Followers

Monday, December 6, 2010

Homosexuality

Salam!

Bismillah

So a sister posted an article about homosexuality in Islam HERE. She asked us to tell her what we thought about it.

I started to compile my thoughts and it started to get pretty loonnnggg lol. So I thought I would write a post here and share the link inshaAllah.

So, in my opinion this issue breaks down into two separate ideas:
I. How I would treat gay people as a believing Muslim
II. What Islam and the Qur'an actually say about homosexuality

I. How would I treat gay people
Simply: with tolerance. Would I condemn someone who is struggling not to sin, maybe winning sometimes and losing others? Absolutely not. I have been and am in the position where I struggle daily with a certain sin(s). Would I condemn a brother who drinks but is trying desperately to stop for the sake of Allah? No. This is jihad and is something commendable!
Allah gives tests to EVERYONE. Whether you see them as good or bad, easy or hard: It makes no difference. Allah knows better than we do. He clearly told us what to do in the Qur'an subhanAllah.

However, if I see someone who tries to warp the teachings of the Qur'an to suit their viewpoint, I will not support this. It is wrong to say that something that is haraam is halal in any way, even makruh (disliked). If it is forbidden, then it is forbidden. It is our job as brothers and sisters in Islam to give gentle naseeha (advice) to help correct this, but we should not do it in a way to make others turn from Islam.

So to me, I see two categories of gay people:
a. those who realize that these actions are a sin and struggle in the way of Allah to control these actions
b. those who try to say that being homosexual is not a sin, just another way to love. This is shaytan wispering you guys. He's waswas-ing all over the place! The Qur'an is clear on this, there is no ambiguity! (as I will show in the next part) To say it is not that bad when Allah says it is crossing the line is WRONG!

II. What the Qur'an says about homosexuality:
I believe that if we are going to talk about Islam and homosexuality we should throw out some daleel (evidence). Saying things like "I don't think Allah would do this" or "I don't think it is fair for Allah to do this" is not daleel. Allah and HIS WISDOM is above what we "feel" or "think" because we do not have the knowledge. HE does, subhanAllah Alhamdulillah.

26:165-166, 168-169
"Must you, unlike other people, lust after males and abandon the wives that God has created for you? You are exceeding all bounds... So he (Lot) said, 'I loathe what you do: Lord, save me and my family from what they are doing."

In this passage, lust for men and abandoning women as mates are the only charges brought against Lot's people, and these alone are enough to cross Allah's line. Allah created man and woman for each other and He knows best why.

11:78
"His (Lot's) people came rushing towards him, the used to commit foul deeds. He said, 'My people, here are my daughters. They are more wholesome for you, so have some fear of God and do not disgrace me with my guests. Is there not a single right-minded man among you?'

When the men of the town came to take the messengers, Lot offered them his daughters (or the daughters of his people). IF rape was the main objectionable crime (as some claim), he would not offer his daughters to such a fate! Would your father offer you up to be raped? Then how can you claim that Lot, a prophet of Allah 3layhi salam, would do that?!? Rather, he was asking the men of his town to turn away from other MEN and instead have conjugal relations with the WOMEN of the tribe, which is more wholesome.

Again, for those that claim that RAPE was the issue with Lot's people and not homosexuality, note that there was not ONE SINGLE right minded man in the town. This was not an issue of rape, but rather an issue of ALL of the men lusting after each other. As they say, "you can't rape the willing."

27:55
"How can you lust after men instead of women? What fools you are!"

Here the objection is not over "lust" vs "love" as some claim, but lusting for MEN vs. lusting for WOMEN. This is a contrast between what is crossing the line and what is acceptable.

4:16-18
"If two men commit a lewd act, punish them both; but if they repent and mend their ways, leave them alone-God is always ready to accept repentance, He is full of mercy. But God only undertakes to accept the repentance from those who do evil out of ignorance and soon afterwards repent: these are the ones God will forgive, He is all knowing, all wise. It is not true repentance when people continue to do evil until death confronts them and then says, 'Now I repent'..."

I don't think it is coincidence that these verses appear together, and this is the verse that gave me the idea of the two kinds of homosexuals. One is the repentant person who realizes it is wrong and struggles to control themselves. The other is the repeat offender who is not actually repentant.

Allah says punish those that don't repent and repentance means
a. realizing that what you did is wrong
b. asking Allah for sincere forgiveness
c. not repeating the action

Those that try to say that homosexuality is not really "that" haraam are not fulfilling the requirements of repentance.
If you are living in sin and indulging in the same sin repeatedly, then you are, as defined by the Qur'an, not truly repentant.

Now that said: am I the judge of these people? Nope. This is just my personal view on the Qur'an from my own personal study. I am not a scholar and this is not a reproduction of someone else's research, and Allah knows better. However, I do not believe there is any ambiguity. Allah forgives and punishes where he will, so "wait if you wish, I too am waiting (52:31)" and Allah will be the best of judges.

20 comments:

Ghadeer said...

Thanks for this!
People are starting to get influenced so much, more by the social mindset of most of the western world rather than our own teachings. It's as if somebody has declared the west and all it comes up with to be the "civilized" and "open-minded" way of thinking, even if it contradicts our own teachings. Some of us are ready to try to change the interpretation of our verses whenever the West comes up with one of their new trends. Disgrace, I tell you...


http://www.spill-beans.blogspot.com

Rene´s Bare Essentials said...

Great post! I get tired the argument that it is ok to be homosexual because Allah created love therefore he wouldnt punish them for loving someone of the same sex! This is wrong and should not be tolerated. Its like saying Allah created alcohol therefore its ok to drink it, or to eat pork because he created pigs!!!

NeverEver said...

jnana: yes i agree, Allah protect us from that fate ameen.

Rene: yes mashaAllah excellent analogies! :-D Never thought of it that exact way but I think you are really right. The good and the bad is all a test from Allah. He gives you options, tells you which one is better, and you choose either submission or arrogance.

MoOn said...

Excellent post, I am glad I read it as it does make it easier to convince people who argue on this matter

NeverEver said...

moon, alhamdulillah glad that you liked it/ it was helpful

NeverEver said...

another post on the topic:
http://zimimexoxo.blogspot.com/2010/12/homosexuality.html

sharifaa. said...

Thanksss for posting, I've commented on my post again x

AlabasterMuslim said...

Salaamu alaikum :) I agree on this post. Homosexuality is a completely haraam thing to ACT upon. I do not believe that anyone was born that way, either. However I would not go up to someone and put them down for it, especially if they were trying to repent. (Unless, of course, they were one of those people saying its totally okay in Islam blah blah we've heard THAT before, astaghfirallah).

Anonymous said...

Salam !

ALHAMDOULILAH ! FINALLY !

Woah. Someone who doesn't beat around the bush and tells it how it is.

Ma'a Salama ! ;)

NeverEver said...

Alabaster: yes, i agree. i can be tolerant of someone who is struggling, but when someone tries to say that something that is haraam is not really haraam, we are heading into very dangerous waters!

Zimime: lol alhamdulillah, i believe in gentle naseeha, but sometimes you just gotta tell it like it is :-P
ma3 salam

Little Auntie said...

2 thumbs up :)

Well said, ma'shaAllah.

I also really like how you brought up that Islam is not based on our 'opinions'. We have to use 'daleel' :)

I't strange how people are so obsessed with being 'politically correct' but don't care if they say something 'Islamically correct' or not :(

Rukhpar Mor said...

JazakAllah Khayr for sharing.

Anonymous said...

thank you for writing this.
May Allah protects us and the ones we love from homosexuality.

Asiya said...

As salaamu alaykum wa rahmatullaah! First I want to say jazakillaahu khayran for adding my little old blog to your list :) I'm honored, really!

Mashaa Allaah, great post sister! I agree there is a big difference between those who struggle to stop sinning and those who make excuses to continue. May Allaah guide us all, ameen.

One thing I wanted to ask you about was the translation you provided for the verse on fornication from Surat al-Nisaa. I have never heard it defined as two males and was wondering if you got this from a tafseer or where?

NeverEver said...

This comes form M.A.S. AbdelHaleem's translation. It is also stated this way in Yusuf Ali I believe.

Anonymous said...

That was mashallah very precise and concise.

Another thing that can be absorbed from the ayah where Prophet Lot (a.s) says "take my daughters" is that these very words from a Prophet of Allah are daleel that people are not "born" homosexual. We can say this because a Prophet of God, is without doubt one with immense knowledge and knows Allah SWT and His Being and Creation much better than we do; sooo..if these ppl were "born" homosexual, he (Lot) wouldn't have said "take my daughters". By saying this he indicated that homosexuality is *correctable* and *reversible*. Because if it was not, he wouldn't have said it- because logically a Prophet of God does not make mistakes in his speech regarding Allah SWT. so ppl who go about sayign it "genetic" and how they "can't help" what they feel is untrue. Even many psychologists of this age who aren't remotely connected to Islam state this.

Well, this is just a conjecture i heard from a really nice speaker on the subject.

On another note, yes there are sadly many muslims these days supporting homosexuality and twisting the words of Allah and disregarding the Prophet's sayings and ahadith on the matter. Inshallah May Allah guide us all. Ameen.

Ghadeer said...

Salam sister!
I've awarded you a stylish blog award! See here: http://spill-beans.blogspot.com/2011/02/stylish-blogger-award.html

Let's see you blog more often!

Nasir al-Din said...

Question though... Is it the act of gay intercourse that is the sin, or is it being homosexual (as in the state of mind)?

Because if it is the latter, then I wonder why Allah swt would make people with homosexuality. But, I'm sure Allah knows best. Just wondering...

Thank you for this post, it has made me think a lot about this controversial subject. I am a recent revert to Islam and I find it difficult to reconcile with certain things, e.g. haraam food and drink, and homosexuality.

I have some gay friends, and I am not sure whether it is the best thing to be "friends" with them, if it would suggest that I am condoning their "sins."

Let me know what you think on my blog :) thank you!

http://new-beginnings-in-islam.blogspot.com

Allah Hafiz!

NeverEver said...

Splendid: I agree it is not a genetic thing. How would you pass it on in your genes?? Gay people can't reproduce together!

Nasir: from my understanding the sin comes in committing the action of fornication with the same sex. To my knowledge the desire to do the act is a whisper from the shaytan and you are rewarded for not responding to the temptation as with any other bad deed you are tempted to do but do not act on.
I believe that having these thoughts and whispers in your mind is a test from Allah and an opportunity to choose Allah over your own desires... it is a huge opportunity for blessing from Allah because you are constantly battling your desires for Him.
As for being friends with homosexuals... this is up to you and your conscience. But it is also recommended in Islam for you to surround yourself with righteous people because these are the ones who will help you in the struggle for jannah inshaAllah

Anonymous said...

I'm real curious. How did this "religion" find its way to the south? Thanks

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