Quran Garden

Modern Western societies advocate for sexual promiscuity under the guise of freedom and proclaim "love is love." In today's Tafsir, we will discuss the proper place of sexual pleasure and explore Islam's stance on lesbian relations between women.  Sit back and listen.  

Session 554

Chapter 4

Verse 15

If any of your women commit a lewd act, call four witnesses from among you, then, if they testify to their guilt, confine those women to their houses until death takes them away or God opens some way for them.  (Chapter 4: Verse 15)

In the previous session, we discussed how God's boundaries preserve dignity, support marginalized groups, and contribute to a thriving society.  But life isn't just about day-to-day interactions; There's also the preservation of lineage.  Human life is short; thus, people need to ensure the continuity of the species through marriage and children.  God made human reproduction unique by linking it to sexual pleasure, unlike the mere propagation seen in plants and animals.  By making sexual relations enjoyable, humans multiply even with all the challenges and costs that come with raising a child.

However, God emphasizes the purity of lineage, urging you to choose a wholesome partner and avoid casual relations where paternity is uncertain.  The only way to ensure pure lineage is marriage.  A man must choose a devout and honorable woman, and by announcing the union, everyone knows they belong together, and future pregnancies are recognized as theirs.  Parents naturally want their kids to grow up with dignity, free from shame, and aware of who they are.  Marriage is the only legitimate means of reproduction.  Even people not living by heavenly values recognize them as the truth.  A woman who gets pregnant out of wedlock often hides her pregnancy for as long as she can.  When the child is born, she does not leave him at the door of the bar or the nightclub she frequents but at the mosque or church.  Why?  Because deep down, she wants to give her child the best chance of a decent life by trusting that good-hearted people attend such places.  Even in sin, there's a natural pull toward the moral values God laid out for us. 

Allah wants every child to have a clear lineage built on purity and decency, so He made marriage sacred in the public's eye.  Take the example of the father of a beautiful daughter who lives in a house facing a busy street.  If he notices a young man persistently lurking, trying to catch glimpses of his daughter, he would be livid and might resort to violence or call the police to get rid of him.  Had this same young man come with his family, knocked on the front door, and requested the daughter's hand in marriage, the father would be thrilled.  He would consult his daughter, celebrate with the family, and plan an engagement party.

What distinguishes the two scenarios?  The father disapproves of the young man lurking because he seeks his daughter unlawfully, outside of God's boundaries.  In contrast, when the man approaches through God's door, even the most protective father can find peace and acceptance.  Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said in his last days: "Keep up the prayer, keep up the prayer, and protect what your right hands possess.  Do not burden them beyond their capacity.  Fear Allah regarding women, for you engage with them by God's covenant and enjoy their intimacy through God's word."

The central purpose of intimate relations is the continuation of the human race.  Life's reproduction involves fertilization, where the male sperm unites with the female egg to create offspring.  In animals, this process is often coercive.  For instance, when the egg is released in a cow, she bellows loudly, signaling her need for fertilization.  The farmer then guides her to the bull for mating, calming the biological need.  Afterward, the cow would reject any further mating.  In plants, pollination can occur over long distances.  We can differentiate male and female plants like palm trees, but sometimes only experts can tell the sexes apart.  In some plants, like corn, both male and female elements are on one stalk: The female element "silks" are in the corn cob, while the male elements are in the tassels.  Who oversees the pollination?  Allah, the Ever-Watchful, sustains all species through instinct and natural processes, many unknown to us.  He says,

We send forth the pollinating winds, send down water from the sky, and give it to you to drink.  And it is not you who keep its stores.  (15:22)

Allah, the All-Wise, linked human procreation with sexual pleasure.  Our problems start when we separate the pleasure from the true purpose behind it, which is having children.  You should only release your sperm into a pure vessel fit to raise righteous kids, exclusively yours.  This prevents harmful diseases and generational confusion that damage biology and dignity.  Do not separate the act of pleasure from the purpose of preserving the species.

This leads us to the verse under study where God begins the discussion of unlawful relations—women with women, men with men, and other unsanctioned acts— These choices neglect reproduction and misuse pleasure.  Women who sexually engage with women for pleasure abandon procreation, as do gay relations between men.  Allah wants you to take pleasure alongside procreation in line with divine guidance.

The term "your women," translated from the Arabic (Wallatee) واللاتي refers specifically to women who engage in relations with each other.  God says, "If any of your women commit a lewd act, call four witnesses from among you."  Take note that even when it comes to lewd sexual acts, the Lord has put strict measures in place to safeguard society, ensuring that accusations are never made lightly.  The requirement for an accusation to be considered is four witnesses who saw the lewd act.  This is a very high bar to cross.  When two women are sexually involved, two witnesses need to testify against each, totaling four.  If the indecent act is confirmed, God's instruction is to "confine those women to their houses until death takes them away or God opens some way for them."  The punishment of house confinement is fit since women aren't normally veiled from each other.  Isolating the offenders in their own homes helps contain the spread of immorality.  Allah later provided further guidance.

Some scholars said that the verse under study concerns illegitimate relations between a man and a woman.  We answer that the term (Wallatee) واللاتي explicitly refers to women.  God specified rulings for improper relationships between men with the proper masculine term (Waallathani) وَاللَّذَانِ.  He says,

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, He is full of mercy.  (4:16)

Modern Western societies do not fully grasp the grave harm these interactions cause, as our knowledge of humans biology, psychology, and spirituality is limited.  Our Creator decreed that proper interactions are only within marriage between a man and a woman where conditions like dowry, witnesses, offer, and acceptance are fulfilled.  Such a contract is aligned with the natural roles: women are prepared for receiving, men for giving.  Deviation from the divine union leads to disorder, disease, and societal breakdown, much like wrong electrical connections cause sparks and fires.  Connecting wrong wires, like two positives or two negatives, produces short circuits.  Similarly, inappropriate sexual connections harm society.

Mark my words: sooner or later, science will uncover more about divine wisdom.  God blesses the natural union between a man and a woman—"I wed you" and "I accept"—ensuring natural compatibility.  I stress for future generations, whether in the east or west, that our predecessors found solace in divine guidance.  If we can understand that a simple, proper connection between positive and negative wires produces beautiful light, and a faulty connection leads to short circuits, why don't we accept the same concept in human sexuality!?  Masculinity and femininity must be correctly paired; otherwise, fires will spread in society.  God says,

And We created all things in pairs so you would hopefully pay heed.  (51:49)

I repeat: science will validate God's boundaries, demonstrating that improper sexual conduct is not only unethical but should also be punishable for a society to remain healthy and thriving.  God says,

We will show them Our signs in the horizons of the universe and within their own selves until it becomes clear to them that it is indeed the truth.  Is it not sufficient that your Lord is a witness over all things?  (41:53)

In next week's Tafsir, we will discuss proper punishment for sexual deviancy and, address those who attack Islam and try to sway women away from God's rulings.