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Homosexuals are those who are attracted to the
same sex. Another word used for these people is Gays.
However, recently, the word gays has taken its own road to
mean homosexual men. Because there was no civilized word for
homosexual men but insulting words, the word gays now seems
to be the only civilized word to refer to the homosexual men, at least to
the non-homosexuals.
Homosexuality is the sexual orientation of the Homosexuals.
For along time, even doctors did not classify such people with
any sexual orientation but said they were "sick." Not until
recently did the Psychologists took homosexuality off of their
list as a sickness rather than a sexual orientation.
What does God say on Homosexuals and/or Homosexuality?
In Islam, nothing. At least nothing against it. God in Islam concentrates on what
one believes and does as a ritual. And any restrictions after that is solely in terms of
not hurting othes. For example, heterosexuals are restricted in the Quran because of
the abuses on women and children by the ancients. Since God creates all people with
His own choice, He does not ask humans weather they like
it or not or what they think of it, as God says;
Many Muslims say God condemns homosexuality and homosexuals
in the story of the People of Lut(Lot.) But that is not true. The
story deals with people who we do not understand today. People
who raped stranger Men. In the story, neither the people of their
city is mentioned to have been raped nor has Lot been raped. They always abused the strangers. To
understand this more clearly, let us reffer to the Qur'an;
What the above says is that not only did they approach men but they also cut off the way
or to cut off their genitals. In other words, they rapped men and then made them eunuchs! But also look
at the following verse;
Therefore, these people were more inhospitable and wicked than homosexuals
who have sexual relations with other men, freely. But, then, one might say "but in 29.29
it say 'you do you approach the males'"? That is a valid point, however, who does the
qur'an consider males?
Who does God consider Males?
To understand this, let us refer to the Qur'an. In the Qur'an, women
are asked to cover from Men except the seven mu'hrims(men whom
they are related to and are not suitable for marriage.) However, God also mentions
extra men; the slave and the male employee:
The phrase used for "or the attendants not having the primary
skills among the males" is aw taabi`eena ghayri awlirbati min RIJAALI.
The literal translation of this is: or the attendants not having the primary
skills among the males! This phrase's meaning is not agreed upon by translaters.
Each of the translators choose to translate it differently;
So, a man who has no need of a woman(Shakir's) is gay. A man
who is free of physical need for women, since the verse speaks
of women, (Yusuf Ali's) is gay. A man whose sexual drive for women
have been nullified(Rashad's) is definitely gay. And, at last, a man
who lacks vigour(Pickthall's) is definitely gay. The word
vigour means in the English language: 1; physical or mental
energy. 2; strong feeling; enthusiasm or intensity. 3; legal effectiveness
or validity. A man who lacks any of those for women is gay.
Now, why would God gay say "among the males"??? This is because gay
males are not males but among the males(forgive us, Gay Men!) If you think maleness is just
defined by who has what organ, think again! Males are those who have
sexual desires for women, at least to Arabs and other Ancient Middle Easterners.
Hence why people of today refer to homosexual males as; Gay Men. Why not just 'Men'? Because they are not just Men, they are Gay Men. Therefore, the people of Lut approached males
who had sexual desire only for women.
When you approach such a person, you
will not be able to have sex with him unless you rape him(since he has no feelings for you because it is just against his nature.) When you rape him, you
commit what we call double-crime; 1. raping a person against their will. 2. raping a person
against their nature. If you rape a woman, you commit a crime; raping her against
her will. However, you do not rape her against her nature. Hence, Lot's offer to
the men to take his daughters instead, if they are going to rape someone(11; 77-80.) He is trying to avoid double-crime
from his people, which would then stop the punishment that awaited them! But they did NOT
want to rape women because then it would make no sense to them. They wanted to
rape strangers, and especially men, which would boost their egos. Therefore, the story of the
People of Lot deals with wicked men who raped other men and were not gays.
Does the Qur'an restrict homosexuals and homosexual acts?
Yes, the Qur'an does. All the laws that apply to Heterosexuals apply
to Homosexuals, except marriage. Marriage in Islaam is for the sake of
children and their identity and that women would not be oppressed.
Since this is not a case with the homosexual
couple, it does not apply. However, adultery, which is forbidden in Islaam
because it hurts the other partner, applies to homosexuals. This may sound
weird since people connect marriage and adultery, but that is not why adultery is sin. Adultery
is sin because it hurts the other partner. God allows polygamy in some cases
in the Qur'an but fiercely prohibits adultery. Polygamy in Qur'an is restricted
to having been fair to both mates in every way. And, the same God says in another
verse that man was only created with one heart. Hence, God is saying have as many as
four wives, if you will, only provided you will be fair to them. Knowing that man
is only created with one heart, being fair to four wives does not sound like a sound
state, does it? But God allows it to those who think they can live up to such expectation.
So, in other words, Good Luck!
In Gay relationships, like hetero ones, people are people and have feelings and
can be hurt by acts of one partner sneaking around on the other. Therefore, adultery
applies to Gay couples. Remember, anything that hurts another human being is not good
with Islaam, as long as the hurt is a just. For example, if someone is hurt by the
fact you are Gay, it is not a just hurt. If they hurt because you cheated on them, it
is, no matter what sexual orientation you are.
What does the Bible say on Homosexuals and Homosexuality?
Then Muslims turn around and say, "even Christians
and Jews condemn homosexuality." Yes, the majority of Christians and Jews
condemn homosexuality, just like the majority of Muslims do. Of course, like the
Muslims, they rely on sources beside God's word, the Bible. Like the Qur'an,
nothing much is said in the Bible about Homosexuality or Homosexuals, really. The
verse used, mostly, by Christians and Jews to condemn homosexuality is Leviticus 18:22;
The word used above as abomination or absolutely forbidden and
detestable is to`evah which means; ritually improper.
Alot of the things that were ritually improper in ancient Israel are
now accepted by nearly all Jews. Little things as Pizza(which is made
of fat and milk, etc) would be considered ritually improper then, as would
be some cake and some bread, for to add anything from meat and dairy would
be ritually improper. Beside this fact, the verse does not condemn
homosexuals or homosexual acts but, more or less, where it is done. The
word for word Hebrew of the verse says;
The Torah which forbids many things of mixing, such as mixing
dairy and meat(or its fat) or mixing cattle of different breeds or to sow
different kinds of seed together in one field or to sow grain or herbs in a vineyard
or to mix wool and linen to make of a garment so on and so forth. All these
and other more are ritually improper. Nevertheless, you can go around them.
Similar, the above mentioned verse is restricting to 'where.' What many
translators leave out is the 'bed' part, and of course, we know why. So, no,
like the Qu'ran, the Bible does not forbid or condemn homosexuals or homosexuality.
Since this site deals with the current Islamic Laws, we'll leave that
at that.
What about Lesbians?
As mentioned above, the Quran does not talk about Lesbians much. The reason being lesbians are the safest of all people. They truly are a match made in heaven. With women’s intuition and the much self-control women have, where can they go wrong? There is a verse, however, in the Quran dealing with Hijjab. The verse talks about some women who can relax the dress code. It goes as follows;
Who are Homosexuals and What is Homosexuality?
And God has created from water every
living creature: so of them is that which walks upon its
belly, and of them is that which walks upon two feet, and
of them is that which walks upon four; God creates what
He pleases; surely God has power over all things. Surrat ul Nur, 24.45
And (remember) Lüt(Lot): "behold," he said to his people: "You commit indecency, such as no people in Creation committed before you. Do you indeed approach the males, and cut off the way? and practice indecency in your councils?" But his people gave no answer but this: they said: "Bring us the Wrath of God if you are the truthful." Surrat ul `Ankabüt, 29: 28-29
When our messengers arrived at Lot's place, they were mistreated, and he was embarrassed by their presence. But they said, "Have no fear, and do not worry. We will save you and your family, except your wife; she is doomed. Surrat ul `Ankabüt 29:33
"And tell the believing women to subdue their eyes,
and maintain their chastity. They shall not reveal any parts of their
bodies, except that which is necessary. They shall cover their chests,
and shall not relax this code in the presence of other than their husbands,
their fathers, the fathers of their husbands, their sons, the sons of their
husbands, their brothers, the sons of their brothers, the sons of their
sisters, other women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess,or their
attendants not having the primary skills among the males, or the children who have
not reached puberty. They shall not strike their feet when they walk in
order to shake and reveal certain details of their bodies. All of you
shall repent to God, O you believers, that you may succeed." Surrat ul Nuur, 24.31
Shakir: "...or the male servants not having need (of women)"
Yusuf Ali: "...or male servants free of physical needs"
Rashad Khalifa: "...or employees whose sexual drive has been nullified"
Marmaduke Pickthall: "...or male attendants who lack vigour" KJV: (King James Version): "Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind: it is abomination"
LB: (Living Bible): "Homosexuality is absolutely forbidden, for it is an enormous sin"
NIV: (New International Version) "Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable"
NLT: (New Living Translation): "Do not practice homosexuality; it is a detestable sin
RSV: (Revised Standard Version): "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination Ve'et zachar lo tishkav mishkevey ishah to`evah hi(And with a male You shalt not lie down in beds of a woman; it is ritually improper!)
And the spinsters among the women who do not hope for a marriage, there is nothing upon them if they put off their dressing without displaying their ornaments; and if they restraint themselves it is better for them; and God is the Hearing, the Knowing. Surrat ul Nur, 24:60.
The word used above to mean "spinsters" is qawa`iddah. The only word suitable for it seemed to be spinster. In `Arabic, qawa`iddah is a woman who the community knows to be unmarriageable. She can be old woman, a lesbian, a former prostitute, too independent woman, et cetera. It may sound cold, but that was what `Arabic culture was and still is. The woman has to leave that specific community to be able to get married(unless she is old then she is doomed everywhere.) The important thing of that verse is that it is a positive thing for lesbians.
With the exceptions of verses dealing with relationships(that apply to all sexual orientations,) and the few mentions of hura el `eyn(women in heaven for heterosexual men and homosexual women,) that above verse is the only verse that has much of relevance to lesbians in Islam.
The following are some resources you can use to make a better judgement:
-- LINKS to/about/of/on Homosexuality:
Letter to an Imam, on Homosexuality in Scripture and History; by Faris Malik.
Longing but not belonging: An interview with a Gay Muslim Author, Badruddin Khan.
Manly Men who wear Hijjab: A Must see site!!!
Born Eunuchs Home Page; by Faris Malik
Queer Jihad: Queer Muslim struggle for acceptance!
THE KINSEY INSTITUTE: for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction!
Flawed Science Nurtures Genetic Origin for Homosexuality!