Richard Burton suggests the following Qu'ranic verses as relevant
to homosexuality.
SURA IV: 19-21
19. But whoso rebels against God and His Apostle, and transgresses
His bounds, He will make him enter into fire, and dwell therein
for aye; and for him is shameful woe.
20. Against those of your women who commit adultery, call witnesses
four in number from among yourselves; and if these bear witness,
then keep the women in houses until death release them, or God
shall make for them a way.
21. And if two (men) of you commit it, then hurt them both; but
if they turn again and amend, leave them alone, verily, God is
easily turned, compassionate.
SURA VII: 78-84 [On Lot at Sodom]
78. Then the earthquake took them, and in the morning they lay
prone in their dwellings;
79. and he turned away from them and said, 'O my people! I did
preach to you the message of my Lord, and I gave you good advice;
but ye love not sincere advisers.'
80. And Lot, when he said to his people, 'Do ye approach an abomination
which no one in all the world ever anticipated you in?
81. verily, ye approach men with lust rather than women- nay,
ye are a people who exceed.'
82.But his people's answer only was to say, 'Turn them out of
your village, verily, they are a people who pretend to purity.'
83. But we saved him and his people, except his wife, who was
of those who lingered;
84. and we rained down upon them a rain;- see then how was the
end of the sinners!
SURA XI: 77-84 [On Lot at Sodom]
77. And when our messengers came to Lot, he was grieved for them;
but his arm was straitened for them, and he said, 'This is a troublesome
day!'
78. And his people came to him, rushing at him, for before that
they used to work evil. He 'Said, 'O my people! here are my daughters,
they are purer for you; then, fear God, and do not disgrace me
through my guests;- is there not among you one right-thinking
man?'
79. They said, 'Thou knowest that we have no claim on thy daughters;
verily, thou knowest what we want!'
80. He said, 'Had I but power over you; or could I but resort
to some strong column....!'
81. (The angels) said, 'O Lot! verily, we are the messengers of
thy Lord, they shall certainly not reach thee; then travel with
thy people in the darkness of the night, and let none of you look
round except thy wife: verily, there shall befall her what befalls
them. Verily, their appointment is for the morning! and is not
the morning nigh?'
82. And when our bidding came, we made their high parts their
low parts. And we rained down upon them stones and baked clay
one after another,
83. marked, from thy Lord, and these are not so far from the unjust!
84. And unto Midian (we sent) their brother Sho'haib. He said,
'O my people! serve God; ye have no god but Him, and give not
short measure and weight. Verily, 'I see you well off; but, verily,
I fear for you the torments of an encompassing day.
SURA XXVI: 160-174 [On Lot and Sodom]
160. The people of Lot called the apostles liars;
161 when their brother Lot said to them, 'Do ye not fear?
162. verily, I am to you a faithful apostle;
163. then fear God and obey me.
164 I do not ask you for it any hire; my hire is only with the
Lord of the worlds.
165 Do ye approach males of all the world
166 and leave what God your Lord has created for you of your wives?
nay, but ye are people who transgress!'
167 They said, 'Surely, if thou dost not desist, O Lot! thou shalt
be of those who are expelled!'
168 Said he, 'Verily, I am of those who hate your deed;
169 my Lord! save me and my people from what they do.'
170 And we saved him and his people all together,
171 except an old woman amongst those who lingered.
172 Then we destroyed the others;
173 and we rained down upon them a rain; and evil was the rain
of those who were warned.
174 Verily, in that is a sign; but most of them will never be
believers.
175 And, verily, thy Lord He is mighty, merciful, compassionate.
SURA XXIX: 28-35 [On Lot and Sodom]
28. And (remmber) Lot when he said to his people, 'Verily, ye
approach an abomination which no one in all the world ever anticipated
you in!
29. What! do ye approach men? (or Do you commit sexual acts with
men?) and stop folks on the highway? And approach in your assembly
sin?' but the answer of his people was only to say, 'Bring us
God's torment, if thou art of those who speak the truth!'
30. Said he, 'My Lord! help me against a people who do evil!'
31. And when our messengers came to Abraham with the glad tidings,
they said, 'We are about to destroy the people of this city. Verily,
the people thereof are wrong-doers.'
32. Said he, 'Verily, in it is Lot; they said, 'We know best who
is therein; we shall of a surety save him and his people, except
his wife, who is of those who linger.'
33. And when our messengers came to Lot, he was vexed for them,
and his arm was straitened for them; and they said, 'Fear not,
neither grieve; we are about to save thee and thy people, except
thy wife, who is of those who linger.
34. Verily, we are about to send down upon the people of this
city a horror from heaven, for that they have sinned;
35. and we have left therefrom a manifest sign unto a people who
have sense.'
ON THE OTHER HAND
Although the Qu'ran does not have verse explicitly in favor
of homosexuality, it does have verses which show awareness of
male beauty. These are promises made to Muslim men who make it
to Heaven.
SURA LII:24
"And there shall wait on them [the Muslim men] young boys
of their own, as fair as virgin pearls."
SURA LXXVI:19
"They shall be attended by boys graced with eternal youth,
who will seem like scattered pearls to the beholders."
Source.
From: The texts are from the Qu'ran edition at Virginia Tech's
etext collection.
This text is part of the Internet
History Sourcebooks Project. The Sourcebooks are collections of public domain and
copy-permitted texts related to all aspects of history.
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© Paul Halsall, 2023
