What is meant by "fornication" (zina) in the verse: "The fornicator does not marry except a [female] fornicator or polytheist, and none marries a [female] fornicator except a fornicator or polytheist; and that has been forbidden to the believers"? Does it include the preludes to fornication and sexual intercourse through phone calls or the Internet?

The intended meaning of "zina" (unlawful sexual intercourse) in the noble verse is actual zina, which necessitates the prescribed punishment (Hadd). This refers to the intentional insertion of the glans into a human private part without marriage, ownership (slavery), or a semblance thereof. Hardly any exegete explicitly states that the intended meaning is actual zina and not metaphorical, due to the obviousness and clarity of the matter.