Sūrat an-Nisāʾ
Section 4 of 28 · Surah Studies · Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
Indecency, and the Philosophy of Repentance
After that, Allah (swt) treats, from verse 15:
وَٱلَّـٰتِى يَأْتِينَ ٱلْفَـٰحِشَةَ مِن نِّسَآئِكُمْ فَٱسْتَشْهِدُوا۟ عَلَيْهِنَّ أَرْبَعَةً مِّنكُمْ ۖ فَإِن شَهِدُوا۟ فَأَمْسِكُوهُنَّ فِى ٱلْبُيُوتِ حَتَّىٰ يَتَوَفَّىٰهُنَّ ٱلْمَوْتُ أَوْ يَجْعَلَ ٱللَّهُ لَهُنَّ سَبِيلًا
“Those of your women who commit the shameful act, have four witnesses (against them) from among you. So, if they testify, then confine those women to their homes until death overcomes them, or Allah prescribes a way for them.” (4:15)
Many people, when they say that homosexuality is mentioned in the Qur'an, refer to the story of Lūṭ; and there they read other meanings into it, in order to defuse the whole problem — to defuse its blameworthiness altogether. Many writings miss this verse. This verse is far more explicit about the punishment: not explicit as to the kind of punishment, but it treats of the blameworthiness of the act — women doing this, and then men doing this. The tafsīr of it may be consulted. This is verse 15 and verse 16.
Allah (swt) then speaks of tawbah, and of Allah's philosophy of repentance — the Muslim philosophy of repentance:
إِنَّمَا ٱلتَّوْبَةُ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ لِلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ ٱلسُّوٓءَ بِجَهَـٰلَةٍ ثُمَّ يَتُوبُونَ مِن قَرِيبٍ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ يَتُوبُ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا وَلَيْسَتِ ٱلتَّوْبَةُ لِلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَهُمُ ٱلْمَوْتُ قَالَ إِنِّى تُبْتُ ٱلْـَٔـٰنَ وَلَا ٱلَّذِينَ يَمُوتُونَ وَهُمْ كُفَّارٌ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ أَعْتَدْنَا لَهُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا
“The relenting taken by Allah upon Himself is for those who do evil in ignorance, then repent shortly thereafter. So, Allah relents towards them. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise. The relenting is not for those who do the evil deeds, until when the time of death approaches one of them, he says, “Now I repent”, nor for those who die while they are still disbelievers. For them We have prepared a painful punishment” (4:17–18)
The tawbah is for those who do wrong out of ignorance, out of a lapse, a mistake — being overcome — and then, very soon afterwards, make tawbah; they repent. Allah will then accept their repentance, for Allah (swt) is All-Knowing and Wise. Wa-laysati al-tawbatu li-lladhīna yaʿmalūna al-sayyiʾāt: tawbah, repentance, is not for those who do evil deeds and then wait until they are about to die, and only then say: I am making tawbah right now — when they begin to see reality, and mortality, clearly. That is not the time. Nor is tawbah for those who die as disbelievers. As has been read before, Allah forgives every sin except kufr and shirk.