Protection of Posterity
Finally for those whom
Posterity or also known as al-Nasab or al-
Nasl in this context is meant by the honor and
chastity of a certain individual. Shariah laws have
goals of preserving such honor and chastity. Sexual
relations outside marriage and false accusations
against people who are chaste are punished by the
Shariah laws. The protection of posterity is very
important in Islam that the punishment of adultery or
also known as zina is prescribed under hudud.
There are certain things in life which either threaten
or encourage the presence of al-Nasab and al-Nasl.
Those things which help to maintain al-
Nasab and al-Nasl are widely promoted, encouraged
and obligated such as prescription of marriage with
its associated conditions. In Islamic faith, the union
of marriage between a man and a woman is strongly
urged. The marriage that takes place is basically the
only legitimate way for one to seek sexual fulfillment
besides to in having children. This is because
intimate relationships outside of marriage are
strongly not permitted. However, despite the strong
the recommendation and encouragement by Islam for
a person to get married, it is not obligatory by default
but depends on the individual situation of that person.
Islam establishes the marital bond on the basis of free
choice and mutual consent of two parties.
Next is the recognition and
acknowledgement of ones descendants. In Islam, the
act of recognizing and giving due respect to where a
person descends from is considered to be of much
importance. The goal here is to keep the family
lineage unambiguously defined and thus any factors
which can upset this is discouraged and also
prohibited. Regarding the issue of marriage, there is
no requirement for a woman to adopt the family
name of her husband in Islamic law unlike in
Christian traditions where the bride usually takes the
husbands family name. This act is for the woman to
be able to maintain the link with her descendants.
Preserving the lineage also has to do with
recognizing and honoring ones parents. Children are
commanded to take good care of their parents and
treat them nicely and kindly (Dr. Munawar Haque,
2014)1. Besides that, one of the most distinguished
acts one can do is caring for and fostering
underprivileged children. The only issue however
that arises when it comes to adopting a child, it is
prohibited in Islam to legally change the name of a
child as it is important to the child to have a link to
1
Dr. Munawar Haque, (2014). Shariah Part 4, Protection of
Posterity. Retrieved from
http://ionamasjid.org/community/expansion-project/17-
publications/synopsis-of-friday-sermons/383-shariah-part-4-
protection-of-posterity-june-24-2012
his or her biological parents.
choose to convert to Islam are also not required to
change their name to any Islamic or Arabic name.
Those things which threaten al-Nasab and
al-Nasl are prevented, prohibited and discouraged.
The first thing is the prohibition and punishment of
Zina or also known as fornication and adultery. The
term Zina in Arabic is used to describe all extra-
marital sexual relations whether before the marriage
of a person or while getting married. In the Quran we
are warned, And come not near to unlawful sexual
intercourse. Verily, it is a shameful deed and an evil
way.2 Since the act of Zina is considered to be very
serious in Islam, the punishments that follow such act
in the Shariah law are equally serious and strict. This
issue has been under heavy debate in recent times.
The punishment for Zina of a married person is that
the accused is to be stoned. Many people have tried
implementing the Hudud law in Malaysia but failed.
Next is the prohibition of illicit
intermingling of the sexes. Islam encompasses all
possible relationships between men and women with
a collection of principles and codes of moral conduct.
The act of intermingling or mixing between the two
sexes of man and woman in Islam is mainly
prohibited for the concern that it might lead to other
sins such as Zina. It is the duty of every man to avert
his gaze from every woman and for every woman to
avert her gaze away from man. However, the day to
day interactions in society are not to be prohibited as
there are no concerns that arise.
Besides that, there is also the prohibition of
abortion and infanticide. Abortion is almost equal to
the act of murder in Islamic Law. This is because the
fetus inside the womb of a mother is considered to
have a soul and has the rights of protection. For
similar reasons, infanticide is also haram. The Quran
has addressed this issue which focuses on the killing
of children because of the fear of poverty. Kill not
your children for fear of want: We shall provide
sustenance for them as well as for you. Verily the
killing of them is a great sin.3
Lastly is the prohibition of insulting the
dead or the living. This prohibition is mainly linked
to the recognition and respect of ones descendants
no matter whether they are still alive or dead. The
reason behind this is that the feelings and reputation
of a person could be damaged and also it affects the
persons social standing. Additionally, those things
that also disrupt the unit of a family and upset the
ability to distinguish between lineages such as
adultery and fornication are very much forbidden.
2
Quran 17:32
3
Quran 17:31