I aim to set out here my understanding of the Quranic position on the question of homosexuality, not to engage with the broader debate of current political sexuality; that is, I am interested here only in the Quranic position on homosexuality, and not in any view held – however strongly – on any other basis.
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The first principle to understand is that the Qur’anic position is that many people will not believe; that is, no matter how one dislikes the reality, the fact is that many will be impervious to the remembrance of God no matter what.
Whom God guides:
He is rightly guided.
And whom God sends astray:
These are the losers.
And we have sown for Hell many among the jinn and mankind.
They have hearts wherewith they understand not
And they have eyes wherewith they see not
And they have ears wherewith they hear not.
These are like cattle.
Nay: they are further astray.
These are the heedless. (7:178-179)
Thus, being rightly guided is not a social phenomenon or a cultural inheritance such as being born into a group which claims a particular religion; it is a condition of soul: one either is rightly guided or one is not rightly guided.
The second principle is that submission to God is by individual choice.
No compulsion is there in doctrine.
Sound judgment is made clear from error.
And whoso denies idols and believes in God:
He has grasped a firm handhold which has no break.
And God is hearing, knowing. (2:256)
The third principle is that the job of those who are genuinely muslīm is to call people to faith; it is not to force anyone to believe anything.
And thus we made you an intermediary community:
That you might be witnesses to mankind
And that the messenger might be a witness to you. (2:143)
And fourthly, there is no such thing within the Qur’an as punishment for apostasy. Please see my YouTube talk entitled Apostasy, conformity and thinking for yourself for more on that subject.
So to summarise briefly at this point:
There exists no Qur’anic support for forcing anyone to believe anything – and that includes homosexuals, naturally
Anyone can renounce his faith should he choose to at any time – and that includes homosexuals
The fact that one may choose to accept or reject faith taken as given, I will now look at the Qur’an’s position on homosexuality.
To understand this we need to know something about the Qur’an’s process of word-value definitions. This is something I cover extensively in my work and I refer you to my YouTube talk entitled Sālat in the Qur’an if you wish to gain at deeper understanding of this, or to my book The Qur’an: A Complete Revelation if you wish to see this methodology applied to the totality of the Qur’anic text.
Suffice to say at this juncture: the Qur’an provides clear statements which define core textual values (i.e. key words). And the core value we are looking for at this point is in Arabic fāḥish which I render throughout as sexual immorality.
While fāḥish is translated variously by the Traditionalist, we do not have to guess as to the meaning. The Qur’an applies fāḥish (sg.) to three scenarios only: sex outside marriage (17:32); marrying the former wife of one’s father (4:22); and male homosexuality (7:80-81, 27:54-55).
References
fāḥishat – sexual immorality
3:135, 4:15, 4:19, 4:22, 4:25, 6:151, 7:28, 7:33, 7:80, 17:32, 24:19, 27:54, 29:28, 33,30, 42:37, 53:32, 65:1.
faḥshā – sexual immorality
2:169, 2:268, 7:28, 12:24, 16:90, 24:21, 29:45.
And approach not unlawful sexual intercourse
(It is sexual immorality and an evil way) (17:32)
And marry not what your fathers married, save what is past.
It is sexual immorality and an abomination and an evil way. (4:22)
And Lūṭ:
When he said to his people:
Do you commit sexual immorality that none among all mankind has outdone you:
You approaching men with lust rather than women?
The truth is: you are a people committing excess. (7:80-81)
And Lūṭ:
When he said to his people: Will you commit sexual immorality when you perceive?
Do you approach men with lust rather than women?
The truth is: you are a people in ignorance: (27:54-55)
There are two versions of this word (fāḥish and faḥshā). However, the fact that they are synonyms is established at 7:28, and I render them identically.
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