Rihanna and her Saudi boyfriend Hassan Jameel have been the >talk of the town for the past few days. And now, a cleric from Jeddah has given his two cents on the relationship via his Twitter account.
Assim Alhakeem, a Jeddah-based preacher, told his 86,900 Twitter fans that the pictures of the couple do not mean that Jameel's acts are punishable under Saudi law, contrary to popular opinion.
He explains that if the photos do not prove sexual intercourse, then Jameel - and according to Saudi Arabia's interpretation of Islamic law, which includes "100 lashes" for engaging in pre-marital sexual intercourse - would not be found guilty.
However, Alhakeem did acknowledge that "lustful gaze, touching and being intimate" are considered sinful.
The Jeddah-based preacher - who describes himself as "a Muslim from the land of Islam, trying my best to enlighten people about Islam" - went on to explain that Muslims should not condemn Jameel because "Photoshop exists".
"Allah told us to verify the news before judging people as mentioned in 49:6," Alhakeem tweeted.
Photoshop to the rescue?
"Photographs and video can't take the role of eye witnesses," he continues
Further explanation on the matter was provided
He then went on to explain what "zina" in Islam is ... in thorough detail
The sheikh made it a point to reply to his fans ... with savage level: 10000
And went the extra mile to prove a point
People began speculating whether his account had been hacked or not
Zina in Saudi Arabia is punishable by law. There are two different forms of zina as explained by local blog, "Life in Saudi Arabia."
Adultery committed by a married person in the kingdom is punishable by law, though there are some exceptions that may change the verdict. The punishment attached to this form of zina is stoning to death.
The other type is the one committed by an unmarried person and which is punishable by 100 lashes.