Quran Universe
17:32

وَلَا تَقۡرَبُواْ ٱلزِّنَىٰٓۖ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ فَٰحِشَةٗ وَسَآءَ سَبِيلٗا

Wala taqraboo alzzina innahu kana fahishatan wasaa sabeelan

And do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse. Indeed, it is ever an immorality and is evil as a way.

Word by word
  1. وَلَاAnd (do) not
  2. تَقۡرَبُواْgo near
  3. ٱلزِّنَىٰٓۖadultery
  4. إِنَّهُۥIndeed,it
  5. كَانَis
  6. فَٰحِشَةٗan immorality
  7. وَسَآءَand (an) evil
  8. سَبِيلٗاway
Al-Isra · 17:32Makkah

Do not even go near it.

Staying far from the road to zina

The road
a glance
a private chat
a meeting
leads to
the sinshameful, an evil way
Where the line is
at the act itselfthe rest is harmless
do not approachavoid what leads there

Ibn Kathir says Allah forbids zina and everything that leads to it. He cites a young man who asked the Prophet ﷺ for permission. The people scolded him, but the Prophet ﷺ called him close and asked if he would like it for his mother, his daughter, his sister. Then he put his hand on him and prayed for his heart to be purified.

It starts small. A late night message that gets a bit too personal. The app you open when you are lonely. No one plans the fall. The verse does not say do not do it. It says do not walk toward it.

I can handle getting close as long as I do not cross the final line.

The safe place is far from the line, not right next to it.

Try this

Identify one door that leads you toward temptation and close it today, a chat, an app, a habit.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And come not near to unlawful sex. Verily, it is Fahishah (immoral sin) and an evil way (32)

The Command to avoid Zina (Unlawful Sex) and Everything that leads to it

Allah says, forbidding His servants to commit Zina or to approach it or to do anything that may lead to it:

وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا الزِّنَا ۖ إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَاحِشَةً

(And come not near to unlawful sex. Verily, it is a Fahishah (immoral sin)) meaning a major sin,

وَسَاءَ سَبِيلًا

(and an evil way.) meaning, a terrible way to behave. Imam Ahmad recorded Abu Umamah saying that a young man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said, "O Messenger of Allah! Give me permission to commit Zina (unlawful sex)." The people surrounded him and rebuked him, saying, "Stop! Stop!" But the Prophet ﷺ said,

ادْنُهُ

(Come close) The young man came to him, and he said,

اجْلِس

(Sit down) so he sat down. The Prophet ﷺ said,

أَتُحِبُّهُ لِأُمِّكَ

(Would you like it (unlawful sex) for your mother?) He said, "No, by Allah, may I be ransomed for you." The Prophet ﷺ said,

وَلَا النَّاسُ يُحِبُّونَهُ لِأُمَّهَاتِهِم

(Neither do the people like it for their mothers.) The Prophet ﷺ said,

أَفَتُحِبُّهُ لِابْنَتِكَ؟

(Would you like it for your daughter?) He said, "No, by Allah, may I be ransomed for you." The Prophet ﷺ said,

وَلَا النَّاسُ يُحِبُّونَهُ لِبَنَاتِهِم

(Neither do the people like it for their daughters.) The Prophet ﷺ said,

أَفَتُحِبُّهُ لِأُخْتِكَ؟

(Would you like it for your sister?) He said, "No, by Allah, may I be ransomed for you." The Prophet ﷺ said,

وَلَا النَّاسُ يُحِبُّونَهُ لِأَخَوَاتِهِم

(Neither do the people like it for their sisters.) The Prophet ﷺ said,

أَفَتُحِبُّهُ لِعَمَّتِكَ؟

(Would you like it for your paternal aunt?) He said, "No, by Allah, O Allah's Messenger! may I be ransomed for you." The Prophet ﷺ said,

وَلَا النَّاسُ يُحِبُّونَهُ لِعَمَّاتِهِم

(Neither do the people like it for their paternal aunts.) The Prophet ﷺ said,

أَفَتُحِبُّهُ لِخَالَتِكَ؟

(Would you like it for your maternal aunt?) He said, "No, by Allah, O Allah's Messenger! may I be ransomed for you." The Prophet ﷺ said,

وَلَا النَّاسُ يُحِبُّونَهُ لِخَالَاتِهِم

(Neither do the people like it for their maternal aunts.) Then the Prophet ﷺ put his hand on him and said,

اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ ذَنْبَهُ، وَطَهِّرْ قَلْبَهُ، وَأَحْصِنْ فَرْجَهُ

(O Allah, forgive his sin, purify his heart and guard his chastity.) After that the young man never paid attention to anything of that nature.