Quran Garden

In today's Tafsir of Aya 16 of Surah An-Nisaa, we will discuss gay relations between men and why the Quran did not specify a punishment for them.  We'll explain how repentance is a huge benefit, not for the sinner, but for the people who did not sin!  If you like content that helps you better understand the Quran, consider subscribing to our channel.  Let's get started.    

Session 557

Chapter 4

Verse 16

If two men commit a lewd act, punish them both; if they repent and mend their ways, leave them alone- God is always ready to accept repentance, the All-Merciful.

(Chapter 4: Verse 16)

Let's start at the end of the verse: "God is always ready to accept repentance, the All-Merciful." Part of God's vast mercy is setting rules for our lives and loudly announcing them via messengers and scripture.  This is because rules and legislation regulate life and remove excuses.  Once a law is passed and announced, no one can say, "I didn't know."  By criminalizing an act, Allah is also acknowledging that human nature can err and such acts may occur—we are not angels.  

Certain sinful acts are criminalized with specific punishments, yet others are not.  This is not out of negligence.  For example, theft and adultery have defined penalties because human nature could lean towards them.  People want nice things and may choose theft over hard work.  Likewise, men and women have sexual urges they could exercise outside marriage.  However, you may have noticed in the Aya under study that acts like sodomy, and gay relations do not have an explicit punishment.  God says,

If two men commit a lewd act, punish them both.

Why?  Because they are inconceivable acts that go against reason, the natural disposition of men, and should never occur.  By not specifying a punishment for certain sins, Allah is issuing the highest form of condemnation, signaling that a sound-minded man would not even entertain such acts.  Thus, leaving it to the Prophet Muhammad to establish guidance in these matters.  He, peace be upon him, ordered the two men proven to have engaged in sexual intercourse to be thrown off a high cliff.  It was the death penalty. 

Some people justify homosexual behavior by calling it an animalistic urge.  We counter: if only their misplaced urge were truly animalistic, we would understand.  Animals don't engage in such behavior.  Female animals don't approach other females, nor do male animals approach other males.  And when a female animal is pregnant, she doesn't allow any male to come near her.  Thus, we should not unjustly accuse animals by likening human sexual promiscuity and deviancy to animal instincts. 

Regardless of this sin's gravity, Allah clarifies that He "is always ready to accept repentance, the All-Merciful." Let's consider the wisdom behind repentance.  Accountability requires you to struggle to resist sin and stay on the straight path.  By establishing repentance, Allah acknowledges our weakness—showing that even when someone sins, they are not expelled from His mercy or Islam.

Had God not legislated repentance, every person who succumbs to temptation would be doomed.  Repentance is part of God's mercy for the disobedient, but more importantly, it is a mercy for the entire community.  Imagine for a moment a world with no forgiveness.  If a person disobeys God once and he or she knows there is no room for repentance, all hope would be lost!  How would a person with nothing to lose act?  They will indulge more, becoming a lifetime criminal harming everyone around them.  Who suffers in such a case?  The entire society. 

Thus, Allah opened the door of repentance wide before all, regardless of their sin.  Prophet Muhammad said, "All of the children of Adam are sinners, and the best of sinners are those who repent." He, peace be upon him, also said: "God is happier with the repentance of His servant than one of you finding your horse after it had strayed away in the middle of the desert."  Consider a man traveling with all his possessions, wealth, food, and water packed on the back of his camel.  In the midst of a barren desert, the camel runs away.  The man searches for days to no avail and is now on the verge of death from thirst.  Out of exhaustion, he falls asleep, only to be awakened by the camel standing before him.  Imagine the amount of happiness, joy, and relief this man feels.  This pales when compared with God's happiness when you repent to him and seek forgiveness for your sins, however grave they may be.  God, after all, is the "All-Merciful."

When you describe someone and say, "So and so is a big eater or has a huge appetite," it could mean one of two things.  Either this person sits down each meal and fills his plate with a large amount of food, or he continually snacks all day on small quantities.  The exaggeration of a "big eater" can be true whether for consuming one huge meal or frequent small amounts of food.     

Now we ask, Do God's attributes change?  In other words, Allah is the "All-Merciful," does his mercy increase one day and decrease the next?  We answer that God's attributes do not change or oscillate between strength and weakness.  They are attributes of absolute perfection at all times.  God chose to use the name "All-Merciful" in the hyperbole, indicating the vastness of his mercy.  His mercy does not change; the only variable is to whom His mercy applies.  God is the Most Merciful in this world because of the large number of people he includes under His mercy.  His mercy envelops all -the believer, the disobedient, and the disbeliever-.  God pardons many regardless of their faith or disbelief.

On the other hand, in the hereafter, God will only extend His mercy to the believers while the rest will be expelled.  Here, you may ask: Why do we still use the form of hyperbole, "the All-Merciful," when God's mercy in the hereafter is only limited to the believers?  We answer that while God's mercy is specific for believers in the hereafter, it is far greater in its quantity and everlastingness.  Our Lord was the All-Merciful even before any creation existed to seek His Mercy and will be the Most-Merciful even after all the creation perishes.  The "All-Merciful" is true in both: the frequency and quantity of His mercy.   

If you have sins you would like to repent from, tune in to next week as we dive deeper into this critical issue.  Take a moment to subscribe, hit the notification bell, and share QuranGarden with your family and friends.