Shaykh al-Islām—may Allah sanctify his soul—said:

Concerning His words:

“When they commit an indecency, they say, ‘We found our fathers doing it, and Allah has commanded us to do it.’ Say, ‘Allah does not command indecency. Do you say about Allah what you do not know?’”

The indecency meant here is exposing the private parts. This verse may therefore be cited as evidence that evil actions possess qualities that preclude their being commanded by divine law. For, in rebuking them, Allah states that He does not command indecency. This indicates that He is exalted above doing so. Were it admissible for Him to do so, He would not have declared Himself above it. It is thus established that commanding indecency is inadmissible for Him. This can only be so if the action is evil in itself. It follows that whatever is inherently indecent cannot be commanded by Allah.

This is the position of those who affirm that actions possess inherent qualities of good and evil, as most scholars do, including the Tamīmīs and Abū al-Khattāb. It stands in contrast to the view of those who say that such qualities are never established except through divine address.

Likewise, He says:

“Do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse. Indeed, it is an indecency and an evil way.”

He explains the prohibition by the qualities inherent in it: that it is an indecency and an evil way. For if