Homosexuality and the Qur’an

An ancient hand scripted Quran

The last couple of weeks the position of the Qur’an has been used in relation to the mass murder in Orlando, Florida. What does the Qur’an say (and NOT say) about homosexuality, and in particular, any punishment? Below is a study concerning this, however… there needs to be a reminder of the CONTEXT, which is one of the emphasis’ of this site.

The moral instructions (such as those verses relating to homosexuality) within the Qur’an are what the Arab armies recited as they brought tribal Arabia under a single creed and leadership. Beyond that, there was instruction to ensure that the laws of conquered peoples, including Christian and Jewish cities were NOT to be affected, with those people considered a part of the “community of faith.”

Wael B. Hallaq, one of the most respected writers on the history of Islamic Law, writes in his book “The Origins and Evolution of Islamic Law”…

The Arab army with their families consisting primarily of tribal nomads, rather than take up residence in the newly won cities, for the most part inhabited garrison towns as a separate class of conquerors…. The standard Arab policy adopted during the entire period of the conquests were for the invading Arabs to ‘‘establish a covenant with every city and people who received’’ them. They were to give these people ‘‘assurances and to let them live according to their laws, for the conquered to regulate their own affairs exactly as they had been doing prior to the advent of Arab conquest.’’  

With this as a context, two things need to be remembered in regards to punishments based upon the Qur’an.  Firstly, with the Qur’an’s legal instructions being recited and applied to Arab armies who did not have laws to unite them, and NOT for those conquered in the early 7th century, it is difficult to use the Qur’an to justify the punishment of Muslims today, let alone non-Muslims.

And even for the Arab conquests in the 7th century, what does the Qur’an actually say? For this, Click Here for a short summary….

Regards,

Robert