This and similar examples concern spoken words. As for physical deeds, every act involving a desire for sexual immorality to spread among the believers falls under this warning; indeed, its punishment is more severe. Allah has threatened painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter for merely desiring that sexual immorality should spread. Such a desire may be unaccompanied by any word or deed—so what if words or deeds accompany it? Rather, a person must hate what Allah hates: committing sexual immorality, accusing others of it, and spreading it among the believers. Whoever approves of a people’s conduct will be gathered with them, just as Lot’s wife was gathered with them. She did not commit the indecency of intercourse between men, for a woman cannot do that. Yet because she approved of their conduct, the punishment encompassed her along with them.

It is in this connection that mention is made of those who assist sexual immorality and its spread, such as the procurer who leads women and boys into sexual immorality for the influence he gains or the illicit earnings on which he lives. The same applies to those whose occupations prosper through it, such as singers, wine-drinkers, and contractors for governmental and other establishments. They desire sexual immorality to spread so that they can fend off those believers who denounce it—something they cannot do when it is rare, limited in scale, and concealed.

There is no disagreement among Muslims that whatever encourages disobedience to Allah and discourages obedience to Him is forbidden and unlawful. Conversely, whatever does the opposite is obligatory, as Allah Most High says:

“Indeed, prayer restrains from indecency and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of Allah is greater.”

That is, the obedience to Allah, remembrance of Him, and compliance with His command that prayer contains are greater than its restraining effect.