Sexual Diversity

[HOPE]

Salaam brother Joseph,


Dr. Scott Siraj al-Haqq Kugle in his book titled Sexual Diversity in Islam makes compelling arguments.  I would like to get your opinion on the subject.

There is no mention of homosexuality in the Quran.

Verse 30:22 says God has created human beings with different alwan, a word that can mean both "colors" and "tastes." Human beings certainly have different tastes in many things—including sexuality. It seems clear that sexual diversity must also be a type of human diversity that was created by God's divine wisdom.

Verse 24:31-34 says ghayri uli l-ir’bati mina l-rijali having no physical desire for women among the men.

In the story, the Prophet Lut  first advised the people of the city of Sodom to follow God's path, but they ignored him. Later, the men of Sodom threatened to rape Lut's male visitors, who were angels disguised as men. God then punished the entire city of Sodom for rejecting their Prophet  and for "transgressions."

Some scholars interpret the "transgressions" in the story of Lut to refer to male homosexuality. Yet the word "transgressions" in the Qur'an can mean something sexual or something non-sexual. Men were not the only ones punished in the destruction of Sodom. According to the Qur'an, the whole city was destroyed. Lut's wife is specifically mentioned. Were Lut's wife, other women and the children of Sodom punished for male homosexuality? That does not seem to be a reasonable conclusion.

The Qu'ran says that the men of Sodom wanted to have sex with the visiting angels by force. This is an example of rape, not an example of sexual desire. Rape is about power. It is used to coerce, control or punish the victim.

Scholar Muhammad ibn Abdallah Al-Kisa'i puts the strange behavior of the men  in context.   Al-Kisa'i suggests that the people of Sodom had taken to showing their city's dominance by raping strangers. They were showing that they could take what they wanted from others. In that way, people became afraid to raid the city. This showed aggressiveness, stinginess and greed—all things that would justify their punishment.

Peace,

[Joseph Islam]

Dear sister Hope,

Peace be with you.

There is no mention of homosexuality in the Quran.

I would have to strongly disagree with the above statement when there are explicit statements in the Quran which question homosexuality.

In my humble opinion, the Quran is absolutely, unequivocally and unambiguously clear as to 'what' the ‘fahisha’ (lewdness) was in this context that the people of Prophet Lot committed.

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"Indeed, you approach men lustfully (shahwatan) instead of women. Nay, you are a people transgressing beyond bounds (musrifun)"
 
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 "Why do you approach men with lust (shahwatan) instead of women? Nay you are a people ignorant!"


Granted, that the community of Lot were also punished for a compendium of transgressions (29.29) but to deny the above explicit statements of the Quran is unwarranted and in my humble view, intellectually dishonest.

I respectfully find such discussions unnecessarily contrived to appeal to a certain bias.

Regards,
Joseph.


REFERENCES:

[1] HOMOSEXUALITY
http://quransmessage.com/articles/homosexuality%20FM3.htm
[2] Daughters of Lut
http://quransmessage.com/forum/index.php?topic=628.msg2350







UPDATE BY QM FORUM MODERATOR

13th March 2013

This thread is now closed and a direct link to this post is now available at the dedicated Q&A page.

http://quransmessage.com/articles/q&as%20FM3.htm

Thanks.