The English version of the Sodom myth

Facts 1: Facts from the Qur'ân and ḥadîṯ History before ChatGPT's Interview

Introductory Remarks

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, this work begins. For to Him we seek refuge, and in His name we begin. And I ask Him to assist me in properly undertaking this task and not to lead me astray, so that it may benefit Islam and the Muslims.

This book consists of the results of 3 facts of the investigation:

Facts 1: Facts from the Qur'ân and ḥadîṯ history before questioning ChatGPT.
Facts 2: Facts from the Qur'ân and ḥadîṯ history with questions for ChatGPT: End of March – end of July 2025 (about homosexuality, in Sodom, about the Old Testament, its history
Facts 3: Facts from the Qur'ân, the ḥadîṯ story and the extensive statement by ChatGPT on 29 October 2025 (homosexuality in the Old Testament, the path of ideas from the Church Fathers to the Muslims, influence on Muslim thinking)

In this work—as in all other publications by the author—Islam is understood as the doctrine revealed by Allah and laid down in the Qur'ân. It is more comprehensive, more extensive, far more than the sum of existing Muslim beliefs, that is, the results of Muslims' previous engagement with Islam and its formulations.

Those who delve into ancient religious literature may sometimes hope to gain a deeper understanding of their faith through the pronouncements of early Muslims. However, these pages reveal a very different picture: the longer the engagement with the content of ancient Qur'ân commentaries lasted, the more apparent it became that parallel perspectives exist. On the one hand, there are the clear words and statements of the Qur'ân itself; on the other, something else entirely—a different worldview regarding what, based on traditional, widespread, centuries-old views and beliefs—especially those from the time before the Qur'ân's revelation—should "actually" be meant. This presents a challenge for those raised with different ideas and narratives, a challenge that has not always been adequately addressed.

The Qur'ân is the primary source for everything concerning Islam. However, translations of the Arabic text are often influenced by the ideas and beliefs of the translator. This is especially true for commentaries.
And there was apparently a prevailing view that critical examination of the Qur'ânic text and adherence to it should take a back seat to the numerous, vivid, and familiar narratives from unreliable sources.

Another source can be ḥadîṯs, transmitted sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and accounts of what he did, said, approved, or disapproved of. However, these traditions often lack the necessary authenticity to be accepted without question. Muslim history contains countless forgeries and thus forgers, so only meticulous examination can provide reliable information.

Another way to learn more about Islam and its teachings is to speak with someone who has studied the religion extensively. However, even they are a product of their time, the result of a long tradition of teaching based on 'heritage and tradition' (as some scholars like to call it), in which statements and opinions are accepted without question.

Another possibility is to consult and critically examine old written sources, partly because it is often believed that—since they are older and could not yet have been aware of certain historical doctrines, and thus may be based on a more 'original' piety—they might better reflect the original teachings. However, the authors of these old writings may also have been influenced by ideas and opinions from their own past.

Another source for interpreting the Qur'ân is what Allah decreed in His creation when He created the world, what He 'revealed' (Arabic: waHy: 41:11,12), so to speak, 'inherent' revelations. If we take these into account, many myths and fanciful stories fall away. But it seems that the majority of Muslim scholars rely more on transmitted opinions than on verifying and, if necessary, correcting them against the facts of creation.

The majority of these "introductory remarks" are taken from the book „ISLAM UND HOMOSEXUALITÄT im Qur’ân und der ḥadîṯ-Literatur, Teil 4, tafsîr-Geschichte, Der Einfluss der mawâlî which examines 15 ancient Qur'ânic commentaries on the topic of "Lot and his people." It clearly demonstrates how much the Sodom myth has obscured the thinking of Muslims to this day.

Artificial intelligence, in this work ChatGPT, now provides an additional tool for finding answers to many of these questions and offers helpful insights and summaries from existing literature (ChatGPT, late March - late July 2025). The subpages 'Facts', 'Facts', 'Faits', and 'حقاءق' of the website reproduced in this book,

www.islam-und-homosexualitaet.de

consist largely of ChatGPT's answers to a series of questions about the Muslim past and confirm the statements I have made.

Before publication, the same questions were posed to DeepSeek. DeepSeek's answers were very similar, but DeepSeek was often a bit more detailed and categorized the statements more clearly as religious opinion or the result of scientific research.

The vehement reactions and hostility from other Muslims regarding this topic often remind me of the development of astronomy and cosmology. These fields have occupied humankind since time immemorial, and people have continually discovered new things, discarded old views and models, and developed a more realistic picture of the world we live in based on newly recognized facts. For a long time, groups of people rejected these research findings, insisted on their flawed assumptions, threatened and even forced the discoverers to recant or killed them for it. Yet those they attacked were merely proclaiming what Allah established in His creation, what He 'revealed' (Arabic: waHy: 41:11,12) within it—inherent revelations, so to speak, that humankind can discover/explore in order to better understand Allah's creation and its interdependent relationships and rules.

From this perspective, I also view the revelation of the Qur'ân. Its words are thus to be seen as a kind of sub-sphere within the universe, which is related to the latter—something to be understood, discovered, and explored. Its investigation and interpretation are never complete, but remain open for all time, in order to consider newly discovered facts and to discard previously used myths and fallacies when they contradict current knowledge. This also means, if necessary, setting aside traditional teachings recognized as fabrications or forgeries (including so-called inauthentic ḥadîṯs). Even great scholars could and can err—like all people. The idea that everything that exists originates from Allah, that it is His will, is, for a religious person, indisputable.

Previous publications have pointed  out in detail that the Qur'ân neither knows nor supports the "Sodom myth", even though this often appears to be the case in commentaries and other writings.

The ‘Sodom myth’ refers to the idea that the sins of the inhabitants of Sodom consisted of homosexual behaviour. Such an interpretation was originally based on a single misunderstood Hebrew word in one of the books of Moses in the Old Testament and cannot be supported by the Qur'an.

This misinterpretation reached Muslims through the generation of mawâlî (singular: maulâ - client), i.e., Christians and Jews who converted to Islam in the early days of Muslim history, brought these ideas with them, and soon formed the majority of Muslims. Through them, these ideas found their way into the ancient Qur'ânic commentaries.

Muslims face a significant task in examining and addressing this complex of issues. Perhaps these lines will provide further impetus. Beyond the present topic, there are certainly numerous other areas where it is beneficial to compare the wording of the Qur'ân accordingly, especially since some Muslims' reliance on past authorities can also imply the acceptance of their flawed decisions based on erroneous assumptions.

The word šahwa (plural šahawât) in the Qur'ân

From the book 'Islam und Homosexualität im Qur'ân und der ḥadîṯ-Literatur, Teil 4, tafsîr-Geschichte, Der Einfluss der mawâlî auf das Denken der Muslime, wie er sich in alten Kommentaren wider­spiegelt“:

“In the books ‘'Islam und Homosexualität im Qur'ân und der ḥadîṯ-Literatur' (Parts 1-4) and in a shorter presentation, ‘Ehe für alle’ im Islam? Sexualität, Partnerwahl, Ehebund, Familie, im Qur’ân“, a position is taken against the homosexual interpretation of the story of Lot and his people, but even more clearly in the book ‘Lot and his people in the Qur’ân: Its significance for Muslims and for Islam’, where it states:

"And in the case of the word šahwa, there are neither facts nor undeniable evidence of a sexual connotation in the wording of the Qur'ân.
But the finding that it was understood that way in the verses about Lot and his people proves how early and persistently the Sodom myth found its way into the thinking of Muslims and thus, of course, also into the forgery of the ḥadîṯ."

In Qur'ân translations (by Muslims and non-Muslims), the expression "شَهْوَةً - šahwatan - at a desire" is given in verses (7:81) and (27:55) - here is a selection:

Abdullah Yusuf Ali, in his translation of The Holy Qur-an, renders the Arabic singular as plural. Others use terms (in German: Sinnenlust, Sinnlichkeit, Begierde, sexueller Begierde, Gelüst, Befriedigung eurer sexuellen Begier­de,) like sensuality, desire, sexual lust, craving, and satisfaction of your sexual desire, employing adjectives such as (wollust­trunken, wollüstig, lüstern etc.) lust-intoxicated, lustful, and lecherous. Only Muhammad Hamidullah, in his translation of Le Coran, offers a neutral translation without explicit sexual connotations.