Zina is prohibited, and your past is forgiven

This lesson treats a personal subject with care and respect. Many people come to Islam with a past, and some feel its weight. By the end, we hope you will understand what Islam prohibits and why, and, just as importantly, that your life before Islam does not define you.

What zina means

Zina is the Arabic word for sexual relations between a man and a woman who are not married to each other. It covers what English calls adultery (when one of them is married) and fornication (when neither is married). In Islam, intimacy is a blessing, and its place is marriage.

What the Quran says

Notice the wording. Allah does not only say "do not commit it". He says "do not approach" it. Scholars of tafsir (explanation of the Quran) explain that this includes the things that lead to zina, so that a person does not fall into it. Islam protects you early, before a situation becomes hard to walk away from.

The Quran also praises those who "do not commit unlawful sexual intercourse" (25:68), and it names this among serious sins. But the verses right after it open a wide door of hope, as you will see below.

Why Islam takes it seriously

The first reason is that Allah commanded it, and He knows what is good for us. When you reflect on it, you can also see how this command protects people:

• It protects dignity, so that no one is treated as something to be used.

• It protects marriages, families, and the trust between spouses.

• It protects children, who deserve a stable home and to know their parents.

• It protects hearts from the hurt that so often follows relationships without commitment.

Your life before Islam

If you had relationships before you became Muslim, please read this part slowly.

When the companion Amr ibn al-As, may Allah be pleased with him, came to pledge his Islam to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, he held back his hand. He said he wanted to make a condition: that he would be forgiven. The Prophet replied:

Are you not aware that Islam wipes out all (sins) that preceded it...

Sahih Muslim 121

Allah says something similar in the Quran:

Say to those who have disbelieved [that] if they cease, what has previously occurred will be forgiven for them.

Quran 8:38 (translation of the meaning)

And right after mentioning serious sins, including zina, Allah says:

Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work. For them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.

Quran 25:70 (translation of the meaning)

Allah does not only erase the past. For those who repent, believe, and do good, He replaces their bad deeds with good ones.

So you do not need to carry shame for what happened before Islam. Your record with Allah started fresh on the day you took your shahada (declaration of faith). You also do not need to tell anyone about your past. Repentance is between you and Allah, and Islam asks people not to expose sins that Allah has covered. The Prophet said: "All of my Ummah may be forgiven except those who commit sin openly." He then explained that this includes someone who sins at night, and in the morning tells people about it after Allah had kept it covered (Sahih al-Bukhari 6069 and Sahih Muslim 2990).

And if you make a mistake after becoming Muslim, the same mercy you read about in the first lesson of this step is still there: sincere regret, a firm intention not to return, and a real effort to stay away.

Next, you will look at what this means for relationships today, including if you are in one right now, and how modesty and marriage fit together.