Sex, Lustful Acts Before Marriage Prohibited In Islam: Allahabad HC On Interfaith Live-In Couple's Plea

LUCKNOW: The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has stated that any sexual, lustful, affectionate acts such as kissing, touching , staring etc before marriage is prohibited in Islam. The court dismissed a plea filed by an interfaith live-in couple seeking protection against alleged harassment at the hands of police.

A bench of Justice Sangeeta Chandra and Justice Narendra Kumar Johari said that in Muslim law, no recognition can be given to sex outside marriage.

Zina which has been defined as any sexual intercourse except that between husband and wife, includes both extra-marital sex and pre-marital sex and is often translated as fornication in English. Such pre-marital sex is not permissible in Islam. In fact, any sexual, lustful, affectionate acts such as kissing, touching, staring etc are 'Haram' in Islam before marriage, the bench observed.

The division bench was hearing a protection plea filed by an interfaith couple alleging that the mother of the woman is unhappy with their live-in relationship and had lodged an FIR against them.

The couple cited the Supreme Court's ruling on live-in relationships to seek protection against the alleged harassment by the police. To this, the bench said that the views expressed by the Supreme Court on the live-in relationships cannot be considered to promote such relationships.

"Law traditionally has been biased in favour of marriage. It reserves many rights and privileges to married persons to preserve and encourage the institution of marriage. The Supreme Court is simply accepting a social reality and it has no intention to unravel the fabric of Indian family life," the bench observed.