَّانِيَةَ

The next day, he (Ma'iz) came again to the Prophet Muhammad and said, "O Messenger of Allah, indeed I have committed Zina." The Prophet Muhammad rejected his confession a second time.

فَأَرْسَلَ رَسُوْلُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَى قَوْمِهِ، فَقَالَ: أَتَعْلَمُونَ بعَقْلِهِ بَأْسًا، تُنْكِرُونَ مِنْهُ شَيْئًا؟

The Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) sallallahu alayhi wa sallam then went to his people and asked, "Do you know if there is something wrong with his mind, which you deny?"

فَقَالُوا: مَا نَعْلَمُهُ إلَّا وَفِيَّ العَقْلِ مِنْ صَالِحِينَا فِيْمَا نُرَى

They replied, "We don’t know anything except that he has a good mind. To our knowledge, he is a good person."

فَأَتَاهُ الثَّالِثَةَ، فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَيْهِمْ أَيْضًا فَسَأَلَ عَنْهُ، فَأَخْبَرُوهُ أَنَّهُ لَا بَأْسَ بِهِ، وَلَا بِعَقْلِهِ

He (Ma'iz) then came to the Prophet Muhammad for the third time. The Prophet Muhammad went to his people again and asked about him. They told him that there was no issue with him or his mind.

فَلَمَّا كَانَ الرَّابِعَةَ حَفَرَ لَهُ حُفْرَةً، ثُمَّ أَمَرَ بِهِ فَرُجِمَ

When he (Ma'iz) came to him for the fourth time, the Prophet ordered that a hole be made. Then he ordered that Ma'iz be punished, and he was stoned to death.

فَجَاءَتِ الْغَامِدِيَّةُ، فَقَالَتْ: يَا رَسُوْلَ اللهِ، إِنِّي قَدْ زَنَيْتُ فَطَهِّرْنِي، وَإِنَّهُ رَدَّهَا

Then a woman from Ghamidiyah came and said, "O Messenger of Allah, indeed I have committed Zina." The Prophet Muhammad then rejected her confession.

فَلَمَّا كَانَ الغَدُ، قَالَتْ: يَا رَسُوْلَ اللهِ، لِمَ تَرُدُّنِي؟ لَعَلَّكَ أَنْ تَرُدَّنِي كَمَا رَدَدْتَ مَاعِزًا، فَوَاللَّهِ إنِّي لَحُبْلَى

The next day, the woman came again and said, “O Messenger of Allah, why do you reject my confession? Can you reject me like you did with Ma'iz? By Allah, I am pregnant.”

قَالَ: إِمَّا لَا فَاذْهَبِي حَتَّى تَلِدِي

The Prophet Muhammad replied, "No, go until you give birth."

فَلَمَّا وَلَدَتْ، أَتَتْهُ بِالصَّبِيِّ فِي خِرْقَةٍ، قَالَتْ: هَذَا قَدْ وَلَدْتُهُ

When the woman had given birth, she came to him with a baby wrapped in cloth and said, “This is my child; I have given birth to him.”

قَالَ: اِذْهَبِي فَأَرْضِعِيْهِ حَتَّى تَفْطِمِيْهِ

The Prophet Muhammad then said, "Go and breastfeed him until you have weaned him."

فَلَمَّا فَطَمَتْهُ، أَتَتْهُ بِالصَّبِيِّ فِي يَدِهِ كِسْرَةُ خُبْزٍ، فَقَالَتْ: هَذَا يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ قَدْ فَطَمْتُهُ، وَقَدْ أَكَلَ الطَّعَامَ

When she had finished breastfeeding her child, she came to the Prophet Muhammad with her child holding a piece of bread and said, "This is my son, O Prophet of Allah! I have finished feeding him, and he has eaten food."

فَدَفَعَ الصَّبِيَّ إِلَى رَجُلٍ مِنَ المُسْلِمِيْنَ، ثُمَّ أَمَرَ بِهَا فَحُفِرَ لَهَا إِلَى صَدْرِهَا، وَأَمَرَ النَّاسَ فَرَجَمُوْهَا

He then gave the child to a Muslim and ordered that she be punished. She was buried up to her chest, and the Muslims stoned her.

فَيُقْبِلُ خَالِدُ بنُ الوَلِيدِ بحَجَرٍ، فَرَمَى رَأْسَهَا فَتَنَضَّحَ الدَّمُ عَلَى وَجْهِ خَالِدٍ فَسَبَّهَا

Khalid bin Walid then threw a stone at the woman, hitting her head, causing blood to splash onto his face. He then insulted her.

فَسَمِعَ نَبِيُّ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ سَبَّهُ إيَّاهَا، فَقَالَ: مَهْلًا يَا خَالِدُ، فَوَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَقَدْ تَابَتْ تَوْبَةً لَوْ تَابَهَا صَاحِبُ مَكْسٍ لَغُفِرَ لَهُ

The Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam heard Khalid's insults directed at the woman and said, "Do not insult her, O Khalid! By Allah, in whose hand is my soul, she has indeed repented. If such a repentance were made by someone who commits fraud, he would surely be forgiven."

ثُمَّ أَمَرَ بِهَا فَصَلَّى عَلَيْهَا، وَدُفِنَتْ

Then the Prophet Muhammad ordered that her body be cared for. He performed the Janazah prayer for her, and she was buried.

In the above hadith, it is explained that there are two people who have committed Zina: the first was Ma'iz bin Malik al-Aslami and the second a woman from Ghamidiyah. Both repented, and Allah forgave them.

Conclusion

In conclusion, forgiveness for Zina in Islam is a profound concept rooted in the teachings of the Quran and Hadith. As highlighted throughout this article, sincere repentance is crucial for receiving Allah's mercy, illustrating the compassionate nature of Islam. The stories of Ma'iz and the Ghamidiyah woman serve as powerful examples of how genuine remorse can lead to forgiveness, regardless of the severity of the sin. These narratives emphasize that no one is beyond redemption as long as they seek forgiveness before their last moments. Ultimately, understanding this aspect of Islamic teachings can provide hope and encouragement to those who have erred, reminding them of the boundless mercy of Allah. We should always strive for repentance and remain hopeful in our faith.

Thank you for reading, and may this knowledge inspire you to seek closeness to Allah through sincere repentance. Ameen.

See you again in the next article.