Euphemisms for Same-Gender Relations in the Holy Quran and their English Translations

To support their argument about the position of Islam on same-gender relations, ‘Muslim’ proponents of these relations claim that there is no specific Arabic designation for these relations in the Holy Quran. Although it does not explicitly name them, the Quran addresses this topic euphemistically. This study aims to identify the Quranic euphemisms for same-gender relations and examine the Quranic strategies used for indicating them. Furthermore, it explores how these euphemisms were rendered in forty English translations of the meanings of the Quran. The findings reveal that particularization, metaphor, understatement, circumlocution and paraphrasing are the strategies used in the Quran to refer to same-gender relations. Most translators preserved the meaning of the Quranic euphemisms by producing similar euphemisms, established euphemisms in English, and occasionally, imprecise euphemisms. However, considering the controversy over the position of Islam on same-gender relations among Muslims, the study concludes that translators should strike a balance between politeness and clarity.