Can You Pray After Zina? Find Out Here!

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Can You Pray After Zina? ~ One of the things often on the minds of Muslims who have committed this grave sin is, "Can they pray after Zina?" I believe this is a logical question because a person may feel very guilty after sinning.

In relation to the above question, before I explain the answer, I will quote two verses of the Quran and two hadiths that describe sin in general.

Quran and Hadith About Prayer After Zina

The two verses of the Quran and the two hadiths I am referring to are as follows:

وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِي يَقۡبَلُ ٱلتَّوۡبَةَ عَنۡ عِبَادِهِۦ وَيَعۡفُواْ عَنِ ٱلسَّيِّئَاتِ وَيَعۡلَمُ مَا تَفۡعَلُونَ ٢٥

And He it is Who accepts repentance from His servants and pardons the evil deeds, and He knows what you do. (Ash-Shuraa [42]: 25)

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 two hadiths that explain sin are as follows:

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, "Allah's Messenger sallallahu alalihi wa sallam said, 'Whoever repents before the sun rises from the west, Allah will accept his repentance.'" This hadith is narrated by Muslim.

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

From Anas, the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alalihi wa sallam said, "All the descendants of Adam are sinners, and the best of sinners are those who repent." This hadith is narrated by at-Tirmidhi.

Dear readers! Although the two verses of the Quran and the two hadiths above do not specifically talk about Zina, they address repentance. Even so, we know that Zina is a grave sin that we must avoid. If a Muslim has committed Zina, they must repent.

Can You Pray After Zina?

Regarding the question, "Can you pray after Zina?" The answer is "Yes. You can pray after Zina." You are even strongly encouraged to always perform the obligatory prayers, such as Dhuhr prayer, Asr prayer, Maghrib prayer, Isha prayer, Fajr prayer, as well as the sunnah prayers, such as Tahajjud prayer, Witr prayer, Duha prayer, and especially the Taubat prayer. The Taubat prayer is very important as it is a sign of one's sincerity in seeking forgiveness for the sins they have committed.

The Taubat prayer can be performed like any other prayer, with the number of rakats being two. However, it can be performed multiple times a day. The more often one performs this prayer, the better it is for them.

The intention to perform the Taubat prayer is as follows:

أُصَلِّيْ سُنَّةَ التَّوْبَةِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ مُسْتَقْبِلَ الْقِبْلَةِ لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى

I intend to perform two rak'ahs of the sunnah prayer of repentance for Allah Taala.

After performing the Taubat prayer, we are strongly encouraged to recite Istighfar and Salawat as much as possible. You probably already know why reciting Istighfar is so important for cleansing sins, so I won’t elaborate on that here. However, I’d like to emphasize why reciting Salawat is also crucial for purifying sins. In fact, Salawat is a prayer that we should recite daily, especially on Fridays.

The virtues of reciting Salawat on Friday can be found in several hadiths, such as the following:

قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : مَنْ صَلَّى عَلَيَّ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ أَلْفَ مَرَّةٍ لَمْ يَمُتْ حَتَّى يَرَى مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ

The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam said, "Whoever sends Salawat upon me a thousand times on Friday will not die until he sees his place in Paradise."

عَنْ أَبِيْ ذَرٍّ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : مَنْ صَلَّى عَلَيَّ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ غُفِرَتْ لَهُ ذُنُوْبُ مِائَتَى عَامٍ

From Abu Dharr radliyallahu anhu, he said, "The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam said, 'Whoever sends Salawat upon me on Friday will have their sins from the past two hundred years forgiven.'"

Dear readers! That was a brief explanation on "Can you pray after Zina?" Do you understand? If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

Conclusion

In conclusion, the act of Zina is indeed a major sin in Islam, but Allah’s mercy is vast and repentance is always open to those who sincerely seek it. As emphasized through the Quranic verses and hadiths, repentance (Taubah) is key to seeking forgiveness, and it is encouraged to perform the Taubat prayer, which symbolizes sincerity in turning away from sin. A Muslim who has committed Zina is not only allowed to pray but is also strongly encouraged to continue performing their obligatory prayers and engage in additional acts of worship, such as reciting Istighfar and Salawat. These practices help purify the soul and strengthen one’s connection to Allah. Most importantly, reciting Salawat on Fridays carries great virtue, as mentioned in the hadiths. By sincerely repenting and maintaining prayer, one can hope for Allah’s forgiveness and mercy. May this knowledge be beneficial, and may we all be guided on the right path. Ameen.

See you in the next article!