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Note: while REMOJO is not an exclusively Muslim company, we have Muslim founding team members, customer support staff, users and customers. A Muslim team member has authored the following article referencing the Qur'an, Sunnah and Islamic scholars exclusively. An Imam has reviewed it before publication.
IS PORN HARAM? AND OTHER QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE ISLAMIC VIEW ON PORNOGRAPHY, WITH EVIDENCE FROM THE QUR'AN AND SUNNAH
The short answer to your question is yes; the overwhelming scholarly opinion is that pornography is haram. But to help us commit fully to abstaining for good, it's important to understand why exactly so. Let's look at the supporting evidence from verses in the Qur'an and hadiths from the Sunnah in turn. Then, we'll also answer several other questions that Muslims often ask about pornography.
The Islamic perspective on pornography and masturbation is one of strong disapproval and condemnation. According to Islamic teachings, both are considered sins that are detrimental to one's spiritual and moral well-being, and incur the wrath of Allah.
Pornography is considered haram (forbidden) in Islam for several reasons.
The first is the direct evidence from the Qur'an and Sunnah, in the form of verses (ayahs) and hadiths which speak to ‘lowering the gaze’, guarding one's private parts and chastity, avoiding sexual misconduct and major sins such as zina, all of which Islamic scholars interpret as having relevance and applications to viewing modern-day pornography. We will shortly review the relevant ayah and hadiths in this article.
Secondly, summarising the relevant Quranic verses and hadiths, scholars conclude that viewing pornography is a form of sexual immorality that can lead to sinful thoughts and actions that contradict the teachings of Islam. The Qur'an emphasizes the importance of modesty and chastity, and viewing or engaging in pornography violates these values. Indeed, enjoying watching others commit the major sin of zina on-screen would clearly be sinful in itself, just as merely listening to backbiting, without active participation, is also prohibited in Islam.
Thirdly, pornography objectifies and degrades human beings, particularly women, by reducing them to mere sexual objects. Islamic teachings enjoin modesty and emphasize the need for dignified conduct for all human beings, male and female alike.
Finally, pornography promotes illicit sexual behavior and can lead to addiction and other harmful consequences at the individual, communal, and societal levels. Islam encourages healthy sexual relations within the bounds of marriage. Anything that leads to fornication and adultery is discouraged or prohibited.
In summary, pornography is considered haram in Islam because:
Now, let's look at specific examples from the Qur'an and Sunnah.
Several verses in the Qur'an address the issue of sexual misconduct and immorality, with clear relevance to the question of pornography within Islam.
One such verse is Surah Al-Isra (17:32), which states:
وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا۟ ٱلزِّنَىٰٓ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ فَـٰحِشَةًۭ وَسَآءَ سَبِيلًۭا ٣٢
"Do not go near adultery. It is truly a shameful deed and an evil way."
Many interpret this verse as an explicit prohibition against any form of sexual misconduct, including masturbation and the consumption of pornography, as they form the path of approach to zina. There is clear research evidence that viewing pornography is linked to marital problems, adultery and divorce.
Another verse that addresses the issue of sexual misconduct is Surah Al-Noor (24:30-31), which states:
قُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا۟ مِنْ أَبْصَـٰرِهِمْ وَيَحْفَظُوا۟ فُرُوجَهُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَزْكَىٰ لَهُمْ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ خَبِيرٌۢ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَ ٣٠
وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَـٰرِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا ۖ
"Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: And Allah is well acquainted with all that they do. And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty."
These verses are often interpreted as a command for both men and women to take responsibility and do what they can to avoid any form of sexual misconduct, as it is seen as a form of impurity.
Thirdly, in Surah Al Mu'minoon (23:1-7):
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ١ ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ فِى صَلَاتِهِمْ خَـٰشِعُونَ ٢ وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَنِ ٱللَّغْوِ مُعْرِضُونَ ٣ وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِلزَّكَوٰةِ فَـٰعِلُونَ ٤ وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَـٰفِظُونَ ٥ إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزْوَٰجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـٰنُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ ٦ فَمَنِ ٱبْتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْعَادُونَ ٧
"Successful indeed are the believers. Those who humble themselves in prayer; those who avoid idle talk; those who pay the alms tax; those who guard their chastity; except with their wives or those bondwomen in their possession, for then they are free from blame, but whoever seeks beyond that are the transgressors;"
One can conclude that watching porn and masturbating would be a failure to guard one's chastity except for with their wife, thereby making one such a ‘transgressor’.
In addition to these verses, several Hadiths (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, PBUH) address the issue of sexual misconduct and immorality.
"After me, I have not left any trial more severe to men than women" (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 4808)
In this prophetic Hadith, one can see how this could not only apply to real-world marital and sexual relations but even virtual temptations online.
The Prophet (PBUH) also clearly prohibits looking at the private parts or naked body of anyone other than their spouse:
"No man or woman should look at the naked body of each other (unless married)." (Sahih Muslim)
"By God, I would prefer to be thrown from the skies and spattered in parts than to look at someone's private parts or let someone look at my private parts." Narrated by Salman. Almabsooth kitabul istehsan.
Abd al-Rahman, the son of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, reported from his father:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: A man should not see the private parts of another man, and a woman should not see the private parts of another woman…"
(Sahih Muslim 338a (partial))
"Don't expose your thigh to anyone, and don't look at the thigh of any person even if s/he is dead." (Narrated Ali ibn abi Talib. Ibn e Maja, Abi Dawud, Darqutani. Tafseer Kabeer)
"Once someone's thigh was open in public. The Prophet said: "Don't you know the thigh is supposed to be kept covered?" (Jerhad Aslami. Muatta Imam Malik, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud)
And finally, the Prophet (PBUH) equates the act of looking - "gazing at a forbidden thing" - with adultery:
"Allah has written for Adam's son his share of adultery which he commits inevitably. The adultery of the eyes is the sight (to gaze at a forbidden thing), the adultery of the tongue is the talk, and the inner self wishes and desires and the private parts testify all this or deny it."
(Abu Hurairah. Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud.)
Drawing Wisdom from the Teachings and Prohibitions of Allah and His Messenger (SAW)
Why do Allah and His messenger speak so forcibly on guarding the gaze, the private parts and avoiding sexual immorality?
Of course, in modern times, the wisdom of these prohibitions has been confirmed in one research study after another, linking porn to:
In short, there is not.
Given the consensus opinion within Islamic scholarship, the above Quranic verses and hadiths, and the Islamic values of lowering the gaze, modesty, guarding chastity and private parts (both for male and female), strict prohibition of zina (and therefore, surely the filming and enjoyment of watching zina) and so on, there is no argument for any form of halal porn.
In surah Al-A'raf (7:33 (partial)), we read:
قُلْ إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ رَبِّىَ ٱلْفَوَٰحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ
"Tell them (O Muhammad): 'My Lord has only forbidden indecent acts, whether overt or hidden…"
innama haram rabbial fawahisha ma zahar aminha wma batan.. (Quran 7:33).
Therefore, the question of "is watching porn haram when alone?" is answered definitively here. Indeed, this verse forbids other indecent acts in the privacy of the home or on the internet under any circumstances.
‘Fuhsha’, translated as anything shameful, is a Quranic term which refers to unIslamic sexual behavior.
‘Fuhsha’ is a broad term that applies to all forms of un-Islamic sexual behavior, including fornication and all forms of nudity. Scholars have moreover included other vices such as abusive speech and curse words, promiscuous mixing, or wearing clothing designed to expose the body; these are considered offences in Islam. The highest level of ‘fuhsha’ includes adultery and same-gender sex, both of which are strictly forbidden.
It is, therefore, reasonable to conclude that viewing pornography would be considered a major sin.
When it comes to the question of whether porn is haram, the answer is definitive. All scholars agree that watching porn is haram. These opinions and rulings not only apply to viewing adult content but also extend to any form of media portraying explicit sexual images and activities, including movies, photos and videos. Such acts can potentially lead one astray from the teachings of Islam, leading them away from a life devoted to piety and virtue towards one filled with sin and immorality.
We have prepared a detailed article with more evidence from the Qur'an and hadiths, which you can read here >>
In conclusion, the Islamic perspective on pornography and masturbation is one of strong disapproval and condemnation. These actions are considered sins detrimental to one's soul and conduct, and the Qur'an and Hadiths clearly prohibit them. Muslims are encouraged to avoid any form of sexual misconduct and to maintain a high level of morality and purity in all aspects of their lives.
And Allah knows best.
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