Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad
And do not commit adultery -for, behold, it is an abomination and an evil way
M. M. Pickthall
And come not near unto adultery. Lo! it is an abomination and an evil way
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)
Nor come nigh to adultery: for it is a shameful (deed) and an evil, opening the road (to other evils)
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab
Do not go near adultery. It is truly a shameful deed and an evil way.
Safi Kaskas
And do not go anywhere near adultery, it is immoral and a disgrace.
Wahiduddin Khan
Do not commit adultery,[23] for it is an indecent thing and an evil course
Shakir
And go not nigh to fornication; surely it is an indecency and an evil way
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar
And come not near committing adultery. Truly, it had been a great indecency! How evil a way!
T.B.Irving
Do not commit adultery. It is shocking and an evil way [to behave].
Abdul Hye
Don’t approach adultery. Surely, it is a great sin, and it is the worst way.
The Study Quran
And approach not adultery; verily it is indecency and an evil way
Talal Itani & AI (2024)
And don’t approach adultery, for it’s an immoral act and an evil way.
Talal Itani (2012)
And do not come near adultery. It is immoral, and an evil way
Dr. Kamal Omar
And come not near to the unlawful sexual intercourse. Verily, it is a Fahisha (vulgar, obscene, immoral) and became evil as a way
You shall not commit adultery; surely it is a shameful deed and an evil way (opening the door to other evils)
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali
And do not come near to adultery; surely it has been an obscenity and odious as a way
Muhammad Sarwar
Do not even approach adultery. It is indecent and an evil act
Muhammad Taqi Usmani
Do not even go close to fornication. It is indeed a shameful act, and an evil way to follow
Shabbir Ahmed
Do not come close to adultery, for, it is an abomination and an evil way
Dr. Munir Munshey
And do not even wander close to extra marital sex. Indeed, adultery is a way of decadence
Syed Vickar Ahamed
And do not come close to adultery: Verily, it is a shameful (deed) and an act evil, opening the road (to many other evils)
And do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse. Indeed, it is ever an immorality and is evil as a way
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)
And do not come near adultery, for it is a sin and an evil path
Abdel Haleem
And do not go anywhere near adultery: it is an outrage, and an evil path
Abdul Majid Daryabadi
And approach not adultery; verily it is ever an abomination and vile as a pathway
Ahmed Ali
And do not go near fornication, as it is immoral and an evil way
Aisha Bewley
And do not go near to fornication. It is an indecent act, an evil way.
Ali Ünal
Do not draw near to any unlawful sexual intercourse; surely it is a shameful, indecent thing, and an evil way (leading to individual and social corruption)
Ali Quli Qara'i
Do not approach fornication. It is indeed an indecency and an evil way
Hamid S. Aziz
And draw not near to adultery (and fornication); verily, it is ever an abomination, and evil is the way thereof (it opens the way to other evils)
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad
And do not go near adultery/fornication, indeed it is indecent and a bad way.
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)
And do not put yourself in a situation that impermissible sex can easily occur, it is indeed an incorrect and harmful route
Musharraf Hussain
You must not go near adultery; it is indecency and an evil way of life.
Maududi
(viii) Do not even approach fornication for it is an outrageous act, and an evil way
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)
And do not come near adultery, for it is immoral and an evil path.
Mohammad Shafi
And go not near fornication/adultery! It is indeed an abomination and an evil path
Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)
And approach not adultery, undoubtedly that is immodesty and a very vile path.
You shall not commit adultery; it is a gross sin, and an evil behavior.
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah
Do not draw near to fornication, for it is an indecency, and its way is evil
Maulana Muhammad Ali
And go not nigh to fornication: surely it is an obscenity. And evil is the way
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira
And do not approach/near the adultery/fornication , that it truly was/is an enormous/atrocious deed , and a bad/evil/harmful way/path
Bijan Moeinian
You shall not even approach adultery. It is a big sin and an evil behavior
Faridul Haque
And do not approach adultery - it is indeed a shameful deed; and a very evil way
Sher Ali
And go not nigh unto adultery, surely, it is a manifest indecency and an evil way
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri
And do not even go near unlawful sex (adultery). Verily, it is an act of lewdness and is the most evil way
Amatul Rahman Omar
And Keep away from adultery and fornication; surely, it is an abominable act and an (extremely) evil practice
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali
And come not near to the unlawful sexual intercourse. Verily, it is a Fahishah (i.e. anything that transgresses its limits (a great sin)), and an evil way (that leads one to Hell unless Allah forgives him)
New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame
And do not come near to adultery. It indeed is an act of injustice and an evil way.
Munir Mezyed
Don’t come near adultery, It is indeed an indecency, and an evil way.
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher
And do not go near fornication, for it is indecency and a bad way.
Linda “iLHam” Barto
Do not approach unlawful sexual activity. That is shameful! It is an evil, paving the road [to more sin].
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation
And dopl not come near fornication; indeed, it is an obscenity and an evil way.
Irving & Mohamed Hegab
Do not commit adultery. It is excessive [sin] and an evil way [to behave].
Samy Mahdy
And do not approach adultery. Surely it was obscenity, and a bad pathway.
Sayyid Qutb
Do not come near adultery. It is indeed an abomination and an evil way.
Ahmed Hulusi
Do not approach adultery (relations outside marriage)! Indeed, that is the transgression of corporeality! It is a way with a wretched end!
Sayyed Abbas Sadr-Ameli
And do not approach fornication, verily it is an indecency and an evil way.
Nor should you commit adultery. It is a forbidden sexual union, regarded by Allah as an immoral act, a degrading vice and an evil line of conduct
Mir Aneesuddin
And do not (even) go near adultery, it is certainly indecent and an evil way.
The Wise Quran
And draw not near fornication; Indeed, it is an immorality, and an evil way.