Title: Further Clarification on the Punishment of Fornication - Al-Noor 24: 3 Question/Comments: Sorry for giving you trouble again. It was a very surprising answer to me, especially in regards to punishment and purification in combine. It is true that if a believer marries a polytheist and then has a sexual relation with her; the sexual act does not become a valid or a legal one because of the marriage. It still comes in the category of fornication. Now let say there is a person who has committed a sin of fornication once. Later on he marries a polytheist because of the view that he has no more right to marry a chaste woman. Later he repents sincerely. Now how can you explain the sexual act that he is having with the polytheist woman? Does this not come under the category of fornication? Does this mean that after his sincere repentance he is still allowed to have a polytheist wife? Does his sexual relation with that woman not come under the category of fornication? Does this mean that this person will commit fornication throughout his life? Does this mean that this punishment of marring the polytheist will continue throughout his life? Please explain. On the topic of punishment, it seems that you have presented your view by referring to a person who after committing the sin does not consider that act as a sin. While I was referring to the individual who is a believer and who does see his wrong act as a sin. He has two options; either to accept punishment or repent in a hope that he will be forgiven. According to Imam Abu Hanifa and Imam Malik the punishment does purify the individual of his/her crime or sin. I agree with this view because otherwise giving a punishment to an individual will be a cruelty i.e. Zulm . People did come to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in order to have a hudood imposed on them for the sake of purification. Their views were to bear the punishment/pain of this world instead of the hereafter in hell for purification. The man is the caliph of God on earth. So he is obeying God directives. The punishment prescribed by God is the way of purifying that individual. If someone is not convicted in this world, later in the hereafter he will be punished for the sake of his purification. This is what the law of God is as far as I know. Nobody has to repent in the hereafter after the punishment. I really do not understand the logic behind punishing an individual when we call ourselves the caliph of God and the punishment neither purify that individual. Also as far as boycotting is concern; when the punishment is given to an individual, he is free. Then who are we to judge the sincerity of that person's repentance towards his sin? Why to socially boycott him? The question still remains. Why to give a punishment? Please give more details on your views. Thanks. Jazzakallah khairun Nauman Ilyas Pakistan Answer: Under normal circumstances, Islam does not allow marriage between a Muslim and a polytheist. This, however, does not mean that if a Muslim marries a polytheist, then the two would be considered to be guilty of fornication. If a Muslim disregards the directives of Islam relating to prohibition of marriage with a polytheist, he would indeed be guilty of disobedience towards the Almighty, but not of fornication. I do not agree with those Muslims, who hold that a disregard of the directives relating to the prohibition of marriage would always result in fornication. The referred punishment prescribed by the Qur'an should be seen in the light of the foregoing explanation. As for the punishment/purification issue, I do not agree with the opinion of those Muslim scholars, who consider that the implementation of the punishment of a crime would necessarily result in purification neither do I agree with the opinion that a person guilty of a crime must surrender himself to the law, for his repentance to be acceptable in the hereafter. You write: People did come to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in order to have a hudood imposed on them for the sake of purification. Their views were to bear the punishment/pain of this world instead of the hereafter in hell for purification. It is true that there were instances where people confessed their crime and voluntarily surrendered themselves to the law, yet the Prophet (pbuh) did not order such confession and surrender, neither approved or recommended it. The Prophet (pbuh), on the other hand, is reported to have said: من أصاب من هذه القاذورات شيئا فليستر بستر الله، فإنه من يبدلنا صفحته نقم عليه كتاب الله. (مؤطا إمام مالك، رقم الحديث 1562 ) When anyone among you gets involved in such an abominable crime [1] [and is not apprehended for it], he should maintain the cover that God has provided him [hiding his crime from the world], because if he brings his crime to the notice of the authorities, we would subject him to the law of God. In my opinion, true repentance of a person - even without his being apprehended or punished by the authorities - shall purify him of his crime in the hereafter. While, on the other hand, even the implementation of the punishment, without the element of true repentance shall not purify a person of his crime in the hereafter. You write: I really do not understand the logic behind punishing an individual when we call ourselves the caliph of God and the punishment neither purify that individual. Punishments are implemented for a number of reasons, which may include discouraging people from committing crimes, prescribing a justified mode of worldly retribution for an act etc. Nevertheless, there is no basis of ascribing to the belief that a punishment implemented in the life of this world guarantees forgiveness from that crime in the hereafter, even if the person has not repented for his deed, while he had the chance of doing so, during the life of this world. I hope this helps. Regards, Moiz Amjad July 5, 2002 [1] The reference is to fornication.