It is Sufficient to Repent

The following question was received by the Presiency for the Administrations of Scientific Researches and Religious Verdicts:

Question :

I am married and my wife is in Lebanon. I work in Brazil in order to earn my living and to educate my children. But I committed an act of illegal sexual intercourse here, and I have already expressed regret and repented to Allah. Is that sufficient for me, or must the legal punishment also be implemented? Please deliver a legal verdict for me, may Allah have mercy on you.

Answer:

(The presidency) answered as follows:

There is no doubt that illegal sexual intercourse is one of the major sins. Among the things which lead to this sin are women being unveiled, free mixing of men with unrelated women (i.e. women for whom they are not Mahrams), the decay of morality, and the corruption of society in general. So if you committed adultery as a result of being far away from your wife and mixing with evil and corrupt people, then you regretted your sin and repented to Allah with a sincere repentance, we hope that Allah will accept your repentance and forgive you your sin, in accordance with the Words of Him, Most High:
"And those who invoke not any other ilah (god) along with Allah, nor kill such person as Allah has forbidden, except for just cause, nor commit illegal sexual intercourse and whoever does this shall receive the punishment. The torment will be doubled to him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein in disgrace, Except those who repent and believe (in Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous deeds; for those, Allah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

It has been confirmed from 'Ubadah bin As-Samit, may Allah be pleased with him, in the Hadith of the women's oath of allegiance, that the Prophet said:
"And whoever among you fulfills it, their reward is with Allah. And whoever commits any such thing is punished for it, and that will be an atonement for it. And if anyone commits anything and Allah conceals (the sin), then the matter rests with Allah. He may forgive them if He wills, and He may punish them if He wills."

But you must migrate from that corrupt environment since it encourages you to commit acts of disobedience, and you seek. your living in another country where the evil is less than it, in order to preserve your religion. For verily, Allah's earth is spacious, and a man will not be deprived of a land in which he may earn the sustenance which Allah has written for him:
"And whosoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine."

And may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet, Muhammad and upon his family and Companions.

Source:
The Permanent Committee
Fatawa Islamiyah, Vol. 6 Pages 193-194