Expert: MuslimHood - 11/4/2009

Question
hallo....my friend a catholic guy asked me about masturbation......since i didn't know what to answer him i decided to ask u..he told me that he only masturbates because he loves women but doesn't want to do the sin of fornication......he logs on to porn sites and fantasizes about having sex with this women...is this really sinning?or can GOD understand this because he is a teenager?

Answer
Glory be to Allah!

According to Islam: yes he is sinning.
Made lawful to you this day are At-Tayyibat [all kinds of Halal (lawful) foods, which Allah has made lawful (meat of slaughtered eatable animals, etc., milk products, fats, vegetables and fruits, etc.). The food (slaughtered cattle, eatable animals, etc.) of the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) is lawful to you and yours is lawful to them. (Lawful to you in marriage) are chaste women from the believers and chaste women from those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) before your time, when you have given their due Mahr (bridal money given by the husband to his wife at the time of marriage), desiring chastity (i.e. taking them in legal wedlock) not committing illegal sexual intercourse, nor taking them as girl-friends. And whosoever disbelieves in the Oneness of Allah and in all the other Articles of Faith [i.e. His (Allah's), Angels, His Holy Books, His Messengers, the Day of Resurrection and Al-Qadar (Divine Preordainments)], then fruitless is his work, and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers. [Al-Maa'idah - (The Table spread with Food)][5:5]


Ps. It is considered as sin in catholic religion too.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_teachings_on_sexual_morality