Is masturbation forbidden, to what extent is it forbidden, and what are the scholars' proofs regarding that?

The correct view among scholars is that masturbation is forbidden, based on the Almighty's saying: (And those who guard their private parts Except from their wives or those whom their right hands possess, for indeed, they are not to be blamed But whoever seeks beyond that, then those are the transgressors). A group of scholars has gone to permit it, and some to dislike it, and reports from Ibn Abbas and Ibn Umar indicate both its permissibility and prohibition, but the chains of narration are flawed. Allah has detailed the prohibition of masturbation in His saying: (And those who guard their private parts). An ordinary Muslim should ask whoever he considers most knowledgeable and pious among the scholars of his country, and it is forbidden for him to seek out dispensations and anomalous opinions.