Q. I am 15 and I have intense urges and desires to masturbate. I need to know if this is haraam because on the internet it says that we are created with desires and it is ok, as well as it says it is haraam.
A. Being created with urges does not justify an unlawful act in Islam. For example, Allah has created us with the urge of feeling hungry, however, we cannot steal food (from people) or eat haram to satisfy our hunger. Instead, we are required to earn a halal livelihood and satisfy our hunger. In a similar manner, Allah Has created us with desires, however, at the same time He Has ordered us to fulfill these desires in a halal manner by marrying to women (whom He Has created for us). When He Has created women for us to fulfill our sexual desires, He Has (at the same time) made it haram for us to fulfil our desires in any other manner.
Hence, it is haram to fulfill one’s desires with the same sex, it is also haram to fulfill one’s desires/urges outside marriage by committing fornication/adultery and likewise, it will be haram to fulfill these desires through masturbation, since it is termed as the ‘fornication of the hands’. All the sound and reliable scholars have declared this to be totally haram. The only allowance some scholars have given, is with respect to a person who believes that he will commit fornication, and to stop himself from this, he turns to masturbation as a lesser evil. This however, does not make it lawful, it remains unlawful, but the person only turns to it to save himself from falling into a major sin/greater evil.
What you are experiencing is not a strong urge to masturbate. Instead, you are experiencing a strong urge to fulfil your sexual desires, and you have turned to this sin to fulfil your desires which is haram.
These desires you are experiencing have been created in man by Allah, and Allah has given us a way of fulfilling these desires through marriage. So my advice to you is that if you are able to marry, then do so. If you are not ready to marry, then the Prophet (SAS) has ordered the youths to fast regularly, since this puts the sexual desires under control. If you really wish to stay away from this sin, then you need to avoid looking at haram things, like women on the streets, and on movies and television. Looking at these, will bring about severe temptations to you, and you will destroy yourself by falling into sins. You also need to make a firm resolution to stop this sinful act. Take control of your desires and let it not control you.
And Allah knows best.
Mufti Waseem Khan