The religion of Islam attribute several of the present day offenses to the crime of fornication. The present day man is admittedly, keen to the why and therefor of, and to evolve methods to check and control, the present high ratio of divorce, the speedy spread of V.D., AIDS, very many instances of kidnapping, rape, and abduction and forced marriages and problems of illicit pregnancy, unmarried mothers, and illegitimacy of the offspring. In this context, it would be of much significance to study how far Islam provides a solution to these problems and how does the Islamic legal system classify them in penology. A study of the penal provisions relating to fornication, which Islam deems to be a heinous crime, would also be of much value. Furthermore, fornication has even considered an evil and crime, even in the primitive societies as also in the other major religions of the world. It would, therefore, be interesting to know how the crime of fornication has been dealt with by them vis-vis the Islamic legal system.