Islam has perfected the morals and elevated them to a high standard. The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

“I have been raised to perfect and complete righteous character and morals.” [al-Haakim]

Islam encourages and commands with every good manner, and prohibits and warns against every evil and lewd manner. Allah (SWT) says:

Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the foolish. [7:199]

 The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

“Do you know who is bankrupt?” They (his companions) said, “The bankrupt among us is he who has neither money nor wealth.” The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “The bankrupt in my nation is he who comes on the Day of Requital with the [reward of his] prayers, charity, fasting; he comes [with them] but [in his previous life] he had cursed one person and falsely accused another, killed one person and hit another. So this one is given from his reward, and that one as well. When the reward for his good deeds will have all been distributed before he repays his sins, their sins will be taken and thrown upon him, and he will be thrown into the Hellfire.” [Muslim]

 The Religion of Islam defined the way a Muslim should relate to others and to his society. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)said:

“Avoid the prohibited and you will be the best worshipper, be pleased with the sustenance Allah has provided for you and you will be the richest of people, be good to your neighbor and you will be a true believer, love for others what you love for yourself and you will be a true Muslim, and do not laugh much, for indeed laughing much causes the heart to die.” [at-Tirmidhi]

He (ﷺ) also said:

 “A true Muslim is he whom other Muslims are safe from his tongue and his hand, and a true muhajir” is one who has left what Allah has forbidden.” [al-Bukhari ]

Islam aims to form a well knit society in which the individuals show mutual love and mercy to one another; this is accomplished by the implementation of its commands and abandonment of its prohibitions. The following are things that Islam has prohibited:

[1]Associating partners with Allah (Shirk) whether it be in regard to His Ruboobiyah, or in acts of worship. Allah (SWT) says:

Verily’. Allah forgives not (the sin of) setting up partners in worship with Him, but He forgives whom he pleases sins other than that. [4:116]

[2] Sorcery. Abu Hurairah reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying: “Stay far away from the destructive sins: associating partners with Allah (Shirk) and sorcery.” [al-Bukhari] [3] Oppression, transgression against others and squandering their rights. Allah (SWT) says:

Say: “(But) the things that my Lord has indeed forbidden are licentious sins whether committed openly or secretly, [all other] sins, unrighteous oppression… [7:33]

 [4] Manslaughter, except if it is legislated in a castigatory punishment. Allah (SWT) says:

And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell to abide therein, and the Wrath and the Curse of Allah are upon him, and a great punishment is prepared for him. [4:93]

 This prohibition does not include those who kill or are killed in the process of defending their lives, wealth, or honor. The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

“Whoever is killed in defending his money, he is a martyr, and whoever is killed in defending his family, life, or Religion, he is a martyr.” [Abu Dawood] [5] Severing familial ties and relations. Allah (SWT) says:

Would you then, if you were given the authority, do mischief in the land, and sever your ties of kinship?

 Such are they whom Allah has cursed, so that He has made them deaf and blinded their sight… [47:22-3]

The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

“One who severs ties of kinship will not enter Paradise.” [Muslim]

What is meant by severing ties of kinship is that one does not visit his relatives or is aloof of their needs; also that one acts arrogant towards them or does not help the weak and poor amongst them if he is rich. If one gives charity to a poor person who is not related to him, he would receive the reward for charity, but if he gives charity to a poor person who is related to him, he will receive the reward for joining ties of relation as well as that of charity. If a person was himself poor, he should maintain ties of kinship by greeting his relatives, inquiring about them, and being kind to them. The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

“Join and maintain ties of kinship, even if it be by greeting them.” [al-Bazzar] [6] Fornication and adultery, as well as all things which may lead to them. Allah (SWT) says:

And come not near to the unlawful sexual intercourse. Verily, it is a great and licentious sin, and an evil way. [17:32]

Allah (SWT) clarifies the punishment of the fornicator in His words:

The woman and the man guilty of illegal sexual intercourse, flog each of them with a hundred stripes. Let not pity withhold you in their case, in a punishment prescribed by Allah, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day. And let a party of the believers witness their punishment. [24:2]

This is the punishment of a fornicator who was never married before. As for one who commits adultery, his punishment is that he should be stoned to death.

This punishment was also prescribed in some of the previous religions. The Jews of Madinah (Medina) raised the case of a Jewess and a Jew who had committed fornication to the Messenger of Allah.

So he said to them: “Bring me two of the most knowledgeable of your men.” They came with two sons of a man from Syria, and he asked them: “What do you find regarding the matter of these two (fornicators) in the Torah?” They said, “We find in their regards that if four people bear witness that they saw his penis in her vagina like a kohl  applicator in its jar, they are to be stoned.” He (ﷺ) asked, “Then what prevented you from stoning them?” They said, “Our authority has been relinquished and we have been forced to prescribe the sentence of death (without stoning).” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then called for the witnesses. They came with four people and they bore witness that they saw the man’s penis in her vagina like a kohl applicator in its jar, so the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) ordered them to be stoned. [Abu Dawood]

In order for the verdict of stoning to be implemented, one of the following two conditions must be met.

* If the male or female admit to the crime, he or she will be punished.

Abu Hurairah said: “A man from the people came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), while he was in the mosque. He called him, “Messenger of Allah, I have committed adultery.” The Prophet (ﷺ) turned away from him. The man came to the side to which the Prophet (ﷺ) turned his face and said, “Messenger of Allah, I have committed adultery.” The Prophet () turned away from him. The man came to the side to which the Prophet (ﷺ) turned his face. When he had testified against himself four times, the Prophet (ﷺ) called him and said, “Are you mad?” He said, “No, Messenger of Allah.” He said, “Are you a married?” He answered. “Yes, Messenger of Allah.” He said, “Take him and stone him.” [al-Bukhari]

* Four equitable men bear witness that the accused man’s penis entered the woman’s vagina. This hardly has occurred, and would take effect if a man openly exhibits his crime. Throughout Islamic history this castigation has not been implemented except in a few instances; in these instances the castigation was implemented because of the confession of the fornicator. The punishment demonstrates the severity of the deed; the reason for its severity is that it would safeguard the Ummah (nation) from corruption and evil, and would safeguard the Ummah from breaking down… lineage would not be obscured, and problems related to inheritance and marriage ,would not occur. It would also safeguard the Ummah from diseases and epidemics. The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

“O migrants (from Makkah to Madinah) if you are afflicted with five things, and I seek refuge from Allah that you should see them, no licentious sin is committed openly in a society except that Allah causes diseases and plagues which never previously existed to spread amongst them… [Ibn Maajah]

The worst type of fornication is incest.

Islam has also prohibited homosexuality. Allah says when mentioning the story of the People of Lot:

So when Our Commandment came, We turned (the towns of Sodom in Palestine) upside down, and rained on them stones of baked clay, piled up; * Marked from your Lord, and they are not ever far from the evil-doers. [11:82-3]

Lesbianism is also forbidden in Islam, and certain punishments have been set to eradicate this sinful act.