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We do not engage in threatening persons or groups of people and we don’t express contempt for those or anyone. … (Continues in Section C)
NB: This is a transcript from the presentation by Sh. Yasir Qadhi on YT
Of course, it is very clear from the Quran that one of the many sins that a Muslim should not do is that of engaging in intercourse in sexual relations outside of marriage and our religion has forbidden extramarital and premarital intercourse. Then how can anybody believe that same-sex intercourse is ethical or moral in the eyes of our Creator?
When even premarital intercourse is considered to be something immoral and worthy of sin, then surely engaging in same-sex, is a similar if not worse crime in the eyes of Allah (God) (may His Majesty be exalted!). So that is no controversy in the 14 and a half centuries of our Ummah, no Alim (scholar) has ever and no person has ever Justified this act as being moral and Islamically permissible.
And the story of prophet Lūt ʿaleihi salam is very clear in the Quran, there is no question that the people of Lūt were guilty of multiple crimes but the predominant crime that is associated with them multiple times is that of same-sex relations. And so we cannot simply dismiss this story and say there’s no point in revealing it or it was figurative and whatnot. The story is explicit and the Quran is very clear and there is unanimous consensus in this regard.
However, with all of this said, we also need to be very clear, what is forbidden in our religion is the action of intimacy outside of marriage. What is not forbidden, and the Sharia does not forbid are the feelings of the heart.
The Sharia does not encourage, but it does not forbid what your heart lusts after, meaning what your sexual persuasion might be what your fancy might be what your lust after, the Sharia will not punish you based on the feelings of the heart.
So if somebody comes to us from the Muslim Community and says that and this has happened to me many times where somebody comes to me in an email or Shaykh I can’t help it but I’m attracted to the same gender I’m gay I’m homosexual so I say to this person, look if you find your inclinations to be of the same gender in a sexual manner Allah (God) will not punish you for the feelings of the heart, Allah will not punish you.
And the question of nature versus nurture is a secondary question but it is frankly irrelevant from the legal perspective.
Why this brother or sister feels this way is a separate question: they are not allowed to act upon the impulse, or the urge just like a pyromaniac who wants to burn things cannot go and burn things, just like a kleptomaniac who wants to steal things, cannot still things just like I am a normal heterosexual male is attracted to a woman who is not my wife, and I find her beautiful and lustful, I’m not allowed to act on that and I have to have to control my gaze, and I have to control my emotions and I have to not act on it. Allah (God) will not punish me if I found a woman attractive. Allah will call me to task if I allowed that attraction to affect my actions to stare without lowering the gaze, to flirt, to talk, to touch, to (may Allah forbid) to commit zīna adultery that is where the sin is incurred. But the feeling of the heart, Allah (God) will not punish me for finding someone attractive, male or female.
The point here is our feelings which are in our hearts which must be controlled.
So if a Muslim finds himself or herself having same-sex impulses or attractions, we say to them you are no less of a Muslim simply because you feel this way. In fact, if you battle those urges, then wAllahi you might be a better Muslim than me because your urges are more difficult maybe and you have more of battling within yourself. So simply because a person has same-sex desires does not diminish their Iman or their faith, or their status in Islam.
If (however) they act upon it, we say to this brother or sister: look you have committed a sin and repent to Allah (God), I’m a sinner we are all sinners, repent to Allah, leave your way and Allah will forgive you. And even if they are persisting in this sin, we keep on making Dua (prayers) for them that Allah subhānahu (may His Majesty be exalted) guides them.
There’s no point in being harsh or mean or nasty or cruel, we don’t want to cause them to leave the faith. I commit a sin, this brother commits sin, maybe his sins are of a different nature than mine, but in the end, we are all sinners and as long as they want repentance and they are coming to the Masjid (mosque) for spiritual guidance, then we must always accept their coming to the mosque just like we would accept a drug dealer, an alcoholic, who comes to the mosque and he wants to be forgiven.
The line will be drawn at somebody who wants to spread this idea[1] and wants other people to follow him we say to this person, brother or sister we don’t allow this in our Masjid if you want to preach or call to this, then feel free to open up another centre, do whatever you want.[2]
These are the Western lands, nobody will harm or touch you because we are not allowed to do that, that’s your business to do that, but we do not approve of people coming and preaching to others this understanding of Islam. If they are doing it in their private lives, it’s between them and Allah (God).
If you find out about it, give them personal advice, but there’s no need to treat them any harshly or differently, just like a drunkard or drug dealer, you would be compassionate and merciful.
And wAllahi I’m a sinner, you are a sinner, why should people judge me for my sins? This is between me and Allah.
But where do we draw the line?
That people who are justifying and wanting others to follow what they are doing and calling others to it we say this is not something that we will tolerate in our faith communities, but the laws of the land allow you to do what you want,
and as we live in these lands of the West, we will not tolerate anyone in our community physically harming this person, we will speak out against it because that is not what our Sharia requires us to do when we are residing here, we have to obey the law of the land.
But we also have the right to criticise verbally, just like they have the right to do what they are doing legally, we have the right to criticise morally and we shall not compromise on this one issue that we do not believe this lifestyle is healthy, we do not believe it is spiritually uplifting, we do not believe it is something that will in and of itself will lead one to Allah (may His Majesty be exalted!), but Allah (God) forgives all sins to the one who repents and we ask Allah (may his Majesty be exalted) to guide us to the straight path and to guide everyone who is a sinner to the correct understanding of Islam and acting upon it.
We ask Allah (may His Majesty be exalted!) to forgive our sins and to manifest and magnify our good deeds.
NB: This is a transcript from "Homosexuality, Hamza Yusuf" on YT
In Islam there is no moral stigma regarding persons who act like a feminine person, in fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence): it’s undesirable that he leads the prayer, we don’t say that person is bad or evil.
When the person transgresses the boundary…
The idea of impulse or desires: what is demanded of the person is to suppress that.
It is the comparable to having a desire to steal, he/ she has to say no.
An attraction to a beautiful person /male or female is natural.
Modern Western culture has this idea of “as long as I don’t harm anybody else, (it’s alright)”,
but from a Muslim point of view , there is harm when it emerges into the public space.
In other words, Muslims are not concerned with what people do behind closed doors, - that is their own business (and responsibility).
It is when someone is openly doing these things - then this is something which becomes condemned.
Same with alcohol, … it’s there that Sharia says no!
In terms of Islamic law, what applies to them in this world is only what moves into the public space,
not what is in the private space,
but in terms of the next world, we believe that Allah (God - may His Majesty be exalted!) takes people to account for the public and the private space.
The Prophet ﷺ said: In my community, there will be different types of homosexuality:
there will the homosexuality of the glance,
and the homosexuality of touch,
and the homosexuality of the action.
Regarding the end of times… homosexuality and lesbianism will become very prevalent according to Prophet Muhammad (the blessings and peace of Allah upon him). It is one of the signs of the End of Times.
And he also said: “Men will marry men, women will marry women.”
Source: Homosexuality - Hamza Yusuf
Related: The lgbt & Non binary ~ Shaykh Hamza Yusuf - YouTube
The following is true to the site Living Islam - Islamic Tradition in general and this page specifically:
We do not engage in threatening persons or groups of people and we don’t express contempt for those or anyone. Further, we don’t have programs or employ therapies to ‘convert’ people from their sexual behaviour.
Once the message is delivered, it is up to the person to understand th law and follow the divine prescription.[d1]
However, we inform people about the message of Islam also regarding zina: illegal sexual activity. Legal acc. to Islam is what is part of marriage between man and woman. [d2]
It is unacceptable to defame someone who expresses a different opinion. (This is also called the ‘Cancel Culture’.)[d3]
Ask what is meant? What is the context? Does it apply in general or on a specific level?
It is also unacceptable that differences in outlook, or grievances towards other persons or groups of people, are dealt with violently or with hateful behaviour, in Islam, we follow the principle of {you have your way of life/ religion and we have our way. } [d4]
So we declare that we will not tolerate for anyone to escalate his grievances to a point of psychological mistreatment or physical violence. [n1]
In the case of Islam it is to proclaim the message as clear as possible and then it is up to the individuals to understand and accept the divine truth - may Allah (God) guide them, and {there is no compulsion in religion / the way of life.} [d5]
To research certain subjects in religion and outlook on life (in one of the world's most secularized countries) is nothing new.[d6]
This is why throughout history Allah (God) sent prophets (peace upon all of them): to again, and again, guide men and women to the right path, the path which is designed for felicity in this life and the next by gaining the pleasure Allah (The Real - may His Majesty be exalted!).
We follow the main principles of the Islamic tradition, which is mainstream Islam, neither marginal or extremist, nor modernist or liberal versions. See Tolerant Monotheism ↩
and there are quite a few instances where the followers of other major religions have recently lost their foothold - in their desire to adapt to the whims of postmodernity. ↩
Cancel culture - Wikipedia
“More recently, the phrase has become a shorthand employed by conservatives in the United States to refer to what are perceived to be disproportionate reactions to politically incorrect speech.”
A case in point - 6 September 2022:
Teacher who refused to use student's gender-neutral pronouns is jailed in Ireland - Daily Mail Online
'I love my school but I am here today because I would not call a boy a girl': Teacher who refused to use student's gender-neutral pronouns condemns 'insanity' as he is jailed in Ireland.
Enoch Burke was arrested yesterday morning for breaching a court order, which barred him from teaching or being present at his Westmeath school.
The dispute began over his refusal to address a transitioning student as 'they' rather than 'he', as requested by the student and their parents. He was later suspended, and refused to stay away from the school.
He added: 'Transgenderism is against my Christian belief. It is contrary to the scriptures, contrary to the ethos of the Church of Ireland and of my school.'
↩
Sura 109-6 { To you be your way and to me mine. } For your ways the responsibility is yours.
Allah revealed: { To you be your religion & to me my religion } 109-6 as a repudiation of shirk (to worship other than the One God), not that religions are blended or to establish close commonalities (sharing features or attributes). This was revealed to the Prophet ﷺ at Mecca, he made Hijra & later returned to conquer Mecca & destroy its idols. ʿAbdu-l ʿAzīz a-ṭ Ṭarīfī ↩
Sura 2-256 {there is no compulsion in religion / the way of life.}
Regarding certain developments of current shapes in postmodernism and anti-tradition, we see it as our responsibility to look more deeply into the
postmodern set-up of our societies, to discriminate between what is normal*, or what is correct and what is false, and what needs to be improved upon according to the Koran and the Sunnah of the Prophet ( sallAllahu ʿaleihi wa sallam ) and according to the saints and scholars of Islam.
*What Is Normal And What Normality?
“Normality has nothing to do with statistics. It refers to a norm, a model of perfection, an example to be followed. It indicates what we should be.” ↩
Sources
How Should Muslims Deal with Homosexuality - Shaykh Yasir Qadhi
Homosexuality - Shaykh Hamza Yusuf
Related
Hur muslimer ska ta itu med homosexualiteten
Om homosexualiteten - inte en “läggning” utan ett “beteende”
What Does Islam Say About Homosexuality? Ustadha Huda
Ibnul Qayyim said:
"If sin is kept hidden, it only harms its doer. Yet if it is spread openly, it harms both the individual & everyone else. If people witness an evil & collaborate in ignoring it, they place themselves on the brink of Allah blinding them with His punishment."
Regarding the cancelling of other opinions and viewpoints on homosex and trans activity, there is this reminder by Dr. Lyell Asher:
Hearing people say things you don't like and
saying things other people don't like to hear:
That's what living in a free society means.'
↩
