Homosexuality in Islam
By Yaseen Shaikh | 2026-01-19T11:41:20.580664+00:00 | Topic: General
Khutbah: Homosexuality in Islam
Opening
السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
أَعُوذُ باللهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّحِيمِ. بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
Khutbah al-Haajah (خُطْبَةُ الحاجة)
إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ، نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ، وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا، وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا، مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ، وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ
أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَأَعُوذُ بِاللهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّحِيمِ
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
Opening Quranic Verse
"And [We sent] Lot when he said to his people, "Do you commit such immorality as no one has preceded you with from among the worlds? Indeed, you approach men with desire, instead of women. Rather, you are a transgressing people." And the answer of his people was not but that they said, "Evict them from your city! Indeed, they are men who keep themselves pure."
Introduction
First of all, I would like to thank Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. All praise is due to Him. And may His blessings be upon the Prophet, peace be upon him.
I am very honoured to be here today, to be sharing a few words with you, to revise a lesson with you. And to learn a very important value of our lives.
Today's topic, as the brother mentioned, is a very controversial topic. Controversial because it's been in the media spotlight for the last couple of years. And most recently, legislations are being passed on this subject, which affects the society as a whole.
The Current State of Society
Unfortunately, in recent times, homosexuality, the lesbian, gay movement has gained a lot of momentum. And they are working tirelessly, day and night. Efforts are rampant. Efforts are being exhausted into gaining acceptance into mainstream society.
It is no secret that everywhere you look in society today, at every level, you find a representation of this community. On a social level, on a political level, in educational boards. Everywhere you look today, you will find a representation of this community.
They are an extremely powerful group in recent times. With an extremely strong and powerful lobby. Influencing many sectors. And although their efforts are towards something which we despise and something which we dislike. We have to admit that their efforts are remarkable. Because of the success they have achieved in recent times.
And as Muslims, a minority in this context, in this country, there are many lessons for us to learn. Whilst we still discuss certain controversial topics within our own Muslim communities. About our existence in these lands and so on and so forth.
There are other groups that are gaining so much momentum and we are far left behind. So whilst this is a taboo subject, one that is usually brushed under the rug, under the carpet. The fact that we are having to address it today in a masjid is a mark of the success of this group.
They have gained so much momentum in society and they are influencing people on so many different levels. That we are having to discuss this subject in a masjid today. This subject is not one that needed to be discussed 50 years ago or 100 years ago.
Because it was a subject or it was an act or a behaviour that was done in secrecy, in privacy. It may have been existent in many cultures amongst many different people of different races. But it was something that was kept in secrecy and privacy.
Unfortunately, today it is in our face. It is being brought out in the public space. And because this act has been brought out in the public space and this behaviour has become common. Or it has been imposed on us to accept it, we are having to discuss it today.
Historical Context
One of the achievements of this community in the past, and I'm going to speak from an American context, even though I'm not American, I live there. I'm from Stanford Hill, which is down the road. Stop calling me the USA imam, I'm not the USA imam. I'm from Stanford Hill, I'm a Hackney boy.
But going back to the point, one of the most remarkable achievements of theirs was that they changed the concept or the act that was in place in the American Psychiatrist Association. The APA, American Psychiatrist Association, always treated homosexuality as a disorder, a mental disorder.
Until the 1970s, where the homosexual community campaigned and they were so socially active and making themselves well known and put so much pressure on these associations, that they changed their legislation or changed their concept or their idea from a treatment. When they used to treat these patients for having psychiatric disorders, mental disorders, now they consider it just a sexual behavior or a variant in behavior. So that was an achievement of theirs in the 1970s.
An achievement of theirs in the 1970s, from being considered mentally disturbed or mentally sick, to being considered normal people, a normative behavior. That was an achievement of theirs.
And more recently in the UK, you will find that in the recent years, they received legislation to be united in civil union, civil partnership. So a gay couple could become a civil partnership, a civil couple, but they were not recognized as a married couple. At least there was somewhat a difference between a married couple and a civil couple.
Because in a married couple, marriage has this sacredness attached to it. But in terms of legislation, technically there's not much difference now between a civil partnership and a married couple. And in recent times, most recently, in 2013, now there are, you know, it was in the House of Commons, the bill was being debated on marriages, whether these people can get married.
So you can see the sequence, where it started off and what it has become now. You can see the pattern. This community, where it started off, and how it was treated as a mental disorder, and now they have gained so much momentum in so many different facets and so many different elements of society, and they have influenced so many different crowds, now they are being acceptable, an acceptable community, an accepted community.
Impact on Society and Muslims
The behavior and the lifestyle is being accepted by people. People are open to it. Sometimes you even hear from Muslims. This is the most disturbing thing, is when you hear from Muslims that say, it doesn't bother me, whatever they do doesn't really concern me. But it does. When it's brought out into the public space, when it's taught to our children in school, that it's a normal lifestyle, that it's an acceptable lifestyle, it affects us.
When the institution of marriage is being challenged, and the definition of marriage is being challenged, this affects all of us. It affects society as a whole. Because there is a purpose of our existence.
And there is a sacredness attached to marriage that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala recognizes. And other than that is not recognized. So when this very religious value is being challenged, openly and publicly, then it affects all people of moral conscience.
It affects people of moral conscience, whether they are Muslim, Jewish or Christian. It affects us. It affects all of us.
So for people to make such foolish comments, that whatever homosexuals do is up to them, it doesn't affect me, I don't feel like that, they can do what they want to, I don't care if they get married or I don't care. That's a problem.
The Political Dimension
The other problem is, unfortunately, that today this subject has become highly politicized. It's no longer a religious issue. And this is a fact. Politicians are defining what is equal treatment. Politicians are defining what is tolerance. Politicians are defining what is acceptance in a society. These concepts no longer have a moral or ethical value placed on them.
We don't look at equality or fair treatment or fairness from a religious perspective. Unfortunately, it's politicians that are defining these concepts today. So this whole subject of homosexuality in the public sphere or in the public domain is no longer a religious issue, unfortunately.
As much as we want to use the religious card and try to defeat this, now it's become a politicized issue. And politicians are highly influenced by people that back them. And we find that these politicians that are calling for gay rights and for marriage and supporting gay rights are lobbied and campaigned by gay activists, by gay groups.
And they are throwing money at it left and right to gain some acceptance in society. To be considered normal people. To be treated normally.
They use gender discrimination acts and so many different acts that they use just to gain some acceptance.
The Muslim Response
So as Muslims today, what's the purpose of today's talk? Unfortunately, even in recent times, there are some progressive groups within Muslims. And I'm not going to sit here and talk about the nature of their Islam, whether they are Muslim or not. Because giving that judgement is not my duty here today. I'm not going to be doing that.
But unfortunately, there has been the emergence of a few Muslim groups that claim legitimacy for their acts within the Islamic faith. Now that becomes a problem. That becomes a problem.
If somebody is committing an immoral act, a disgusting act, a despised act, a condemned act, in their privacy, and we don't know about it, then it is between them and Allah. We don't know. (مَا بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ اللهِ - ma baynahu wa baynAllah) We don't know about it.
If somebody is drinking alcohol within their home, somebody has grapes in their house and they're making alcohol and they're drinking, and they don't bring it out into the public, we don't know about it. It's between them and Allah. It's a sin. And Allah will deal with them. We can't pass any judgement on them or do anything about it because we don't know about it.
If somebody is committing adultery in the same manner, within the privacy of their home, and we don't know about it, we can't do anything about it. It's a sin between them and Allah.
Same as homosexuality. But when that act is brought out into the public space, that's when we have a problem. Because it has an impact on the society around them. It directly affects people that are living in that society.
Therefore, (أَعُوذُ بِاللهِ - a'udhu billah) Allah forbid, but there is a group amongst Muslims who call themselves progressive Muslims, that have tried to claim legitimacy for their actions within the Islamic law and within Islamic sharia. And they feel that they have a rightful existence and a rightful claim within Muslims, and they are proud claimants of Islam, and they are proud to be living the homosexual lifestyle.
And that's where there is a huge problem. So that's why we have to address this subject now from an Islamic perspective.
Islamic Position
What is the legitimacy of these people's claims? What are their claims? And how do we refute their claims? And what does Islam really say about this? I could sit here and tell you in two minutes what Islam says about it. Because it's very clear cut. It's explicit. It's unambiguous. It's clear. There is no room for revision.
What we have to remember is that Islam, in many parts of Islamic law, there are aspects that could be revised in different times. Depending on different parts of the world where you go. But there are certain subjects that are fundamentals and principles that are explicit, that cannot be changed, that cannot be revised. And this is one of those.
This subject cannot be revised. One cannot say that, okay, originally the Qur'an condemns this lewd act of homosexuality. But now we're living in the 21st century, and those verses of the Qur'an are obsolete in the modern context that we're living in. Therefore we need to revise this subject. One cannot say this about this act. One cannot say this about this lifestyle.
It's an immoral act. It's a shameful act. It's a despised act. It's haram. It's forbidden in Islam, completely, absolutely, from the Qur'an, from the hadith of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم - sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) and by consensus of the scholars from the beginning of Islam. So all the sources of Islamic law are very, very accurate and very open and clear about this, without any ambiguity.
Without any ambiguity. What the problem is in society today, the understanding of Islam. What does Islam mean? When I say, (لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول الله - la ilaha illAllah Muhammadun rasulAllah) what does that mean? And is Islam just a race, or is Islam a way of life? And as Muslims we believe that Islam is a way of life that regulates our behavior and every aspect of our day and night.
So as Muslims we take our source of guidance from the Qur'an, the book of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, and the sunnah, the life of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم - sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam). And we understand that whatever Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala ordains and commands, we take. Whatever Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala makes haram, we consider haram. This is the understanding of Islam.
When a person says (لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول الله - la ilaha illAllah Muhammadun rasulAllah) then there has to be within them the ability to subjugate themselves to the message of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala (تسليم and انقياد - taslim wa inqiyad). When Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says something, I submit myself to it.
I accept it wholeheartedly, without any (شك - shak), without any (ریب - rayb), without any suspicion, without any doubt. Unfortunately today, many people have preconceived ideas, or they have concepts that they want to follow from their nafs and their desires, influenced heavily by shaitan and the society they're living in, and then they look for legitimacy of that act in the Qur'an.
Whereas the Qur'an should be governing our lives, we're trying to govern the Qur'an. And if there is a verse that contradicts our lifestyle, then we try to reinterpret it. Or we consider it to be obsolete. Or we consider it to be misused. Or we consider it to be out of place or outdated.
This is not the Islam that Nabiya Kareem (صلى الله عليه وسلم) taught to the sahaba radhiyallahu anhum. When the Qur'an was revealed to them, they accepted it, they said (سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا). They listened to it and they obeyed it. That should also be our mantra. When we hear the Qur'an, we say (سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا).
We listened to it, we heard it, and we obeyed it. We obeyed it, we accepted it from our heart, our soul, our mind, and our bodies also subjugated to that message. Therefore, whatever the Qur'an commands us, we take it. Whatever the Qur'an prohibits, we stay away from it.
Quranic Evidence
So we discuss this action or this lifestyle in light of the Qur'an, and it is very clear cut. The Qur'an, Surah An-Nisa, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says:
"Those two amongst you who have committed this act فَآذُوهُمَا harm them. What does this mean? If this was not an aberrant act, if this was not a despised act, why would Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala say harm them? Allah then says فَإِن تَابًا وَأَصْلَحَا فَأَعْرِضُوا عَنْهُمَا If they repent and they reform and they transform themselves and change, then let them be. إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ تَوَّابًا رَّحِيمًا Indeed Allah is Tawwab and Allah is Raheem."
In many instances in the Qur'an, in Surah Al-A'raf, in Surah Ash-Shu'ara, in Surah An-Naml as well, if I remember correctly, Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala has mentioned the story and incident of the people of Lut Alayhi Salatu Wasalam.
And clearly Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala states the reason why Allah Ta'ala was displeased with this nation. Allah Ta'ala records, Allah Ta'ala mentions, reveals, a conversation that took place between Lut Alayhi Salatu Wasalam and his nation.
Allah says, Lut said to them:
"Do you guys, do you guys choose men from this world? وَتَذَرُونَ مَا خَلَقَ لَكُمْ رَبُّكُم مِّنْ أَزْوَاجِكُم And you leave aside that which Allah Ta'ala has created from your spouses? From your wives? بَلْ أَنتُمْ قَوْمٌ عَادُونَ You are a transgressing people."
Lut Alayhi Salatu Wasalam, in Surah Hud, Allah Ta'ala mentioned, that he even offered to them, the women, and they said:
"We don't have any rights over your daughters or the women. We don't want them. You know what we want. We are very shameless people. We had no shame."
And they were very clear about their motives were and their intentions were. This completely opposes the Quranic lifestyle. The Qur'an encourages حَيَاةَ طَيِّبَةً Qur'an encourages a healthy and pure life.
The Qur'an encourages marriage. Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala says:
"And marry off your unmarried amongst you, and those that are pious from your slave men and slave women. If they are poor, Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala will enrich them."
And for those who cannot find marriage, Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala says:
"Those who cannot find spouses, who cannot find marriage, let them be chaste and pure until Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala gives them from His riches."
So the Qur'an is teaching us that Nikah is an avenue that Allah Ta'ala has created for the fulfilment of natural urges that humans have. Nikah is the avenue that Allah Ta'ala chooses, Allah Ta'ala has chosen for us, Allah Ta'ala has approved of.
And the halal option that Allah has given us as humans. This is the only recognised option in the eyes of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. And it is highly encouraged as well.
Hadith Evidence
In fact, getting married is so encouraged that Nabiya Kareem (صلى الله عليه وسلم), it is mentioned in the hadith recorded in Mishkatul Masabeeh, that Uthman Ibn Maz'oon R.A came to Nabiya Kareem (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and he asked for permission for Tabattul. Tabattul means monasticism.
You know monasticism is a concept in some cultures and some faiths where a person completely secludes themselves from the outside world, detaches themselves from the outside world, and they don't get married, and they serve God, and they live a life of devotion to God.
Islam does not allow this. The Sahabi R.A says, If the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) allowed Uthman Ibn Maz'oon this lifestyle, we would have become castrated. So we don't have any desires anymore.
But Nabiya Kareem (صلى الله عليه وسلم) did not allow this. In fact, Islam says, get married. Islam says, you have an avenue for the fulfilment of your natural urges, which is Nikah.
And that is why Nabiya Kareem (صلى الله عليه وسلم) encouraged marriage so much, he said that if somebody sends a proposal to you, whose deen is good and their akhlaq is good, their deen is good and their morals are good, then marry them. If you do not do it, there will be a great trial and fasaad and mischief on this earth. So marriage is highly emphasised, living a حَيَاةً طَيِّبَةً and a pure life is what Allah Ta'ala has emphasised and encouraged.
No other lifestyle Allah Ta'ala chooses or Allah Ta'ala endorses for the fulfilment of the natural urges that Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala has kept in every single one of us.
Further Quranic Evidence
Now, going back to the Qur'an on homosexuality, Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala mentions the story of Lut Alaihi (صلى الله عليه وسلم) in many places. Another verse Allah Ta'ala says:
"Do you choose men out of lust? Aside from women? You are a transgressing people. You are an ignorant people. And their answer was, Take Lut out of this place. Exit Lut. Exile Him. Take Him away from here. He is too pure for us. He is always playing the morality card. He is too moral for us."
Like us, people here today of sound reason, that despise the homosexual behaviour and homosexual lifestyle. We are called people that are playing the morality card. It is too moral. Unfortunately, this is what they call us.
Yes, okay, we want to be moral. Yes, thank you for calling us moral people. Because it is morality for us to live a heterosexual lifestyle. And to despise homosexual behaviour. And we should be free to say this. We don't appease, we don't endorse that lifestyle. We don't approve of that lifestyle. And we don't want to see that lifestyle in the public space. We don't want our children to be exposed to that lifestyle.
And we should have a right to say that we oppose homosexual marriages. Because it is an attack on the institution of marriage. And the sacredness of this institution. We should be free to say that. And nobody should call us homophobic for it. Nobody should call us hateful for it. Nobody should call us dangerous for it. We should be allowed to say this in a free secular society. That we claim to be living in. And that's the right.
Hadith Evidence on this Matter
Many Ahadith, now moving on from the Qur'an. There are many Ahadith of Nabiya Kareem (صلى الله عليه وسلم). That speak about this lewd act. When Nabiya Kareem (صلى الله عليه وسلم) has spoken about it. Whether it is in Sahih Al-Bukhari, in Abu Dawood.
(Sahih al-Bukhari 5885)
"The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) cursed those men who are in the likeness (assume the manners) of women and those women who are in the likeness (assume the manners) of men."
Nabiya Kareem (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said Allah Ta'ala's curse is on the man that tries to act like a woman or behave like a woman. Like we see in the homosexuals. Most homosexuals you will find. They become very feminine in their actions. They become very feminine in the way they present themselves in society. The way they dress. Their mannerisms. The way they move their hands about. Their voices. Effeminacy. Nabiya Kareem (صلى الله عليه وسلم) cursed a man that behaves like a woman. And there are so many Ahadith about this.
And explanations of the Sahaba R.A. about the verse of the Qur'an. That are very clear cut about this instance. And as I have mentioned moving on from the Qur'an Ahadith.
Also from the jurists and the Fuqaha. There is not one of them that has said that it is permissible for a person to live this lifestyle. It is a consensus amongst the scholars from the beginning. That this is a lifestyle that is disliked by Allah. An immoral behaviour. And not a behaviour that should be brought into the public space. This is a unanimous thing.
Refuting False Arguments
Now let us look at some of the arguments of the pro-homosexual lifestyle. And how would we respond to them. One of the things you will actually hear from them. Generally is that they say that the verses of the Qur'an related to this. Number one are either obsolete. Which means that they are not fitting in this context that we are living in. So they are out of bounds now basically. They are not for our times.
Which is a very absurd argument. Very absurd argument. Because the verses are not abrogated. They are not منسوخ. Number one. And number two. We don't have the right to make obsolete the verses of the Qur'an that Allah has revealed. That are universal verses for all times and all places. The Qur'an is a book of guidance for all times and all places. We cannot pick and choose and make certain verses obsolete. When we want to. For our desires.
And number two. What they say. One of their arguments is that the verses of the Qur'an that speak about this subject. Are not speaking about shahwa or lust. But they are speaking about rape. Not consensual love.
You see. This is all about verbal gymnastics again. So what they are doing is. They are saying look. Allah is not condemning this lifestyle. Allah is condemning rape. So where Lut A.S. is holding his people accountable or charging them with this lewd act. He is saying to them. That you are going to men. You are forcing yourself on men. This is what they are saying. They are interpreting these verses as force.
But there is no room for this interpretation. Nobody has interpreted these verses historically from the Mufassirin in this manner. There is no reason. No circumstances. No reason at all. To make this
interpretation of these verses.
The verse is very clear. Then one of the explanations they give. He says. You go to men with lust. So lust is wrong. But love is okay. Again this is absolutely nonsense and absurd. It has no basis. So all of these explanations given by the progressives. Or the so called Muslim community that likes to claim Muslim. And claim and gain legitimacy for their actions within the Islamic framework. They have no real grounds for it.
They have no platform for it. Because these verses of the Quran are very clear. Where Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala is very clearly telling us about the people of Lut. And how Allah Ta'ala condemned them to punishment. Because of their act. Allah doesn't make any reference or indication to the fact that it was rape. It was forced. But just the mere act of it. Act itself is condemned.
And the hadith that interpret the Quran are very clear cuts anyway. And as Muslims we take the hadith of Nabi Kareem (صلى الله عليه وسلم). As a source of Islamic law. So there is no room whatsoever for this argument.
The Question of Human Rights and Orientation
Another problem is that we understand as Muslims that Islam gives people rights. As humans.
Unfortunately in this day and age. People wanna categorize themselves in a certain group. You will find this with the gay community. They want to be recognized as gay and identified as gay. Before humans. If they present themselves as people. I'm gay. I'm living this lifestyle. I'm homosexual.
I never asked you that. Nobody asked you about your tendencies. Your orientation. But they're very concerned about orientations nowadays. Islam gives people the rights as humans first. We don't talk about orientation. That was never a discussion historically. People didn't have to identify themselves according to their orientation. It's become a problem nowadays in society.
Where people want to identify themselves. I belong to this group. I belong to that group. So. The verses of the Quran are extremely clear. And unfortunately we're living in a society today where people. Are only wanting to align themselves with a certain orientation.
The "Born This Way" Argument
One of the arguments that you will hear from homosexuals is that. Homosexuality is natural. That it's innate. That certain people are born like that. But until today. There's no DNA test to prove it. No blood test to prove. That a homosexual has a different type of blood. Or their certain blood type. There is no substantial evidence.
Unfortunately today you know what the problem is. You'll find scientific research on everything. And people that pay for this research have an objective. People that pay for this research have an objective.
You'll find these health fads in magazines all the time. Acai berries good for you. This berry is good for you. That berry is good for you. This food is good for you. Take this pill and you lose this much weight.
And they'll show you some studies. That are unsubstantiated. Unfound.
Right? Every time you open a magazine you find some scientific research. By some research center or some university in some corner of the world. That proved something. But it's not necessarily substantiated.
So even within this industry. Within this lifestyle. You have campaigners and you have lobbyists. That pay for research. To prove that this act is natural. So what we're going to have tomorrow. We're going to have adulterers. We're going to have alcoholics. We're going to have thieves. Everybody waking up and saying look it's natural. I was born like this. And I have these tendencies to steal.
Then you're going to have people that are interested in incest. And ask like where does society stop? What are the boundaries? What are the premises? And if we keep allowing politicians to define what is fairness and equality. Then all of these concepts will one day take existence in society. Even incest will. Right now it hasn't because the theory hasn't been developed. Maybe. If we continue going down this road. If we continue going down this road.
Without Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in our lives. Without Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in the discussion. Because secularism has taken over this whole society. And the educational system and everything. Then everything will be justified one day. Everything will be justified one day.
A thief will wake up and say I was born like this. And we have to accept it. Somebody that's interested in incest. Will say that this is how I am. And we will be forced to accept it. It will be imposed upon us.
So this argument of it's natural. It doesn't make any sense. And some bogus scientific research. It's not substantiated. It's not evidence. To gain legitimacy in this lifestyle.
Nature vs Nurture
Also what we have to remember is that our behaviours. Are a product of nature and nurture. Sometimes we behave in certain ways. Because we're exposed to certain things. And this is an undeniable fact. It's an undeniable fact.
That if you're born in certain areas of the world. And you're exposed to certain lifestyles. And certain behaviours. Certain actions. Then your attitude. And your lifestyle. Will be heavily influenced by your surroundings. So what we're saying here is. That the nature argument is bogus.
It's definitely a behaviour that has been groomed. And psychologists will always attest to this. That every child goes through a critical period in their life. In which they are particularly sensitive to surroundings around them. And it influences their behaviour for a lifetime.
And psychologists will also tell us. That there is a period of our lives. When we tend to bond with people of our own gender. And some people like homosexuals. Take this to another level. And engage in homosexuality. And they are very afraid of their development. And to come out of this mould.
So psychologically they could be treated for it. Because it was always recognised as a disorder. So we have to understand. That even psychologically you can say. That every person, human being, male or female. Goes through a period in their childhood. In which they bond more with people of their own gender. But bonding to a level. With a boundary. But certain people take that bonding to another level. Which is homosexuality.
And then they continue living in that lifestyle. And they are afraid of leaving this development process. They are afraid of development. And they haven't developed properly. They haven't developed properly. And this is why it was considered a disorder. And it's still treated. And it is treated. It was treated historically.
Practical Questions for Muslims
So the question arises now. So we have discussed this already. We spoke about this subject from a political standpoint. We spoke about historically. How this movement has gained momentum. And how they are trying to gain acceptance in the public eye. In the public space. How they are trying to impose their lifestyle around us.
We also discussed the fact that in recent times. Legislations are being debated. Bills are being debated. On whether homosexual marriages should be recognized. Whether it should be legalized. Whether it should be allowed.
We also spoke about the fact that we as Muslims. Condemn this lifestyle. Condemn this behavior. And we mentioned the verse of the Quran. That are very very clear cut about this. And the hadith of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم)
Now the question is. I'm going to mention a few questions. And these are the questions that we have to tackle as well. In this discussion. We have to tackle this.
Can one be a Muslim and have homosexual impulses?
Can one be a Muslim and have homosexual impulses? Because people ask this question. Impulses. Tendencies. Is something we can't always control. What a person likes. What a person is attracted to. Like I said. Environment around you. Can groom you a certain way. And it can affect your likes and your dislikes.
But sometimes you can have an impulse. That you don't necessarily intend. So the question arises. What if somebody is attracted to somebody of the same gender? What do they do about it? These are serious questions.
Naturally a person is attracted to beauty. Even if there is a good looking man. Another man can appreciate. Okay that guy is a good looking guy. If there is a good looking female. A female can appreciate. Okay she is a good looking female. She is a pretty female.
So that is something that happens. Which is okay because. We don't have an impulse to do something else. It's just an appreciation for beauty. But what if a person gets impulses? What do you do?
In Islam we are ordained by Allah and encouraged to suppress our impulses. So if somebody has an impulse. And we don't know what it's like. Because Alhamdulillah Allah saved us from that. We don't like that lifestyle. And we don't know what it feels like. But if a man. A Muslim man says that he has an impulse. Or he has a tendency or an attraction towards a man. What would he be encouraged to do? To suppress his desires.
He would be encouraged to suppress his desires. And if he suppresses his desires. And he saves himself from haram. And he does not act upon it. Allah will reward him for it. Because he is fighting his desires.
So if somebody has these impulses. They are encouraged in Islam to suppress them. And not to bring them out. Into the open. Not to act upon them. So if somebody has these impulses. If somebody comes to you. And they mention this to you. You have to encourage them to fight it. You have to encourage them to fight this. This problem that they are having. And to avoid any activity. Or any behavior. Or any avenue. That creates a spark or ignites a spark towards this.
We have to encourage them to leave all such avenues. The question here now is. Can one be Muslim and have tendencies? So if somebody has these impulses. He is a Muslim man. He is devoted to Allah. He is fearful of Allah. He prays five times a day. He fasts in the month of Ramadan. He recites Quran.
But Shaitaan attacks him with these impulses. Shaitaan attacks him with these tendencies. He has these tendencies in his heart. He doesn't bring them out in the open. He doesn't bring them out in the open. But Shaitaan whispers to him.
Is he still a Muslim? Yes he is. Because he hasn't acted upon it. He hasn't committed the Haram. And he has not justified it. So therefore he will still be a Muslim. And if he suppresses it. And he fights it. He will be rewarded by Allah for choosing the right path.
Can he be an active homosexual and then be Muslim?
The second question is. Can he be an active homosexual and then be Muslim? Now we are getting into hot waters here. Right? First we spoke about impulses. If a person has impulses can they be Muslim?
Can a person be active in the lifestyle and be Muslim? Then we have to explain what do you mean by active. Is the person active in the lifestyle and then he is (نَادِمْ). He is remorseful. He is regretful. And he hates its act. But he is weak. Or is he justifying it? There is a difference.
Just say there is a person that is a Muslim. But he is fornicating. He is fornicating. He is a (زَانِي). Right But he knows Zina is Haram. He knows Allah's anger is with this act. A person committing this act. Will he still be a Muslim? Yes he will be. He will be.
The Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah our position is very clear about this. That a person is not excommunicated on the basis of their sin. We don't pass judgment on a person's faith based on their sin.
If a person is an alcoholic. Is he still a Muslim? If a Muslim is an alcoholic. Is he still a Muslim? Is he still a Muslim? He is still a Muslim. He is a sinner. He is a (فَاسِقْ) But he is a Muslim.
If somebody is committing fornication or adultery. Is he still a Muslim? He is a Muslim and he is committing these acts. He is still a Muslim.
So as long as they don't justify it. If a person drinks alcohol. He says I'm Muslim I drink alcohol. It's okay. It's Halal. And he makes Halal something that is Haram. Then that's not Islam. Then he's not Muslim.
If somebody is Muslim and he justifies his behaviors. Such as Zina, Adultery. Then he's not Muslim. But if somebody is committing a sin. And he admits that it's a sin. And he's regretful and he's remorseful and he's hurtful. And he's weak. He knows I'm weak. And InshaAllah Allah will guide me one day. Can they still be a Muslim? Yes they are still a Muslim.
We are not like the Khawarij or other Islamic sects. That excommunicated these people and passed judgments on them. So if somebody is homosexual. Not only has impulses but they act on it. But they know it's a sin. And they keep it private. And it's a secret. It's Haram. But we can't call them a Kafir.
It's a sin between them and Allah. But we can't call them a Kafir. But we have to remember. On the day of judgment Allah will take into account. Our private lives and our public lives. So that answers the question.
Can a person be a Muslim while justifying the sin?
The third one is. Can a person be a Muslim while justifying the sin? No. If a person claims I am Muslim and they say it's Halal. For them to be committing this act. Or that Islam does not condemn it. And they try to find legitimacy for this lifestyle within the Quran. Within the framework of Sharia and Islam.
Then because they are making Halal what is Haram. What is explicitly Haram. Clearly Haram. Unanimously forbidden. Then they cannot be considered Muslim. They cannot be considered Muslim.
Responding to Political Questions
There are some other questions that we have to remember as well. You see the problem is today in politics. We are asked some very grave questions. And we have to sometimes know how to answer those questions. Sometimes we are asked questions. For example. There is a question here. Can we make space for gays in society? That's a question that's asked.
If somebody asks you a question. Can we as a Muslim community make space for gays? For homosexuals? How would we respond to that? Sorry. What do we mean by. The question is. What do you mean by making space for gays?
If by making space you mean. That we should revise our position. No we can't do that. We can't do that. This is the problem today. What's happening is. We are not in charge of the discourse. Who is in charge of the discourse? Who's hijacked the discourse? Homosexuals and their lobbyists. Have hijacked this discourse. Whenever this discussion. Comes up. Emerges. We have to be very careful about our wording.
Because we'll be. Labeled homophobe. Right. Just like when a person speaks about Jews. In a negative light. Instantly. What is he called? An anti-Semite.
Instantly. Because when it comes to journalism. And media. And discourse. These people have hijacked this discussion. And the terminologies and everything. So we have to be very careful. About the wordings we choose. And what we say.
So when they are saying to us. Can we make space for gays? They are trying to make us say. Yes. We accept them. But we can't say that. So we have to be very clear. What do you mean by. Can we make space for gays?
If by that you mean. That we revise our position. No. Our Deen is very clear about this matter. Our Quran is very very clear about this subject. This. If by that. Do you mean that we accept them as brothers and sisters. Involved in behaviors displeasing Allah. Okay.
If you mean. By your question. Can you make space for gays? If by that question you mean. That we accept them as brothers and sisters in faith. That are. Engaged in actions that are displeasing to Allah. Yeah, okay. They still might be Muslims. If they don't justify the act. And they keep it private. And they are remorseful about it. They might still be Muslims.
But we acknowledge that they are engaged in actions. That are displeasing to Allah. They are engaged in behaviors. That are displeasing to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
So if you are saying to us. Can you make space for gays? In the sense that we should accept them. Openly. Wholeheartedly. No, we cannot do that. We cannot do that. The action is despised. Is displeasing. It's shameless. And we will always condemn the action. We will always condemn the action and the behavior. Right.
If a homosexual says to us. Accept me and accept my behavior. Then we have to be clear and open and say. No, we will not accept this behavior. In the same way that we cannot accept alcoholism. And we cannot accept adultery and other actions. We are very clear and open in saying. We do not accept homosexual behavior. This is not something we accept.
So by asking us to make space for gays. If you are asking us to accept this behavior. No, we do not accept this behavior.
We can accommodate them as human beings. But that does not alter our standards of behavior. The criteria that is set in Islam is very clear. We may accept them as human beings of course. Because they still can be human beings. But if you are asking us to alter our criteria. And alter the teachings of Islam in regards to this. And revise the position. We cannot do this.
And unfortunately today many Muslims are falling into this trap. Many Muslims are falling into this trap. Where they are accepting this lifestyle. Or people that choose to live this lifestyle. And they are accepting this behavior.
Protecting Our Children
We have to counter it. If our children are taught that it's okay, we have to teach them it's not okay. If our children are taught in schools and in colleges that it's okay, in nursery and in primary school, that this is an alternative lifestyle, a lifestyle of choice. If they are taught this lesson, then we have to be teaching them it's not okay. We have to be having these conversations with them.
The problem with the parents today in our communities is that they feel ashamed to discuss such things with their children. Because they say it's a (حياء - haya) issue, right? As parents, we don't want to discuss this because we feel that our children, they're not exposed to this, that's what we think. Our children are too young for this, they're too immature, we don't discuss these things with them. But somebody else is having that conversation with them.
Who's having that conversation with them? Media is having it. YouTube is having it. MTV is having it. Other people are having these conversations with them, without our consent, without our approval. Their messages are being thrown at them left and right. What are we doing to counter that? What conversations are we having with our children?
I was listening to this speaker who's not a Muslim, and he was raising the same point. He was saying that if our children attend our place of worship for 4 hours a week, and they go to school for 8 hours a day, 40 hours a week. And as soon as they come home, they access the internet. So how much time are we really spending with our children, as opposed to other people? And when we have these conversations with our children, how much impact can we really have, if all we do is talk to them for 1 hour a week, 2 hours a week, and somebody else is having this conversation with them daily? So you can see that our work is cut out.
Our work is cut out as parents. Our responsibility is not only to go and work and earn and put bread on the table, but to educate our children, to teach them, to do their tarbiyah, to raise them with morals and values. To be having these conversations and build positive friendships and a relationship with your children, that they feel confident in you, and to be a role model for them most of all.
To be a role model for them most of all. We have a huge responsibility, especially in these lands, because we don't have the community around us to raise our child like we do in our motherlands. And we have to do a lot of work, extra work we have to put in, extra shifts to raise our children.
So the fact is that this conversation is taking place with our children without our knowledge. Let's be very careful about what our children are being taught in schools. Let's check their textbooks, let's check what's going on. We should have a voice and we should let our voice be heard. And if we disapprove of certain lessons being taught, then we should let our school boards know about this. We should have our local politicians involved in this. We should definitely be active about this.
Summary and Conclusion
Let's just summarize inshaAllah. We discussed briefly some historical facts about homosexuals. And how this movement has gained momentum recently. In the 20th and 21st century. Some of the milestones and achievements that they have made. Some of the strides that they have made.
We also discussed the fact that politics. This subject has become a highly politicized issue. And that religion no longer has any claim in this discourse. Or any place in this discourse. And it has become a political issue now more than anything.
Also we discussed the problem that politicians are defining ethics. And they are defining concepts such as fairness and equality. And as long as politicians are making this. They will always be influenced by lobbyists and those around them. So unfortunately for now this legislation is going to take place. We can't do anything about it. As much as we make a noise. We can't do much about it. But we have to continue making a noise.
A lesson for Muslims in all of this. Is to be active in our communities. As a minority to be active in our communities on many different levels.
Also we learned about the problem. The position of Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah. In regards to people that are engaged in haram activities. Or behaviors that are displeasing to Allah.
We also discussed homosexuality in the light of Quran. And the hadith of Nabi Kareem. And also we mentioned that this is a unanimous position of Muslim scholars. From the time of Rasulullah. That this act is immoral. This behavior is unacceptable. And it's not an accepted lifestyle in Islam. And it never will be.
And I don't think Muslims will ever change their stance on this issue. Mainstream Muslims will never change their stance on this issue.
Then we also addressed some of the verses of the Quran. And we addressed some of the answers. Or some of the positions held by gay Muslims. To gain legitimacy for their behaviors. And we refuted some of their claims. We refuted some of their claims.
And then we also addressed finally in conclusion. Some of those other aspects. If somebody has these tendencies. Can they still be Muslim? If somebody is active in the lifestyle. But they don't promote it. They don't justify it. They're remorseful about it. Can they still be Muslim?
And also we addressed the fact that if somebody justifies it. Then it's not an acceptable behavior. There's many other subjects that can be discussed in relation to this. Such as why gay marriages should not take place. And so on and so forth. But that's a different subject for a different time.
Closing Dua
May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala give us all the ability. And tawfiq to understand what has been said. And spread this message. And we also ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to preserve us. To protect us. To protect our families. To protect our communities. And to protect our children.
We ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to preserve the deen. Keep it sacred. And may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala remove all people. That are causing distortions in our deen. And in the message of Islam.
"And the last of our call is that praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds."
"Our Lord, accept [this] from us. Indeed You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing."
"And may Allah send blessings and peace and bless our Prophet Muhammad and upon his family and all his companions."
"And peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah and its blessings."