Quran Universe
7:81

إِنَّكُمۡ لَتَأۡتُونَ ٱلرِّجَالَ شَهۡوَةٗ مِّن دُونِ ٱلنِّسَآءِۚ بَلۡ أَنتُمۡ قَوۡمٞ مُّسۡرِفُونَ

Innakum latatoona alrrijala shahwatan min dooni alnnisai bal antum qawmun musrifoona

Indeed, you approach men with desire, instead of women. Rather, you are a transgressing people."

Word by word
  1. إِنَّكُمۡIndeed,you
  2. لَتَأۡتُونَyou approach
  3. ٱلرِّجَالَthe men
  4. شَهۡوَةٗlustfully
  5. مِّنfrom
  6. دُونِinstead of
  7. ٱلنِّسَآءِۚthe women
  8. بَلۡNay
  9. أَنتُمۡyou
  10. قَوۡمٞ(are) a people
  11. مُّسۡرِفُونَ(who) commit excesses
Al-A'raf · 7:81Makkah

Desire followed past every limit. A people who went too far.

Putting things where they do not belong

Lut's words
desirefollowed past the limits
made them
transgressorsgoing beyond bounds
Who is in charge
my desire decidesif I want it, fine
Allah's limits decidedesire stays inside them

Lut said they went to men with desire instead of women. The tafsir says this placed things in their improper places. He reminded them of the women of the nation, lawful to marry, and they refused. His last word on them: a people transgressing beyond bounds.

Your own desires push too: the late-night scroll, the second look, the food you said you would not eat. The question the verse leaves you is whether desire is driving, or you are.

If I want something strongly, that makes it right for me.

Desire is real, but Allah's limits decide where it goes.

Try this

Say no to one desire today that you know goes past a limit, and say why to yourself.

Related15:7111:79
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 7:80)

And (remember) Lut, when he said to his people: "Do you commit lewdness such as none preceding you has committed in all of the nations (80)"Verily, you practice your lusts on men instead of women. Nay, but you are a people transgressing beyond bounds. (81)

Allah said, We sent,

وَ

(And)

لُوطًا إِذْ قَالَ لِقَوْمِهِ

(Lut, when he said to his people..) Lut (Lot) is the son of Haran the son of Azar (Terah), and he was the nephew of Ibrahim, peace be upon them both. Lut had believed in Ibrahim and migrated with him to the Sham area. Allah then sent Lut to the people of Sadum (Sodom) and the surrounding villages, to call them to Allah, enjoin righteousness and forbid them from their evil practices, their sin, and wickedness. It this area, they did things that none of the children of Adam or any other creatures ever did before them. They used to have sexual intercourse with males instead of females. This evil practice was not known among the Children of Adam before, nor did it even cross their minds, so they were unfamiliar with it before the people of Sodom invented it, may Allah's curse be on them. 'Amr bin Dinar conmented on;

مَا سَبَقَكُم بِهَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ مِّنَ الْعَالَمِينَ

("...as none preceding you has committed in all of the nations.")

"Never before the people of Lut did a male have sex with another male." This is why Lut said to them,

أَتَأْتُونَ الْفَاحِشَةَ مَا سَبَقَكُم بِهَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ مِّنَ الْعَالَمِينَ - إِنَّكُمْ لَتَأْتُونَ الرِّجَالَ شَهْوَةً مِّن دُونِ النِّسَاءِ

("Do you commit lewdness such as none preceding you has committed in all of the nations? Verily, you practice your lusts on men instead of women.") meaning, you left women whom Allah created for you and instead had sex with men? Indeed, this behavior is evil and ignorant because you have placed things in their improper places. Lut, peace be upon him, said to them:

هَٰؤُلَاءِ بَنَاتِي إِن كُنتُمْ فَاعِلِينَ

("these (the girls of the nation) are my daughters (to marry lawfully), if you must act (so).")[15:71]

So he reminded them of their women, and they replied that they do not desire women!

قَالُوا لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَا لَنَا فِي بَنَاتِكَ مِنْ حَقٍّ وَإِنَّكَ لَتَعْلَمُ مَا نُرِيدُ

(They said: "Surely, you know that we have neither any desire nor need of your daughters, and indeed you know well what we want!" )[11:79] meaning, you know that we have no desire for women and you know what we desire with your guests.