Does Allah Forgive Zina- A Major Sin in Islam

Zina is a kind of sin that has one of the most severe punishments in this world and hereafter. There are horrible hadith of Miraj when Prophet Muhammad ﷺ visited 7 heavens, he saw the punishment of people who committed zina. And that punishment narration itself is too scary.

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Does Allah Forgive Zina?

As Allah is forgiving and all-merciful, does Allah forgive Zina, even if the person who committed this act, and doesn’t get worldly punishment?

The most common sin that Muslims commit is Zina, which means illicit sexual relations. This includes any type of sex outside marriage and sex with someone who isn’t your spouse.

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If you’re a sincere repenter, despair not. Allah will forgive Zina if you sincerely repent, and be committed for the rest of your life. However, there is more to know about this if you want to repeat it properly.

Can Allah Forgive Adultery?

Among all sins, shirk is the most severe, which Allah will not forgive unless the person committed shirk repents and become a Muslim again.

Then comes major sins, which Allah will not forgive unless the person who committed the sin repents. And adultery has one of the most severe punishments among all major sins. Even, kissing before marriage is also considered as a form of adultery, although there is not any capital punishment for this specific act.

But still, as Allah SWT is all forgiving and merciful, he can forgive this sin if he wants. To get this forgiveness, you’ll have to remain committed that you won’t commit the sin again. Tawbah is a pre-requirement for this forgiveness. For sincere tawbah, you’ll have to make sure that –

You leave the sin first
Make sincere repentance that you will not commit zina again
Keep asking dua to Allah to forgive your sin

If a person remains headless all his/her life about zina and other major sins, it’s most likely that those sins will not be forgiven.

During the time of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, a few people committed zina, and they were given capital punishment, death by stoning. But those individuals made strong repentance according to many hadith. Allah forgave them, and the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ told his companions not to make any negative stuff about them.

But What if a Zina does not get Capital Punishment?

Again, there was a man who committed adultery and came to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ confessing what he did. The Prophet ﷺ told him not to speak about it, to keep it to himself. But he insisted and wanted to be purified from this sin. So, he told the Prophet ﷺ 3 times, then the capital punishment was carried.

So, the best practice is to hide what you did. Do not tell anyone, keep it between you and your Lord. Make sincere repentance, hopefully, you will be forgiven. Allah SWT can forgive all sins if it’s not the case of shirk.

If you make sincere taubah, Allah SWT will turn your bad deeds into good deeds. So, there is always a hope no matter how dark your past was. Even if a prostitute repents sincerely, Allah will forgive her too.

What is the Case for Zina Before and After Marriage?

Committing zina before marriage and after marriage is not the same thing when it comes to severeness.

An unmarried person who does not feel pleasure in having sex ever, and a married person who has a wife, he can have sex with his wife on a regular basis; committing zina for such two individuals is not the same.

Punishment of Zina Before Marriage

If unmarried males and females commit Zina and there is penetration into the vagina, then both of them will be given 100 lashes.

If no intercourse occurs, then there will be no capital punishment.

Punishment of Zina After Marriage

When someone seeks sexual pleasure in other women even though he has a wife, the sin is much greater than an unmarried person who commits zina.

Therefore, the punishment for married males and females is to give 100 lashes and stone them to death.

Zina in Islam after marriage is considered a more severe sin. And the capital punishment for this is even more painful and strict.

Here, wives must ensure that their husbands find sexual pleasure in them. There are several reasons why husbands look for another woman.

For whatever case, if you commit Zina after marriage, you should feel even more remorse for such action.

Punishment for Zina in the Hereafter

There’s profound hadith mentioned in Bukhari regarding the punishment of adultery in the hell –

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said

“. . .Last night I dreamt that two men came to me and they took me by the hand and led me out to the holy land. … Then we moved on to a hole like a tannoor (a kind of oven) that was narrow at the top and wide at the bottom. A fire was lit underneath it, and when it came close they rose up until they almost came out, and when it died down they went back into it. In it were naked men and women. I said: Who are these? They said: Move on. So we moved on.”

According to another report narrated by al-Bukhaari (7047):

“… So we went on, and came to something like a tannoor (a kind of oven). – I [the narrator] think he said: In it there was much noise and voices. We looked into it and saw naked men and women. A flame of fire was reaching them from underneath, and when it reached them, they cried out loudly. I said to them, ‘Who are these?’ They said to me, ‘Move on, move on.’ … ‘As for the naked men and women whom you saw in a structure that resembled an oven, they are the adulterers and adulteresses.’”

And he said:

“When a man commits zina, faith departs from him and hovers like a cloud over him, then when he stops that, faith returns to him.”

Similar hadith was also narrated by Abu Dawood.

Impact of Zina in Real Life

In most cases, sins that are related to sexual pleasure, staring at non-mahram, and all kinds of fascia acts, have an immense negative impact on marriage life. Wives of such individuals become disobedient, also there will be more problems in day-to-day family life.

It can even be with financial things, health issues, problems with raising kids, and whatnot.

But, as I have said earlier, the door of repentance is wide open. If you ever committed Zina while having a spouse, make sincere taubah, and close all doors that might lead to adultery again.

How to Repent for Zina in Islam?

Allah SWT says in the Quran –

"Say: Oh 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." [Az-Zumar 39:53]

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said in a hadith –

“The one who repents from sin is like the one who did not sin.”

So, you my friend, despair not. Allah forgave bigger sinners than people who committed zina. No matter what you did, be it before or after your marriage, there is always a hope. The door of repentance is not closed.

Allah can turn your bad deeds into good deeds if he sees that you regret what you did in the past.

But, this repentance should be a sincere one. When you repent from zina, you’ll no longer be considered as fornicator or zani (a person who commits fornication).

Here’s how to repent for zina before marriage or after marriage –

You have to leave the sin completely. Leave things that may lead you to that sin again.
You must make sincere repentance by making dua.
Take an oath that you will not commit Zina ever in your life.
Keep repenting for the rest of your life, making sincere dua, praying often, giving donations, and doing all sorts of good deeds possible for you.

FAQs

What does Allah say about Zina?

Allah SWT says in Surah Al Furqan –

“And those who invoke no other ilah (god) along with Allah, nor kill such a person as Allah has forbidden, except for just cause, nor commit illegal sexual intercourse ___ and whoever does this shall receive the punishment…”

In Surah Al Isra, Allah says –

“And do not go anywhere near adultery: it is an outrage, and an evil path.”

What is the punishment for zina in Quran?

For unmarried people who commit zina, the punishment is to flog them with 100 stripes. But if married people commit zina, the capital punishment is stoning until they are dead.

Allah says –

“The fornicatress and the fornicator, flog each of them with a hundred stripes. Let not pity withhold you in their case, in a punishment prescribed by Allah, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day. And let a party of the believers witness their punishment” [al-Noor 24:2]

What are the unforgivable sins in Islam?

Shirk is an unforgivable sin. If a person does shirk, and that person dies without making taubah from this sin, he/she will surely enter into the hellfire.

All other sins can be forgiven if Allah wills.

How do you ask for forgiveness from Allah?

For seeking forgiveness from Allah, you will have to –

Immediately leave the sin.
Make sincere taubah, and a strong commitment to not engaging in that sin ever again.
Detach yourself from the environment or stuff that may lead you to that sin again.
Keep asking for forgiveness for the rest of your life, because it is never assured whether your sins are forgiven or not until you die.

Final Words

Humans are sinners. But the best of us are those who will repent from their sins. That is what makes us different from Shaitan.

Hope, you got no more confusion regarding whether Allah forgives Zina or not.

However, do not use this forgiveness to commit adultery again knowing that Allah can forgive such a major sin. If you take advantage of this forgiveness of Allah, shaitan will trick you, and you might not be able to leave this worldly life with forgiveness.

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Talha Ubaidullah

Talha's journey in the world of writing began with Islamic content, where he found a way to merge his passion for personal growth, well-being, and self-improvement with his knack for engaging storytelling. His articles and blog posts quickly gained popularity, resonating with readers who sought guidance on topics such as mindfulness, self-care, productivity, and healthy living.