Qur’anic Meaning of Marriage in the Lavender Marriage Phenomenon: A Contextual Analysis of Abdullah Saeed

Abstract

This study aims to explore the Qur’anic meaning of marriage through Abdullah Saeed’s contextual hermeneutics, focusing on the phenomenon of lavender marriage a socially motivated marriage that lacks emotional and moral authenticity. The problem lies in the tension between social conformity and existential honesty (ṣidq al-nafs), which distorts the essence of Qur’anic marriage founded on love (mawaddah) and compassion (raḥmah). Employing a qualitative design, this research applies Saeed’s contextual interpretation framework, which consists of four interpretive levels: linguistic-textual, historical-contextual, modern-contextual, and applicative-normative. The main data sources include the Qur’an (especially QS. Ar-Rūm [30]: 21), classical and contemporary exegesis, and sociological studies on marriage ethics in Muslim societies. The results reveal that lavender marriage contradicts the Qur’anic ethical values of honesty, mutual care, and spiritual balance. Through Saeed’s approach, QS. Ar-Rūm [30]: 21 can be reinterpreted as a moral call to construct authentic and compassionate relationships rather than socially performative unions. The findings contribute to the renewal of Islamic family ethics by emphasizing that marriage, in its Qur’anic sense, should serve as a moral-spiritual partnership that upholds human dignity and existential sincerity.