Turkey: Islamic cleric warns 'hands will get pregnant in afterlife' due to masturbation

Mücahid Cihad, a self-styled Islamic preacher and a popular televangelist in Turkey, has issued a fatwa against masturbation because, according to him, hands would get pregnant in afterlife.

His bizarre comment came during a live question and answer session on the Turkish media outlet 2000 TV.

The question on masturbation by a viewer clearly took him by surprise, according to reports.

Citing the Islamic edict, Cihad said: "Moreover, one hadith states that those who have sexual intercourse with their hands will find their hands pregnant in the afterlife, complaining against them to God over its rights."

Cihad looked visibly perplexed when the viewer repeated his question, adding that he masturbated even during his pilgrimage to Mecca.

Knowing the questioner was already married, Cihad responded: "If our viewer was single, I could recommend he marry, but what can I say now?"

The comment has created quite a stir in Turkish social media with many taking digs at the preacher.

Shortly after his statement went viral, the cleric proudly posted on Twitter, where he has 12,000 followers, that his views have been picked up by 300-odd news outlets across the world.