Chastity in Islam is controlling oneself from forbidden desires due to the love of Allah the Almighty in response to His command, as well as seeking His reward in return.
Islam has always been keen to establish chastity in the Muslim community and has thus enacting laws that reduce the strong impact of these desires and control them.
Islam encourages remaining on the straight path and warn against transgressing the defined boundaries by following these base desires.
Islam has defined restrictions to Muslim men and women that would help them come near zina.
Bungoma Kadhi Kassim Ratori defines Zina as unlawful sexual act between Muslims who are not married to one another through a Nikah which includes extramarital sex and premarital sex.
That is fornication and adultery which is a normal thing in the current world and it’s due to lack of moral values.
On a Hadith of the prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h), Islam has blocked all ways that can lead to zina.
Kadhi Ratori defined the Hadith as stating that Islam has made clear on the restrictions that can lead to zina showing how Islam, on the other hand, comprehensively forbids fornication and adultery and everything that leads to it.
Zina (adultery, fornication) does not refer only to penetration, rather there is the zina of the hand, which is touching that which is forbidden, and the zina of the eyes, which is looking at that which is forbidden, even though zina that is committed with the private parts, is the zina which is the most punishable.
Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) said,” If one of you were to be stabbed in the head with a piece of iron it would be better for him than if he were to touch a woman whom it is not permissible for him to touch”.
“The saying refers to the punishment for touching, so how about worse deeds, such as embracing and kissing, and even worse kinds of illicit activity?” Asks kadhi Ratori
Kadhi Ratori states how Islam has also placed disciplines that can help in blocking all ways for Muslims can refrain from zina including how a Muslim woman should behave in the presence of a man who is liable to marry her.
In another Hadith of Rassul also as elaborated by kadhi Ratori, The messenger of Allah also said in one of his Hadith regarding Zinna that,” whenever a man is with a woman the devil makes a third.”
Meaning we should always try not to be alone with a woman who is not mahram to us and not even go close to Zina.
The Muslim understanding and interpretations of the Qur’an and practices of Muhammad has always been in context of active submission to God.
“The motive force in Islamic ethics is the notion that every human being is called to “command the good and forbid the evil” in all spheres of life. Muslims understand the role of Muhammad as attempting to facilitate this submission,” Kadhi Kassim added.
Whenever a Muslim engages in such immoral acts it’s a clear indication that their faith is weak or has reduced and this does not mean that they are not believers, adding that there are times in a life where someone’s faith can increase or decrease which can only be defined by someone’s actions.
The only way to minimize zina in the community is by focusing on the forgotten morals values as per the Quran and Hadith of the prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h).
The Kadhi defined the punishment for zina as approved by the Quran and Sunnah for fornicators as 100 lashes for fornicators while the adulterous one has to be stoned.
The one who issues the punishment must be leader or one with a big influence.
Citizens can’t punish even if they knew that a person committed zina (by four witnesses or the committee admits). If they knew, they must go to a court or their leader.
Prohibited practices for a Muslim woman that offends Allah
Plucking eye brows
Trimming and shaving of eye brows is a practice of the Dark Age in Islam in early time (Jahiliya), in order to appear more beautiful and is forbidden because it involves changing the creation of Allah, so anything changing the shape of your eye brows is considered as haram.
Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) considers plucking as distorting the creation of Allah.
The prophet (P.B.U.H) said Allah has cursed the woman who does tattoos and the one who has them done, the woman who plucks eye brows and the one who has them done and the one who files her teeth’s for the purpose of beauty thus altering the creations of Allah.
Revealing cloths
Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) said,” there are two types of people whom I have not seen yet. People with whips like the tails of cattle, with which they strike the people and the women who are clothed and yet naked walking with an enticing gait, they will not enter paradise nor even smell its fragrance although its fragrance may be detected from such and such a distance.”
Allah says,” Oooh children of Adam we have provided you with garments to cover your bodies, as well as for luxury. But the best garment is the garment of righteousness. These are some of the Gods signs that may take heed.”Quran Al – Araf 7:26.
Prophet Muhammad said modesty is part of faith and that part of faith must lie on the heart.
Make – up
It is prohibited (haram) to wear makeup in front of non ma-harem men (men who are liable to marry you as per Islamic sheria).
Allah said in the Quran to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty that they should not lower their beauty and ornaments except what must ordinarily appear thereof that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands,fathers,their husbands fathers, their husbands sons, sons, their brothers or sisters sons or their women or servants whom their right hands possess, or male servants free from physical needs or small children who have no shame of sex and that should not strike their feet’s to strike attention to their hidden ornaments.
“And oh you believers turn you all together towards Allah, that you may attain bliss.”(sura Nur 24:31)
Tattooing and piercing
It is not permissible in Islam to pierce the belly button or other body parts such as the lips, tongue, eye brows and etc.This is considered as makruh and disgrace to our body most except the nose and the ear, few Muslims agree that it’s only the ears and not the nose.
The Almighty Allah says in the Quran” and do not cast yourselves into destructions by your own hands” Suratul Al – Baqarah 195.
Tattoos involves changing of the creations of Allah, the prophet (p.b.u.h)cursed the one who does tattoo, the one whom that is done and the one who tattoos himself or herself and the one asking to be tattooed.(Suratul Al Bukhari 5589).
The prophet said,” whoever impersonates a nation other than Islam will be resurrected from them on the Day of Judgment.
In Islam during the Day of Judgment everyone will be asked to give out details on every physical mark on their bodies.
Artificial Hair
A certain woman in Islam history, gave her daughter in marriage and her hair started to fall out, the woman went to prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) and mentioned that to him and said,” her daughters husband suggested that I should let her wear false hair.”
The prophet said, “No don’t do that woman, for Allah curses upon such ladies who lengthens their hair artificially.”
The messenger of Allah did not even permit it for a woman whose natural hair had fallen off and forbid it.
The prophet (p.b.u.h) said, Allah has cursed the woman who joins her or someone’s hair with the hair of another woman or man and the woman who asks to be joined with the hair of another person.
Allah designed these rules and laws to guide humanity to live a righteous life pleasing to Him and it is an obligation of every person who profess the Islam faith to follow them so as to enter heaven.