64. The Qur'an refers elsewhere to the many evil deeds of the people of Lot.
Here the Qur'an confines itself to mentioning that most ignominious of crimes
which invited God's scourge upon them.
The hideous act of sodomy, for which the people of Lot earned notoriety, has
no doubt been committed by perverts in all times. The Greeks philosophers had
the distinction of glorifying it as a moral virtue. It was left, however, for
the modern West to vigorously propagate sodomy so much so that it was declared
legal by the legislatures of a few countries. All this has been done in the
face of the obvious fact that this form of sexual intercourse is patently unnatural.
God created distinctions between the sexes of all living beings for the purposes
of reproduction and perpetuation of the species. As far as the human species
is concerned, their creation into two sexes is related to another end as well:
that the two should come together in order to bring into existence the family
and establish human civilization. In view of this, not only were human beings
divided into two sexes, but each sex was made attractive to the other. The physical
structure and psychological make-up of each sex was shaped in keeping with the
purpose of forging bonds of mutual cordiality between the members of the two
sexes. The sexual act, which is intensely pleasurable is at once a factor leading
to the fulfilment of nature's purposes as underlined by the sexual division
of humankind as well as a reward for fulfilling these purposes.
Now, the crime of the person who commits sodomy in flagrant opposition to this
scheme of things, is not limited to that act alone. In fact he commits along
with it a number of other crimes. First, he wages war against his own nature,
against his inherent psychological predilection. This causes a major disorder
which leads to highly negative effects on the lives of both the parties involved
in that unnatural act - effects which are physical, psychological as well as
moral. Second, he acts dishonestly with nature since while he derives sexual
pleasure he fails to fulfil the societal obligation of which this pleasure is
a recompense. Third, such a person also acts dishonestly with human society.
For, although he avails himself of the advantages offered by various social
institutions, when he has an opportunity to act, he uses his abilities in a
manner which not only fails to serve that society but which positively harms
it. Apart from neglecting the abligations he owes to society, he renders himself
incapable of serving the human race and his own family. He also produces effeminacy
in at least one male and potentially pushes at least two females towards sexual
corruption and moral depravity.