In the Name of Allah—the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.
Islamic Perspective on Homosexuality
Islamic perspective
on homosexuality is based on the teachings of the Quran and the Hadith, which
are the primary sources of Islamic guidance. Homosexuality is considered a
sinful act in Islam and is prohibited.
The Quran on
Homosexuality:
The Quran mentions
the story of the people of Prophet Lut (Lot) and how they committed the sin of
homosexuality, which led to their destruction. The Quran also explicitly
prohibits any form of sexual relations outside the marriage of a man and a
woman.
The story of the
people of Prophet Lut (Lot) is mentioned in several places in the Quran, but
the most detailed account is found in Surah Hud, which is the 11th chapter of
the Quran. The story is mentioned from verse 69 to verse 83.
And
surely Our messenger-angels came to Abraham with good news ˹of a son˺. They
greeted him with, “Peace!” And he replied, “Peace ˹be upon you˺!” Then it was
not long before he brought ˹them˺ a ˹fat,˺ roasted calf. And when he saw that
their hands did not reach for the food, he became suspicious and fearful of
them.1 They
reassured ˹him˺, “Do not be afraid! We are ˹angels˺ sent ˹only˺ against the
people of Lot.” [Surah Hud: 11:69-70]
The
story goes further:
Then
after the fear had left Abraham, and the good news had reached him, he began to
plead with Us for the people of Lot. Truly, Abraham was forbearing,
tender-hearted, and ever-turning ˹to his Lord˺. The angels said,˺ “O Abraham!
Plead no more! Your Lord’s decree has already come, and they will certainly be
afflicted with a punishment that cannot be averted!” When Our messenger-angels
came to Lot, he was distressed and worried by their arrival. He said,
“This is a terrible day.” And ˹the men of˺ his people—who were used to shameful
deeds—came to him rushing. He pleaded, “O my people! Here are my daughters1 ˹for
marriage˺—they are pure for you. So fear Allah, and do not humiliate me by
disrespecting my guests. Is there not ˹even˺ a single right-minded man among
you?” They argued, “You certainly know that we have no need for your daughters.
You already know what we desire!” He responded, “If only I had the strength ˹to
resist you˺ or could rely on a strong supporter.” The angels said, “O Lot! We
are the messengers of your Lord. They will never reach you. So travel with your
family in the dark of night, and do not let any of you look back, except your
wife. She will certainly suffer the fate of the others.1 Their
appointed time is the morning. Is the morning not near?” When Our command came,
We turned the cities upside down and rained down on them clustered stones of
baked clay, marked by your Lord ˹O Prophet˺. And these stones are not far from
the ˹pagan˺ wrongdoers!
[Surah
Hud, 11:74-83]
These
verses from Surah Hud describe the story of Prophet Lut (Lot) and his people.
When the angels came to Lut, he was distressed by their arrival because he
feared for their safety in the midst of his sinful people. The men of his
people, who were known for their shameful deeds including homosexuality, came
to Lut and demanded that he hand over the angels to them. Lot, being a
righteous man, pleaded with his people to fear Allah and not commit such
shameful acts. The angels informed Lut that they were messengers of Allah and
that his people would face a punishment that cannot be averted. The angels
instructed Lut to leave the city with his family under the cover of darkness,
and not to look back. The people of Lut were then punished by Allah with a rain
of stones made of baked clay, and they were destroyed. These verses serve as a
reminder of the punishment that awaits those who engage in sinful behavior and
disobey the commands of Allah.
Islamic scholars
have explained that angels came in the form of young men to test the people
of Lut, as they were known for their homosexual tendencies. The young men were
so attractive that the people of Lut were tempted by them and wanted to commit
indecent acts with them. The angels’ true identities were later revealed to
Prophet Lut, and he pleaded with them to save him and his family from the
punishment that was about to befall his people.
According to the
Islamic tradition, the angels who came to the people of Prophet Lut (Lot) came
in the form of young men. This is mentioned in the Quran in Surah Hud, verse 77
that was the reason when the messenger-angels
came to Lot, he was distressed and felt for them great discomfort.
In these verses, the
Quran narrates how the people of Lut rejected the message of Allah and
persisted in their sinful behavior, including committing acts of homosexuality.
The story ends with the destruction of the people of Lut as a punishment for
their
Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him) on Homosexuality
Prophet Muhammad
(peace be upon him) did condemn homosexuality in his own words. While there is
no specific verse in the Quran where the Prophet explicitly condemns
homosexuality, there are several hadiths (narrations) where the Prophet speaks
out against homosexual behavior.
Abdullah ibn Abbas
(may Allah be pleased with them) said, “May
Allah curse the one who does the deed of the people of Lut (i.e.
homosexuality), may Allah curse the one who does the deed of the people of Lut,
may Allah curse the one who does the deed of the people of Lut (said
thrice).” [Musnad Ahmad: H#2915]
Abdullah ibn Abbas
(may Allah be pleased with them) said,“Cursed
is the one who commits the deed of the people of Lut (i.e.
homosexuality).” [Musnad Ahmad:H#1976]
Narrated
Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him):
That
the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “What I
fear most from my Ummah is the behavior of the people of Lut.” [Jami`
at-Tirmidhi: H# 1457]
Narrated Abu
Sa’id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: A man should not look at the
private parts of another man, and a woman should not look at the private parts
of another woman. A man should not lie with another man without wearing a lower
garment under one cover, and a woman should not lie with another woman without
wearing a lower garment under one cover.
[Sunan Abi
Dawood: H#4038]
In addition to these
hadiths, Islamic scholars and jurists have generally condemned homosexual
behavior and considered it a major sin in Islam. They base their views on the
Quranic teachings and the hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him),
as well as on the consensus of the scholars of the past.
Islamic scholars
have interpreted the Quranic verses and Hadiths to mean that homosexuality is a
sin that goes against the natural order of creation. However, it is important
to note that Islam teaches the importance of treating everyone with respect and
kindness regardless of their sexual orientation.
Therefore, while
Islam prohibits homosexual acts, it also calls for compassion and understanding
towards those who may be struggling with same-sex attraction. Muslims are
encouraged to support and assist individuals dealing with homosexuality in a
way that does not condone the act itself, but rather, helps them overcome their
struggles and seek guidance in accordance with Islamic teachings.
The Islamic
perspective on the story of the people of Lut is based on the belief that the
Quran is the final and complete revelation from Allah and that it confirms and
corrects the previous revelations given to earlier prophets. While some laws
and practices may have been abrogated or modified, the basic moral principles
and guidance of those earlier revelations still hold true in Islam.
Furthermore, the
Quran presents the story of the people of Lut as a warning to humanity, and not
as a prescription of a particular law or practice. The main lesson from this story
is the severe punishment that Allah inflicted upon those who indulged in
homosexuality and other immoral acts, and the importance of following the
guidance of the prophets and living a righteous life.
In addition, Islamic
scholars have pointed out that the story of the people of Lut is also mentioned
in the Bible, in the book of Genesis, and is recognized as a part of the
Abrahamic tradition. Thus, the story has significance beyond the boundaries of
any particular religion and is a warning for all of humanity.
In conclusion, while
some laws and practices of earlier prophets may have been abrogated in Islam,
the moral principles and guidance contained in those earlier revelations still
hold true. The story of the people of Lut serves as a warning to humanity and
is a part of the shared Abrahamic tradition.
Imam Ahmad
ibn Hanbal on Homosexuality
Imam
Ahmad ibn Hanbal (780-855 CE), one of the six great Imams of Islamic
jurisprudence and founder of the Hanbali school of Islamic jurisprudence, held
the view that homosexuality is a major sin and an abomination in Islam. He
based his views on the teachings of the Quran and the Sunnah (Prophetic
tradition), and the consensus of the scholars of the past.
According to Imam
Ahmad’s recorded statements and rulings, homosexuality is considered a grave
sin and a deviant act. He held the view that the punishment for homosexual
behavior is stoning to death, as stated in some narrations attributed to him.
Imam
Ahmad R.A said, “The Sunnah regarding the one who commits the act of the
people of Lot, whether he is married or unmarried, is that he should be stoned
to death, because the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: ‘Whoever does the
action of the people of Lot, then kill the one who does it.'”
Ibn Abbas (may Allah be
pleased with him) narrated this from the Prophet (peace be upon him) as well,
and then Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) issued a fatwa after the
Prophet (peace be upon him) that whoever commits the act of the people of Lot
should be stoned to death, even if he is unmarried.
The
ruling is based on what was narrated from the Prophet (peace be upon him), and
it is also narrated from Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) that
the one who commits the act of the people of Lot should be stoned to death
without mentioning whether he is married or unmarried. Therefore, the fatwa of
the scholars should be like this, and this is based on what Allah, may He be
glorified and exalted, did to the people of Lot, who were killed. The same is
narrated from Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him).” [Masa’il al-Kosaj, Q#2722]
Ishaq ibn Mansu said: “I asked (Imam
Ahmad R.A), ‘Should the punishment for a person who commits homosexual acts be
stoning, whether they are married or not?’ He replied: ‘Yes, they should be
stoned, whether they are married or not.’ Isaac said, ‘That is exactly what I
heard.'” [Masa’il al-Kosaj, Q#2484]
The second narration
from Imam Ahmad R.A goes as follows:
Al-Marwazi,
Hanbal, Abu Al-Harith, and Ya’qub ibn Bukhtan reported: If he is a virgin, he
is to be flogged, and if he is married, he is to be stoned to death.
[Al-Riwayatayn
Wal-Wajhayn” 2/316]
The majority of later Hanbali scholars go with the second opinion mentioned above, according to Imam Mansoor ibn Younus al-Buhuti Rahimahullah it is the Mu’tamad position of the Madhab. [Al-Rawdh al-Murbi’]
The
issue of capital punishment for homosexuality is a matter of debate among
Muslim scholars and jurists, and there is no consensus on the matter. While
some scholars and schools of thought hold the view that the punishment for
homosexual acts should be death, others hold a different opinion.
Those scholars who
support the punishment of death for homosexuality usually base their views on
the hadith narrated by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), where he
reportedly said, “Whoever you find engaged in the (homosexual) act of the
people of Lot, kill the one who does it and the one to whom it is done.”
[Musnad Ahmad:
H#2834, Sunan Ibn Majah:H# 2561]
It
is worth noting that even if a particular scholar or school of thought supports
the punishment of death for homosexual acts, the application of punishment is
the responsibility of the state and its legal system, and it must be done
according to the principles of Islamic law and justice.
Perception of Discrimination:
Some people argue that the condemnation of homosexuality and the
punishment of homosexual acts is discriminatory towards LGBTQ+ individuals, and
goes against the principles of equality and justice.
The
concept of absolute morality can provide a framework for discussing and
understanding different moral perspectives regarding homosexuality. Absolute
morality refers to the belief that there are universal, objective moral
principles that apply to all people, in all situations, regardless of cultural
or historical context. In other words, absolute morality holds that certain
actions are inherently right or wrong, regardless of any subjective opinions or
situational factors.
The Quran lays out a moral framework that includes absolute
moral principles, such as the prohibition of murder, theft, and adultery, as
well as the obligation to be honest, just, and kind to others. These principles
are seen as universal and not subject to cultural or historical variation. The same is the case for homosexuality. Though modern liberalists advocate homosexual
acts but such odd opinions are not to be considered in Islamic jurisprudence.
