Homosexuality – Are people born that way, or is it a choice?

Gayness is often thought to be a choice by many people and a natural phenomenon by many others. As it is not approved by any of the major religions of the World today many people are puzzled by this issue. Of course most people think that what people do with their lives is their business, yet so many of those nice people try to do things the right way – the way it is right according to God, they might be interested in digging deeper before spending their entire life as gays or lesbians. In this article we will discuss how the gayness originally began in history from an Islamic point of view. But question is, why should the people of other faiths believe what Islam and the Quran have to say? Because people think that all the religions today are based either on corrupted Holy Scriptures written by men or they are man made, what they do not know is that the Quran is the only Holy Scripture that is uncorrupted and God’s verbatim words are preserved in it as was revealed from God Almighty. This article will provide a challenge presented in the Quran where it encourages people of the other faiths to verify and authenticate the words of the Quran. So people hopefully would read the the words of God, and follow what their Creator has to say about how to live their lives.

Muslims believe that every word of the Holy Quran is the direct words of God came down as revelations by Angel Gabriel (AS) to Prophet Muhammad (SAWS). And yet, gay and lesbians are found in Muslim communities also. So basically it shows that no one can prove anything to anyone, except what that person believes for him or herself based on his or her own knowledge and understanding. Each person is responsible for him or herself – it is our own responsibility to find out which path we are on, and where it is leading to.

Challenge in the Quran:

Many people in the West do not know who wrote the Quran. Many people think that Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) probably wrote the Quran. Muslims know that the Quran is the direct words of God Almighty unchanged and uncorrupted. It is not written by Prophet Muhammad (SAWS), who was an unlettered Prophet. Also, there are many people, who think of the Quran as they think of the other Holy Scriptures of the other Monotheistic religions – Holy books that had been tampered with by the powerful kings and authorities of time. But that is not the case for the Quran. And what many people do not know is that Muslims believe that Bible and the Torah were also sent by the God Almighty, the same God, who sent the Quran, the Quran was preserved as was revealed until today whereas Bible and the Torah were changed many times in many ways by many authorities. Therefore, the Quran has to be taken differently, one does not need to hesitate to question it, and one does not need to just have faith without reason when it comes to believing in the Quran. Quran encourages people to think logically.

The Holy Quran tells us that if this book was from anyone other than your Lord then you would have found many contradictions in it. That has not been the case, the Quran is in sync with all the latest discoveries of today’s science. And in addition to that, God placed a challenge in the Quran that is open to anyone until today. This challenge in the Quran begins in chapter 17 verse 88 – the challenge here is to produce a book like this if you do not believe that it is from your Lord. In Quran in chapter 11 verse number 13 – the challenge was lowered to create only 10 chapters like it. And no one could do it, then God made the challenge even easier in chapter 2 verse 23 & 24, to make only one chapter comparable to it and no one still could do it, and not only that this challenge still stands today and to emphasize that the smallest chapter of the Quran consists of only of three verses, no one won the challenge in past 1400 years. Here are the verses from chapter 2 called “Al Baqarah” or “The Cow”:

“In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.”

“If you doubt what We have revealed to Our servant, produce one chapter comparable to it. Call upon your idols to assist you, if what you say be true. But if you fail (as you are sure to fail), then guard yourselves against the Fire whose fuel is men and stones, prepared for the unbelievers. (Quran: Chapter 2 verses 23-24)

A note: One thing to point out is that if you are wondering why the earlier chapter contains the smaller challenges it is because the arrangement of the chapters in the Quran are not according to the chronological order, they are arranged form the largest to some of the smallest chapters.

Prophet Lot (AS) & the City of Sodom:

The people of the city of Sodom were the very first nation to be gays as told by God in the Quran. Prophet Lot (AS) was sent to the people of Sodom to convey the message of God. Every Prophet came with the same unified message of Monotheism or Oneness God and along with this message they were sent with specific messages that were geared towards specific nations. As many people are aware of some version of Prophet Lot (AS)’s story, according to Islam and briefly speaking, basically the people of Sodom rejected Prophet Lot (AS)’s message and in the end they were sternly punished and their city with all the people in it was completely wiped off and Prophet Lot (AS) and his followers were saved. I wrote in detail about Prophet Lot (AS) in another article called: “Prophets & Messengers of God – Part 4: Abraham (AS) & Lot (AS).” Please find the link to that article on the side of this page and please read for your farther interest. One thing to mention is that unlike Judaism and Christianity, according to Islamic belief all of the Prophets and Messengers were very noble people and there are no bad names attached to Prophet Lot (AS)’s character.

The following verses from the Holy Quran tell us that no other people had done this act before the people of Sodom and they were the very first people to be gays. These verses also give us details about how the people of Sodom rejected Prophet Lot (AS), about how his wife did not support him rather she supported the people of Sodom, so she ended up finding an excuse and staying behind and being killed with the rest of the people of the town. This issue is so sensitive to many people and yet there are no other nicer way to say it but to quote the beautiful words of the Quran, which are linguistically eloquent and gives you a sense of ease. So I am quoting directly form the Quran describing the incidents that took place and the final outcome of the people of Sodom:

“In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.”

“And We sent forth Lot to his people. He said to them: ‘You commit lewd acts which no other nation has committed before you. You lust after men and assault them on your highways. At your gatherings you perpetrate abominations.’

But his people’s only answer was: ‘Bring down the scourge of God upon us, if what you say be true.’

‘Lord,’ said he, ‘deliver me from these degenerate men.’” (Quran: Chapter 29 verses 28-30)

The following verses describe in more detail how the people of Sodom rejected the message:

“In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.”

“Your Lord is the Mighty One, the Merciful. Lot’s people, too, disbelieved the apostles. Their kinsman Lot had said to them: ‘Will you not fear God? I am indeed your true apostle. Fear God and follow me. For this I demand of you no recompense; none can reward me except the Lord of the Universe. Will you fornicate with males and eschew the wives whom God has created for you? Surely you are great transgressors.’

‘Lot,” they replied, ‘desist or you shall be banished.’

He said: ‘I abhor your ways. Lord, deliver me and my household from their evil doings.’

We delivered Lot and all his household, save for one old woman who stayed behind, and the rest We utterly destroyed. We pelted them with rain, and evil was the rain which fell on those who were forewarned.

Surely in that there was a sign. Yet most of them did not believe.” (Quran: Chapter 26 verses 160-175)

Today Prophet Abraham (AS) is known as the father of all Monotheistic religions. Prophet Abraham (AS) was neither Jew not Christian, he was sent long before Moses (AS) and Jesus (AS). He worshiped one true God. Prophet Lot (AS) was Prophet Abraham (AS)’s nephew. God sent three angels in the form of three handsome men after the above prayer made by Prophet Lot (AS). The three angels stopped by Prophet Abraham (AS)’s city to give him some good news before going to Prophet Lot (AS)’s city to give him the news of wiping off the city of Sodom. On a side note, Prophet Abraham (AS) and Sara were given the news to have a son by these angels; Sara became pregnant at her old age and gave birth to Prophet Isaac (AS).

In the mean time can you imagine three handsome men appearing in a city full of Gay men, and the drama that took place at that time? The following verses of the Holy Quran summarize that incident:

“In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.”

“Tell them of Abraham’s guests. They went in to him and said: ‘Peace,” but he replied: ‘We fear your intent.’

‘Have no fear,’ they answered. ‘We come to you with good news. You shall have a son endowed with knowledge.’

He said: ‘Do you bring me such news in my old age? What news do you bring me?’

They replied: ‘We have made known to you the truth. Do not despair.’

He said: ‘Who but a sinner would despair of God’s mercy? Messengers,’ he said, ‘what is your errand?’

They replied: ‘We are sent forth to a guilty nation. The house of Lot alone we shall deliver, except his wife.’ We had decreed that she should stay with those who were to stay behind.

And when the envoys came to the house of Lot, he said to them: ‘I do not know you.’

‘No,’ they replied. ‘We bring you news of that concerning which they are disputing. We bring you the truth, for what we say is true. Depart with your kinsfolk in the dead of night. Walk in their rear and let none turn round. Go where you are commanded.’

Such were the instructions We gave him; for the wrongdoers were to be utterly destroyed next morning.

The townsfolk came to him rejoicing. He said: ‘These are my guests; do not disgrace me. Have fear of God and do not shame me.”

They replied: ‘Did we not forbid you to entertain strangers?’

He said: ‘Here are my daughters: take them, if you are bent on evil.’

By your life, they were reeling in their frenzy! At sunrise the Cry took them. We razed their city to the ground and let loose a shower of clay-stones upon them.

Surely in this there are signs for prudent men. The road on which their city stood is trodden still. Surely in this there is a sign for true believers.” (Quran: Chapter 15 verses 51-77)

Every single person has to save themselves. No one can save another person except God – be it their partners, husbands, wives, parents or sons or daughters. Prophets are there to deliver the message – it is up to the people to take heed of that message. The following verses talk about how Prophet Lot (AS)’s wife could not be saved by her husband because she could not hear the message her husband delivered. Even though she was not a lesbian, she also was chosen to be dead with the rest of the people.

Prophet Lot (AS)’s wife betrayed him and found an excuse to stay behind. The following examples from the Holy Quran are about some of the significant women in history:

“In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.”

“God gave an example to the unbelievers in the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot. They were married to two of Our righteous servants and deceived them. Their husbands could in no way protect them from God. They were told: ‘Enter the Fire with those that shall enter it.’

But to the faithful God gave an example in Pharaoh’s wife, who said: ‘Lord, build me a house with You in Paradise and deliver me from Pharaoh and his misdeeds. Deliver me from a wicked nation.’

And in Mary, ‘Imran’s daughter, who preserved her chastity and into whose womb We breathed Our spirit; Who put her trust in the words of her Lord and His scriptures, and was truly devout.” (Quran: Chapter 66 verses 10-12)

In Conclusion:

When God sent Prophet Lot (AS) to deliver God’s message to those people of Sodom only a very few handful of the people of Sodom turned towards God’s message. Prophet Lot (AS) delivered the message with sufficient convincing miracles, and as some people persisted in their ways, there were others, who changed their ways and followed Prophet Lot (AS) once they recognized the truth. Today there is a stronger message right in front of us – which is the Holy Quran. When the people of Sodom did not heed the message, we saw what happened to them, and knowing the story we should consider the message of the Holy Quran because their tests were theirs’ and our tests are ours’. Also we should consider it for our own sake and safety from God’s wrath. So my hope is that instead of disbelieving the words of the Quran, and laughing and joking at some of its verses without knowing the background of those verses, people would consider digging deeper into this book, and if the Quran is the direct words of God, then it is the steps we take towards understanding our Lord’s words brings us a little closer to the truth each time. And hopefully – God willing, the sacrifices that we make to please our Creator, and the forgiveness that we seek from Him, will lead us towards salvation. And most importantly our belief of Oneness of God without associating any partners with Him is what makes us Monotheists – let us not drift away from this fundamental aspect of salvation.

And I also hope that the trick of discrediting a messenger by associating bad characteristics to him will be understood by today’s’ generation as an old trick of rejecting the message of Prophet Lot (AS) and that Prophet Lot (AS)’s character will be understood as pure and good, as declared in Islam. His name will be free from any bad characters.

Quran’s words are the direct words of our Lord, our one and only Creator – He knows best. And the words of the Quran have been put to test in many ways, and people will continue to take the challenge of the Quran to a greater extent in the future.

Islam, like any other major religions, does not approve of homosexuality, but at the same time, Islam acknowledges that diversity is something God ordained, therefore it is inevitable – and being tolerant and respectful is a Muslim’s duty. The Holy Quran teaches us to be more tolerant and respectful towards God’s creation and diversity in the following verses:

From Chapter 30 called “Al-Rum” or “The Greeks” verse number 22:

“In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.”

“Among His other signs are the creation of the heavens and the earth and the diversity of your tongues and colours. Surely there are signs in this for all mankind.” (Quran 30:22)

From Chapter 49 called “Al-Hujurat” or “The Chambers” verse number 13:

“In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.”

“You people! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you might get to know one another. The noblest of you in God’s sight is he who is most righteous. God is all-knowing and wise.” (Quran 49:13)

I hope you will read the Quran because it is really amazing.