Answered by: Shaykh Ahmed Bin Mohamed Umarji
Question:
Is watching pornography a major sin or a minor sin?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Although pornography itself is not a major sin, what it leads to i.e. fornication/adultery is a major sin.1
Allah Ta’ala says in The Quran: And do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse. Indeed, it is ever an immorality and is evil in a way.2
Under the commentary of this verse, Imam Qurtubi highlights “Do not approach fornication, is more general than saying: Do not commit adultery; Its meaning does not approach adultery”3 Do not do those things that lead to adultery.
Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying. Allah fixed the very portion of adultery that a man will indulge in. There would be no escape from it. The adultery of the eye is the lustful look and the adultery of the ears is listening to voluptuous (song or talk) and the adultery of the tongue is licentious speech and the adultery of the hand is the lustful grip (embrace) and the adultery of the feet is to walk (to the place) where he intends to commit adultery and the heart yearns and desires which he may or may not put into effect.4
Only Allah knows best
Written by Shaykh Ahmed Bin Mohamed Umarji
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
1 al-Kaba’ir, Page 103 Saeed International 2007
2 Surah Al-Isra 17 Verse 32
3 قوله تعالى : ولا تقربوا الزنا إنه كان فاحشة وساء سبيلا فيه مسألة واحدة : قال العلماء : قوله – تعالى – ولا تقربوا الزنا أبلغ من أن يقول : ولا تزنوا ; فإن معناه لا تدنوا من الزن
4 Sahih Muslim 2658a