benefits and perfect them, and to eliminate harms and minimize them. A little good is better than forgoing it, and averting some evil is better than leaving it entirely unchecked. Likewise, a woman who imitates men is confined, much as she would be if she committed unlawful sexual intercourse, whether a virgin or not, for confinement is among the measures prescribed for sexual immorality in general.

Another example is that of ʿUmar ibn al-Khattāb, who banished Nasr ibn Hajjāj from Medina, his homeland, to Basra when he heard of women’s amorous verses about him and of his imitation of them. He had initially ordered his hair to be cut to remove the beauty with which he tempted women. But when he then saw that his cheeks were among the most handsome of anyone’s, this troubled him, so he banished him to Basra. This man had committed no sin or indecency for which he deserved punishment. Some women, however, were infatuated with him, so ʿUmar ordered that his alluring beauty be removed. Leaving his homeland weakens his resolve and his body, and it is known that he is being punished. This falls under separating those who are feared likely to succumb to sexual immorality and infatuation before that happens; it does not fall under punishment. ʿUmar also used to banish wine-drinkers to Khaybar as an additional punishment.

Among the strongest incitements to sexual immorality is the melodious recitation of poetry composed by those whose hearts are diseased with infatuation and a love of sexual immorality and its preliminaries. When a singer sings such verses, he stirs diseased hearts to love sexual immorality. The heart’s disease is then inflamed and its affliction intensified. Even if a heart is free of this, such singing introduces disease into it. As one of the early generations said:

“Singing is an incantation for unlawful sexual intercourse.”