What exactly does the Koran say about homosexuality? Is it explicitly forbidden? If it is explicitly forbidden, what penalty or penalties does it prescribe? Would Muslims in general support laws designed to suppress homosexuality?
I know nothing about this subject, and therefore I may not respond in this thread beyond my original post. ** In the context of this thread, I am not taking any specific position about either homosexuality or about Muslim attitudes about homosexuality. I merely wish to learn. **
To any Muslims who may respond, please understand that all I want, in the context of this thread, is to understand Muslim teachings and attitudes about homosexuality. More specifically, I am very much interested in learning how homosexuals should be treated in terms of Islamic doctrine based on the Koran.
The muslim view of homosexuality is similar to the orthodox christian view - it’s a sin. I think the only difference is that islam believes that homosexuality started with Sodom and Gomorrah, it didn’t exist before that. Whereas christianity and judaism think it existed before Sodom.
And to clarify the distinction of the sources in Jojo’s first post: the Hadith is the compilation of sayings and deeds of the Prophet, used as a source of much Islamic law and tradition, but not attributed direct heavenly authorship as is the Qur’an.
“- The Sha’fi school of thought (also seen in the Arab world) requires a minimum of 4 adult male witnesses before a person can be found guilty of a homosexual act.”
The four witnesses thing derives from the view that committing a homosexual act is the same as committing an act of adultery and four eyewitnesses is the standard of proof for adultery ( to simplify - there are exceptions ). In normal circumstances it should therefore be a very hard charge to make stick ( and lodging a false accusation of adultery is itself a serious offense ). However in practice, such rigorous proofs are not always adhered too.
As Jojo’s quote above shows, it varies ( just as some Muslims insist stoning is the mandated punishment for adultery, but others disagree, varying on how much credence they give certain hadith ).
The prophets, according to Islam, are Adam, Enoch (sometimes), Hud, Salih, Shuaib, Huzlah Ibn Safwan, Noah, Abraham, Lot, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Isaiah, Luqman, Joseph (with the coat), David, Solomon, Elijah, Elisha, Job, Jonah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Daniel, Zachariah (the father of John the Baptist), John (the Baptist), Jesus, and Mohammed.
