Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing.
Quran 29:45
Quran 29:45

“Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing.”

Read - O Messenger - to people what Allah has revealed to you of the Qur’ān and do the prayer in the most perfect manner. Prayer that is discharged perfectly restrains the doer from falling into sins and wrong, because it creates a light in the heart that prevents the perpetration of sins and guides the person to doing righteous deeds.

The plain meaning, from Al-Mukhtasar fi at-Tafsir

The full passage

ٱتْلُ مَآ أُوحِىَ إِلَيْكَ مِنَ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ وَأَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ ۖ إِنَّ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ تَنْهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلْفَحْشَآءِ وَٱلْمُنكَرِ ۗ وَلَذِكْرُ ٱللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ

Recite, O Muḥammad, what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of Allah is greater. And Allah knows that which you do.

Quran 29:45The Arabic it was clipped from
The explanation

What does Quran 29:45 mean?

Surah al-‘Ankabut was revealed to a community under pressure, and this verse pairs two instructions: recite what has been revealed to you, and establish the prayer. The claim about prayer is causal, not decorative — the commentators explain that a prayer performed properly leaves a light in the heart that holds a person back from what is shameful. And the sentence does not stop there: the remembrance of Allah, it adds, is greater still.

Written from Al-Mukhtasar fi at-Tafsir

Where it sits