Homosexuality

Homosexuality is one of the hardest topics for Muslims to talk about—but the Qur’an doesn’t avoid it. This article breaks down what the Qur’an actually says, why it matters, and how to understand it without confusion or fear. Key to this discussion is the recurring story of Prophet Lot and his people—a narrative that appears in multiple chapters of the Qur'an and is described consistently with clarity and deliberate language. 

New immorality

The Qur’an describes the homosexual actions of Lot's people as a new form of transgression that humanity had not previously committed. There are two plausible understandings here: either Prophet Lot’s people were the first to engage in homosexual acts altogether, or they were the first to institutionalise and normalise it as a public, collective behaviour. The Prophet Lot is quoted as asking them, “Do you commit immorality (fahisha) such as none of those of the worlds had done before?” (7:80, 29:28). The term fahisha is used throughout the Qur’an to denote sexual immorality, which Allah forbids in all forms, both public and private (6:151, 7:33).

7:80

And Lot, he said to his people: “Do you commit immorality such as none of those of the worlds had done before?”

Allah’s natural order

The Qur’an explicitly contrasts the people's actions with the natural order established by Allah. The Qur’an states that the men of Prophet Lot's time were "approaching the men out of desire instead of the women" (7:81, 27:55). This choice is presented as a conscious act of turning away from the female partners Allah had provided.

Prophet Lot’s warning highlights this directly: “And you leave what your Lord has created for you of mates? You are an intrusive people!” (26:166). This is reinforced by verses such as 3:14, which describe one of the natural desires for men is the desire of women. The Qur’an thus frames the choosing of men not as an alternative but as a deliberate rejection of Allah’s natural order.

The label of ‘intrusive people’ given by Lot to his people further characterises the act not as a passive choice, but as a hostile transgression that goes beyond the limits set by Allah.

26:166

“And you leave what your Lord has created for you of mates? You are an intrusive people!”

Impurity and wickedness

The Qur’an employs a range of strong, condemnatory terms to describe the act of homosexuality and the people who commit it. They are described as "overindulgent" (7:81), "ignorant" (27:55), perpetrators of "vile things" (21:74), as "evil" (21:74), "wicked" (29:34), and in Lot’s own supplication to Allah, "the wicked people" (29:30). Separately, Allah does not like people who overindulge as the Qur'an repeatedly states, "eat and drink and do not overindulge; He does not like the overindulgers" (7:31, 6:141).

In a desperate plea to avert their incoming punishment from Allah, Prophet Lot even offers his own daughters to the men, saying, "they are purer for you" (11:78), creating a direct contrast between the divinely sanctioned union with women and the inherent impurity of their homosexual desires.

This is further confirmed when the people mockingly demand the expulsion of Lot's family, "for they are a people who make out to be pure!" (7:82, 27:56)—an ironic admission of their own state of impurity.

21:74

And Lot, We gave him judgment and knowledge, and We saved him from the town that used to do vile things. They were a people of evil, wicked.

Source of society’s corruption

The narrative of Prophet Lot links his people's actions to a broader decay in society. Beyond the act of men approaching other men, the Prophet Lot accuses them of two other social crimes: “you cut off the way, and you bring all vice into your society” (29:29).

From the perspective of the Qur'an, homosexuality is not treated as a private matter but as a threat to the very fabric of society. The verse "cutting off the way" is traditionally understood to mean highway robbery which may be possible. However, we would say it refers to cutting off the path to procreation as this would tie in more with the act of homosexuality and one of its unwanted outcomes.

Furthermore, the charge of bringing "all vice into your society" demonstrates how this main transgression of homosexuality creates an environment where other forms of corruption become normalised, leading to the complete breakdown of society’s moral order.

29:29

“You sexually approach men, and you cut off the way, and you bring all vice into your society.” But the only response from his people was to say: “Bring us the retribution of God, if you are being truthful!”

Punishment for homosexuality

The narrative ends with a catastrophic divine punishment against the people for their refusal to stop their actions. The Qur’an describes the city being completely destroyed—overturned and rained upon with "clusters of devastating rocks" (11:82, 7:84). Amid this destruction, the righteous were saved. The Qur’an states that Allah saved Lot and his family, with the exception of his wife, who was among those who remained behind (7:83, 26:170).

There is nothing stated in the Qur’an to indicate that there is a human-administered punishment for those who are engaged in homosexuality, unlike in adultery. However, the Qur’an does state, “As for those who enjoy that immorality spreads among those who have believed, they will have a painful retribution in this world and the Hereafter. And God knows while you do not know” (24:19), which would indicate the people engaged in homosexuality will be punished at some point both in the present and the hereafter, but this will be a divine punishment rather than a human one.

11:82

So when Our command came, We made its highest part become its lowest, and We rained on it clusters of devastating rocks.

Conclusion

The narrative of the people of Prophet Lot presents an uncompromising message. It defines homosexuality as a form of immorality, a conscious rejection of Allah’s natural order, and an act marked by inherent impurity leading to moral corruption.

The society of Prophet Lot mirrors many aspects of our own: the normalisation of homosexual behaviour and widespread adultery have shifted from hidden practices to dominant public norms, eroding the family structure and destabilising the moral foundation of society. As these behaviours have become normalised, other vices have followed, and birth rates have declined—further weakening the continuity and stability of society.

The Qur’an presents all this not as a historical event, but as a clear warning for future generations. Through its repeated and condemnatory language, the Qur’an establishes an unambiguous position of total prohibition on homosexuality. Crucially, there is no prescribed human punishment for those engaged in homosexual acts, unlike in cases of adultery. The role of the believer is to call towards good at all times—but on this specific matter, to remain patient and place complete trust in Allah to to rectify what He wills in society