A person asked me if masturbation was not a good way to...

A person asked me if masturbation was not a good way to release tension which otherwise would result in a sexual intercourse with the opposite sex. He showed me an article which appeared in an American newspaper. The article says at least twice a week one should masturbate if he wants to lead a comfortable life without heart attack. The article was by a Professor in one of the American Universities. A. Masturbation is Haram in Islam. It is not possible to write on this subject in a short letter.

In a medical encyclopaedia, it is written that masturbation becomes harmful "only when it exceeds the limit, and then medical treatment becomes necessary". Two of the harmful effects of exceeding the limit (which have not been mentioned in that book) are as follows:- First, the base of penis becomes thinner compared to the rest of the organ; the penis becomes curved to the right or left, (if left hand is used, then to the left, and vice-versa).

Secondly, the will-power gradually weakens, and even if the person concerned wants to leave that habit, he cannot. It is habit-forming; and in view of this, the pious admonitions of the psychologists "not to exceed the limit" looses all its weight. Many people say that masturbation is "a natural" thing. Why? Because, some young bulls or other animals have been observed to indulge in it. If we accept this "logic" as valid, we will have to sanction many other things also.

For example, marriage between brother and sister, between mother and son. And why marriage at all? Sexual intercourse without any "religious sanction" has been practised in the animal world since time immemorial. Therefore, it is "natural" And therefore, it should be allowed and advocated! What kind of logic is this? Others go so far as to declare that there is no difference between masturbation and normal sexual intercourse.

They apparently forget that in the normal sexual intercourse all the senses contribute to the stimulation and orgasm: Man and Woman see their partner, touch each other, say endearing words to each other and hear the stimulating words and sounds; and likewise the senses of smell and taste are utilized.And penetration of male organ inside the female ultimately leads to the final excitement and orgasm.

But in masturbation the only source of stimulation is imagination, in which no other sense takes any part.