Handbook

A while ago I picked up a small item in a used book store--From Youth Into Manhood--published by the Young Men's Christian Association Press 100 years ago. Written by a professor at Northwestern's medical school, it gives all sorts of advice to young males, but is positively obsessed with masturbation. I don't know how common this obsession is in the sweep of human history, but I know the YMCA wasn't alone.

For instance, someone just sent me (though I'm not sure why) this Muslim manual, Masturbation: A Disastrous Problem Faced By The Youth. I don't know how widespread these beliefs are within Islam, or to whom this booklet is addressed, but it certainly provides a lot of interesting information.

These excerpts should give you a feeling for it:

Some of the fuqaha have drawn their conclusion from a narration reported by Hasan bin Arfah that Nabi (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said:

“Seven persons are such that Allah Ta’ala will not look at them on the Day of Qiyâmah nor will He purify them nor will He include them amongst the learned and Allah will enter them into Jahannum. They will enter Jahannum first except for those who repent. As for those who repent Allah will accept their repentance.

1. A person who masturbates.
2. A person who performs the act of sodomy.
3. The person upon whom the act of sodomy is performed.
4. A perpetual drunkard
5. The person who hits his parents so much so that they appeal for help.
6. The person who harms his neighbours so much so that they curse him.
7. The person who commits adultery with his neighbour’s wife.” ( Ibne Katheer, vol 5, pg 458)

Then there's this:

Undoubtedly, masturbation causes physical harm -although some have exaggerated its harms - nevertheless, medical science has proven that masturbation is a cause of a number of diseases. Amongst them are:

1. It weakens the sexual organs and creates partial looseness in it.
2. It weakens the nerves generally - a result of the exertion caused by this action.
3. It affects the growth of the limbs especially the outer part of the urethra (duct through which urine is discharged from the bladder and the testicles). Hence it does not reach the limit of it’s normal growth.
4. It creates seminal (spermatic) inflammation in the testicles which causes quick ejaculation of sperm.
5. It causes pain in the vertebra column, the spinal column from which semen is ejaculated. This pain creates crookedness and twisting in the back.
6. It causes some limbs like the legs to shake and shiver.
7. It creates weakness in the cerebral glands of the brain which, in turn, weakens the power of perception and reason. Similarly, it leads to the weakness of memory.
8. It weakens the eye-sight and reduces its normal limit of vision.
9. It causes a person to become old before time.
10. It weakens the very delicate and fine nerves and veins of the sexual organs resulting in sexual impotency.
11. It causes an excessive loss of sperm by way of nocturnal emission (wet dreams).
12. It decreases the natural resistance of the body.
13. It causes harm to the four principal organs in the body viz, the heart, brain, liver and stomach.
14. It decreases the natural animal heat in the body, heat which strengthens the soul and body.
15. It causes an excessive loss of blood. Remember it takes 80 drops of blood to produce one drop of sperm.
(Tajjus Sihat, pg 11)
16. It weakens the bladder.

Beyond physical harm, there's psychological and social harm.

1. The psychologists say: “Here the awareness of a misdeed and the feeling of a sin occurs to those youth who practice this vile act in such a way that within themselves there is struggle between the desire to practice this vile act and the remorseful feeling of a sin.”
2. Excessive practice of this vile act leads to cowardice, an increase in nervous agitation, no confidence in oneself, overwhelming disgrace, a decrease in the urge to study and desire towards isolation and introversion.
3. Similarly, excessive practice of this evil act leads towards its addiction and attachment. Instead of practising it to rid oneself of an irresistible desire or to unleash a violent eruption of desire within oneself, a person does it as a habit to attain and satisfy his carnal appetite and -desire. Ibn Qayyim (Rahmatullahi alaihi) has said: “Many sinners sin without deriving any pleasure and urge except that they experience pain in quitting it.”