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Lut: Difference between revisions
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{{QualityScore|Lead=3|Structure=3|Content=3|Language=4|References=3}} | {{QualityScore|Lead=3|Structure=3|Content=3|Language=4|References=3}} | ||
The story of '''Lut''' (لوط, Lūṭ, "Lot" in the Hebrew tradition) from the [[Taurat|Hebrew Bible]], is also to be found in the [[Qur'an]], albeit retold with a few differences. Inter alia, the Qur'anic rendition links the destruction of Sodom specifically to the homosexual activities of its inhabitants, whereas in the Hebrew original, although there is an attempted rape of the male angels sent to Lot's house by the men of the city, the main sin of Lot's people is the inhospitable conduct towards these visitors, not the fact that they wanted to engage in (forced) homosexual relations with them. | The story of '''Lut''' (لوط, Lūṭ, לוֹט "Lot" in the Hebrew tradition) from the [[Taurat|Hebrew Bible]], is also to be found in the [[Qur'an]], albeit retold with a few differences. Inter alia, the Qur'anic rendition links the destruction of Sodom specifically to the homosexual activities of its inhabitants, whereas in the Hebrew original, although there is an attempted rape of the male angels sent to Lot's house by the men of the city, the main sin of Lot's people is the inhospitable conduct towards these visitors, not the fact that they wanted to engage in (forced) homosexual relations with them. | ||
The story of Lut in the Qur'an represents its apotheosis in all of the traditions in which it is found: by the 7th century, the original story of Lot, the single righteous man of Sodom who protected his guests even at the cost of his own begotten daughters virginity, has evolved into a tale simply demonizing homosexuality. Although the loss of the point of the original story is striking in the Qur'anic text, and the tasfirs which evolved surrounding it, which also build out the story by clarifying that the women of Sodom and Gomorrah were also homosexuals and thus also deserved to be destroyed, the transformation of the story of Lot into a condemnation of homosexuality is not without precedent: witness the English slur "sodomite", pointing like the Arabic "luti" to the sin of the people of Lot within the English-speaking Christian tradition. | The story of Lut in the Qur'an represents its apotheosis in all of the traditions in which it is found: by the 7th century, the original story of Lot, the single righteous man of Sodom who protected his guests even at the cost of his own begotten daughters virginity, has evolved into a tale simply demonizing homosexuality. Although the loss of the point of the original story is striking in the Qur'anic text, and the tasfirs which evolved surrounding it, which also build out the story by clarifying that the women of Sodom and Gomorrah were also homosexuals and thus also deserved to be destroyed, the transformation of the story of Lot into a condemnation of homosexuality is not without precedent: witness the English slur "sodomite", pointing like the Arabic لوطي "luti" to the sin of the people of Lot within the English-speaking Christian tradition. | ||
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{{quote |{{Quran|29|28}}|And (remember) Lut: behold, he said to his people: "Ye do commit lewdness, such as no people in Creation (ever) committed before you.}} | {{quote |{{Quran|29|28}}|And (remember) Lut: behold, he said to his people: "Ye do commit lewdness, such as no people in Creation (ever) committed before you.}} | ||
Lut's wife was said to be complicit with his people: | |||
{{quote |{{Quran|66|10}}|Allah sets forth, for an example to the Unbelievers, the wife of Noah and the wife of Lut: they were (respectively) under two of our righteous servants, but they were false to their (husbands), and they profited nothing before Allah on their account, but were told: "Enter ye the Fire along with (others) that enter!"}} | {{quote |{{Quran|66|10}}|Allah sets forth, for an example to the Unbelievers, the wife of Noah and the wife of Lut: they were (respectively) under two of our righteous servants, but they were false to their (husbands), and they profited nothing before Allah on their account, but were told: "Enter ye the Fire along with (others) that enter!"}} | ||
All were annihilated except for the family of | All were annihilated except for the family of Lut: | ||
{{quote |{{Quran|26|173}}|We rained down on them a shower (of brimstone): and evil was the shower on those who were admonished (but heeded not)!}} | {{quote |{{Quran|26|173}}|We rained down on them a shower (of brimstone): and evil was the shower on those who were admonished (but heeded not)!}} | ||
With one exception: | |||
{{quote |{{Quran|7|83}}|But we saved him and his family, except his wife: she was of those who legged behind.}} | {{quote |{{Quran|7|83}}|But we saved him and his family, except his wife: she was of those who legged behind.}} | ||
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*''Wellings, K., Field, J., Johnson, A., & Wadsworth, J. (1994). Sexual behavior in Britain: The national survey of sexual attitudes and lifestyles. London, UK: Penguin Books'' | *''Wellings, K., Field, J., Johnson, A., & Wadsworth, J. (1994). Sexual behavior in Britain: The national survey of sexual attitudes and lifestyles. London, UK: Penguin Books'' | ||
These studies prove conclusively that the number of homosexuals in a society will not exceed 7%. | These studies prove conclusively that the number of homosexuals in a society will not under normal circumstances exceed 7%. The idea that all of the men of Lut's cities were homosexuals is totally implausible. | ||
===First to experience homosexuality=== | ===First to experience homosexuality=== | ||
Although confirmed by multiple Islamic scholars such as Tabari and ibn Kathir, the claim that the People of | Although confirmed by multiple Islamic scholars such as Tabari and ibn Kathir, the claim that the People of Lut were the first to experience homosexuality is completely without basis in history or biology. Homosexuality has been recorded in ancient cultures far before the time of Lut and Abraham (1948–2123 BC). For example the ancient Egyptians who existed 6000 years before Christ knew of the practice, as did Chinese and Indian cultures back to 7000 BCE. There are many recorded tales which portray homosexuality in the literature of these civilizations, such as the story between Seth and Horus. It is also known from biology that human male homosexuality, and to a lesser degree female homosexuality, will occur in any large enough population, so again this claim is completely without merit. | ||
== | ==The Story in the Tafsir== | ||
===Lut's wife was complicit with his people=== | ===Lut's wife was complicit with his people=== | ||
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===Killing the people of Lut=== | ===Killing the people of Lut=== | ||
Allah destroys Lut's people, which is seen as justified in the Islamic tradition, as homosexuality is viewed in this tradition as a sin deserving of death. | Allah destroys Lut's people, which is seen as justified in the Islamic tradition, as homosexuality is viewed in this tradition as a sin deserving of death. This is further used to justify the penalty of death for homosexuals in [[Islamic Law]] | ||
===Lut offers daughters to wicked men=== | ===Lut offers daughters to wicked men=== | ||