Fate of the Nation of Lut (pbuh)
Question:
Salaam,
When we read the Quran about the fate of nation of Lut, the principle sin they were guilty of was (male) homosexuality. So why were the women ( or some) of that nation not saved. According to Quran only Prophet Lut and his family minus his wife survived.
Answer:
Three points:
1. It is correct to say that the Qur'an considers male homosexuality as one of the main sins of the people of Lut. This however was not their only sin. The Qur'an counts three main sins for them, although all apparently of the same nature:
أَئِنَّكُمْ لَتَأْتُونَ الرِّجَالَ وَتَقْطَعُونَ السَّبِيلَ وَتَأْتُونَ فِي نَادِيكُمُ الْمُنكَرفَمَا كَانَ جَوَابَ قَوْمِهِ إِلَّا أَن قَالُوا ائْتِنَا بِعَذَابِ اللَّهِ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ
"Do you approach men and obstruct the road and commit evil in your gatherings. And the answer of his people was not but they said, "Bring us the punishment of God , if you should be of the truthful." (29:29)
It is easy to understand from the above that the verse is not referring to only one gender (men) from the people of Lut (pbuh). Based on the verse the entire society was corrupted, they would attack travellers (implying robbing and raping them) and doing the most disgusting acts openly. It is not unlikely that women too were involved in same sex relations. However even if they were not, the above is not the picture of a society where only men were criminals and women were chaste and innocent. It is difficult to imagine a society where half of them are so evil while the other half who interact with them are totally innocent.
2. None of the above were 'the' reason for which people of Lut (pbuh) were punished. The reason they were punished was that the messenger of God (Lut - pbuh) communicated the path of the truth with them clearly yet they did not submit to it. Please read verses 26:160-167.
3. As a general rule note that based on the Sunnah of the Almighty when a nation rejects their messenger despite knowing the truth of his message, the punishment of God (in principal) targets the entire nation, not just the direct criminals. When the flood came to the people of Nuh (pbuh) it did not exclude kids, although one may correctly argue that kids at the time where innocent.
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July 2013
Salaam,
When we read the Quran about the fate of nation of Lut, the principle sin they were guilty of was (male) homosexuality. So why were the women ( or some) of that nation not saved. According to Quran only Prophet Lut and his family minus his wife survived.
Answer:
Three points:
1. It is correct to say that the Qur'an considers male homosexuality as one of the main sins of the people of Lut. This however was not their only sin. The Qur'an counts three main sins for them, although all apparently of the same nature:
أَئِنَّكُمْ لَتَأْتُونَ الرِّجَالَ وَتَقْطَعُونَ السَّبِيلَ وَتَأْتُونَ فِي نَادِيكُمُ الْمُنكَرفَمَا كَانَ جَوَابَ قَوْمِهِ إِلَّا أَن قَالُوا ائْتِنَا بِعَذَابِ اللَّهِ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ
"Do you approach men and obstruct the road and commit evil in your gatherings. And the answer of his people was not but they said, "Bring us the punishment of God , if you should be of the truthful." (29:29)
It is easy to understand from the above that the verse is not referring to only one gender (men) from the people of Lut (pbuh). Based on the verse the entire society was corrupted, they would attack travellers (implying robbing and raping them) and doing the most disgusting acts openly. It is not unlikely that women too were involved in same sex relations. However even if they were not, the above is not the picture of a society where only men were criminals and women were chaste and innocent. It is difficult to imagine a society where half of them are so evil while the other half who interact with them are totally innocent.
2. None of the above were 'the' reason for which people of Lut (pbuh) were punished. The reason they were punished was that the messenger of God (Lut - pbuh) communicated the path of the truth with them clearly yet they did not submit to it. Please read verses 26:160-167.
3. As a general rule note that based on the Sunnah of the Almighty when a nation rejects their messenger despite knowing the truth of his message, the punishment of God (in principal) targets the entire nation, not just the direct criminals. When the flood came to the people of Nuh (pbuh) it did not exclude kids, although one may correctly argue that kids at the time where innocent.
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July 2013
