“And those who guard their private parts, except with their wives or those whom their right hands possess—for they are not blameworthy. But whoever seeks beyond that, then they are the transgressors. And those who faithfully observe their trusts and their covenants, and those who diligently maintain their prayers—those are the inheritors.” (5–10)

“Those who guard their private parts”: the term for private parts includes the sexual organs of both men and women. Guarding one’s private parts means refraining from what is unlawful.

“Except with their wives”: that is, from their wives; the preposition here carries the meaning of “from.” “Or those whom your right hands possess”: the pronoun ma (“what”) is in the genitive case, meaning: or those whom their right hands possess. This verse applies specifically to men, as indicated by His saying, “or those whom their right hands possess.” A woman is not permitted to derive sexual enjoyment from the private parts of her male slave.

“For they are not blameworthy”: that is, a man guards his private parts except from his wife or his slave woman, and he is not blameworthy for this. However, he is only free of blame with either of them when it is done in a manner permitted by the Sacred Law—not by anal intercourse, nor during menstruation or postnatal bleeding. Such acts are forbidden, and whoever commits them is blameworthy.

“But whoever seeks beyond that”: that is, whoever seeks or desires anything besides wives and slave women whom one possesses, “then they are the transgressors”—the wrongdoers who overstep the bounds from what is lawful into what is unlawful. 30/b This is evidence that masturbation by hand is unlawful, which is the view of most scholars. Ibn Jurayj said: “I asked Ata about it, and he replied: ‘It is reprehensible. I heard that some people will be resurrected with their hands pregnant, and I think they are these people.’” Said ibn Jubayr said: “Allah punished a people who used to play with their male organs.”

“And those who faithfully observe their trusts”: Ibn Kathir recited “their trust” in the singular here and in Surat al-Ma'arij, in consideration of His saying, “and their covenant.” The others recited it in the plural, as in His saying, exalted is He: “Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due” (al-Nisa 4:57).

“And their covenant”: that is, they preserve what has been entrusted to them, and the agreements they have made with people, fulfilling them faithfully. Trusts differ: some are between Allah, exalted is He, and His servant, such as prayer, fasting, and the acts of worship that Allah has made obligatory upon him; while others are between people, such as deposits and work entrusted to one’s care. The servant must fulfil them all.

“And those who diligently maintain their prayers”: Hamzah and al-Kisa'i recited “their prayer” in the singular, while the others recited “their prayers” in the plural.

“Diligently maintain”: that is, they persevere in guarding them and observe their prescribed times. Prayer is mentioned again in order to make clear that maintaining it is obligatory, just as reverent humility within it is obligatory.

“Those”—the people distinguished by these qualities—“are the inheritors”: they inherit, in Paradise, the dwellings of the people of the Fire.