The illness of being attracted to the same Gender

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

We acknowledge receipt of your query with regards to homosexuality and getting attracted to the same gender. Our response follows herewith:-

Homosexuality is against the Fitrat and nature of human beings and a very severe sin in Islam. The severity and filthiness of this act can be understood through the Quran, Hadith and the actions of the Sahaba (radhiallhu anhum). The nation of the Nabi Lût (Alaihis Salaam) was severely punished by Allah Taála, because they were involved in this sin. Allah Taála states in the Holy Quran:

وَلُوطًا إِذْ قَالَ لِقَوْمِهِ إِنَّكُمْ لَتَأْتُونَ الْفَاحِشَةَ مَا سَبَقَكُمْ بِهَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ مِنَ الْعَالَمِينَ ۞ أَئِنَّكُمْ لَتَأْتُونَ الرِّجَالَ وَتَقْطَعُونَ السَّبِيلَ وَتَأْتُونَ فِي نَادِيكُمُ الْمُنْكَرَ فَمَا كَانَ جَوَابَ قَوْمِهِ إِلَّا أَنْ قَالُوا ائْتِنَا بِعَذَابِ اللَّهِ إِنْ كُنْتَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ۞

And (remember) Lût, when he said to his people: “You commit Al-Fâhishah (sodomy, a terrible sin), which none in the universe has indulged in before you. Verily, you practise sodomy with men, and rob the wayfarers and travellers, and perpetrate evil in your gatherings!” But his people gave no answer except that they said: “Bring Allâh’s punishment upon us if you are one of the truthful”. [Surah Al-Ankabût, Âyah 28 and 29]

In these Âyaat mention is made of Nabi Lût (Alaihis Salaam), when he was sent to preach to his people in a town called Sodom, which is next to the Dead Sea and is the largest of several towns on the bank of the Jordan River. His people were involved in the most evil and unnatural act of homosexuality, apart from the other sins that they perpetrated. As they did not take heed to his warning and continued committing this lewd act of indecency and other evils, a severe punishment afflicted them whereby they were all destroyed, as stated in the Holy Qurân:

فَلَمَّا جَاءَ أَمْرُنَا جَعَلْنَا عَالِيَهَا سَافِلَهَا وَأَمْطَرْنَا عَلَيْهَا حِجَارَةً مِنْ سِجِّيلٍ مَنْضُودٍ ۞ مُسَوَّمَةً عِنْدَ رَبِّكَ وَمَا هِيَ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ بِبَعِيدٍ ۞

So when Our Commandment (punishment) came, We turned (the town of Sodom) upside down, and rained on it stones of baked clay, in a well-arranged manner one after another; marked by your Lord. And it (the destroyed cities of Sodom) is not far from the transgressors (the Mushrikeen of Makka, who passed by them when they travelled to Shâm).” [Surah Hûd, Âyah 82 and 83]

Thereafter Allah Taála concludes the story in Âyah 35 of Surah Al-Ankabût, wherein He mentions:

وَلَقَدْ تَرَكْنَا مِنْهَا آيَةً بَيِّنَةً لِقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ ۞

“Indeed we left behind in those towns a sign (lesson and warning- the place where the Dead Sea is now) which is clear to those who have understanding”.

This Âyah demands those who have understanding and intellect to take lesson from the punishment of this town wherein its inhabitants were destroyed due to their evil doings. Hence we should make every effort to protect ourselves from the sins of these people.

Rasûllullah (Sallahu alaihi wasallam) has also cursed the person who engages in this despicable act.

ملعون من عمل عمل قوم لوط , ملعون من عمل عمل قوم لوط , ملعون من عمل عمل قوم لوط . {الترغيب والترهيب}

“Allah’s curse is on the homosexual, Allah’s curse is on the homosexual, Allah’s curse is on the homosexual” (At-targheeb wat Tarheeb)

In another Hadith it is mentioned that such a person is continuously in the anger of Allah Taála. (Shu’abul Imaan 4/358)

In the time of the Sahâba (radhiallhu anhum), severe punishments were meted out to those who committed this despicable crime, through the general consensus of the Sahâba (radhiallhu anhum) which included: burning them with fire, beheading them, crushing them under a wall, or throwing them off a cliff while stoning them. From these few examples we can gauge for ourselves how grave the crime of homosexuality is in Islam. [Ref. Shâmi vol.4 pg. 27 & Bahrur Râiq vol.5 pg. 16]

Shaitân is the open enemy of mankind and has vowed to mislead us by adopting every possible method, and Shaitân knows our weaknesses and exploits them. It is mentioned in the Holy Quran regarding the promise that the accursed Shaitân made:

قَالَ فَبِمَا أَغْوَيْتَنِي لَأَقْعُدَنَّ لَهُمْ صِرَاطَكَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ ۞ ثُمَّ لَآتِيَنَّهُمْ مِنْ بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ وَعَنْ أَيْمَانِهِمْ وَعَنْ شَمَائِلِهِمْ وَلَا تَجِدُ أَكْثَرَهُمْ شَاكِرِينَ۞

He (Iblees) said: “My Rabb! I swear that because You have sent me astray I will definitely sit in wait (to ambush) them (mankind) on Your Straight Path (to mislead them), then I will approach (ambush and mislead) them, from in front of them and front behind them, from their right and from their left (in every possible manner and method), and You will not find most of them as thankful ones (i.e. they will follow me and not be dutiful to You)”. [Surah Al-a’arâf, Âyah 16 and 17]

قَالَ رَبِّ بِمَا أَغْوَيْتَنِي لَأُزَيِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَأُغْوِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ ۞

He (Iblees) said: “My Rabb! Because You have sent me astray I will certainly beautify (evil) things for them (mankind) on earth and lead them all astray”. [Surah Hijr, Âyah 39]

So the accursed Shaitân will leave no stone unturned in his efforts to trick and waylay the Believers, and he will no doubt make extra effort on the pious people and try to trip them and make them lose their focus and their good deeds and their high status in the eyes of Allah Taála and the eyes of the Believers. And Shaitân knows all the tricks and ways to mislead us. It is mentioned that it was Shaitân himself who came in the form of a handsome youth and taught the people of Sodom (the nation of the Nabi Lût (Alaihis Salaam) how to commit the filthy sin of sodomy.

The second weakness is the Nafs (desires) of the human being. Everybody has desires because Allah Ta’ala has created us with desires. Allah Ta’ala does not deny the existence of desires in the human being and neither does He criticize it. Yes, He warns severely against following and fulfilling the desires. Allah Ta’ala says in Âyah 53 of SurahYusuf:

وَمَا أُبَرِّئُ نَفْسِي إِنَّ النَّفْسَ لَأَمَّارَةٌ بِالسُّوءِ إِلَّا مَا رَحِمَ رَبِّي إِنَّ رَبِّي غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ ۞

And I free not myself (from the blame). Verily, the (human) self is inclined to evil, except when my Rabb bestows His Mercy (upon whom He wills). Verily, my Rabb is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Allah Ta’ala says in Âyah 23 of Surah al-Jāthiyah:

أَفَرَأَيْتَ مَنِ اتَّخَذَ إِلَهَهُ هَوَاهُ وَأَضَلَّهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى عِلْمٍ وَخَتَمَ عَلَى سَمْعِهِ وَقَلْبِهِ وَجَعَلَ عَلَى بَصَرِهِ غِشَاوَةً فَمَنْ يَهْدِيهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ اللَّهِ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ ۞

Have you seen him who takes his own lust (vain desires) as his god? Whom Allâh has allowed to go astray despite possessing knowledge, and sealed his hearing and his heart, and put a cover on his sight? Who then will guide him after Allâh (has condemned him)? Will you not then take heed?

And Allah Ta’ala says in Âyah 43-44 of Surah al-Furqān:

أَرَأَيْتَ مَنِ اتَّخَذَ إِلَهَهُ هَوَاهُ أَفَأَنْتَ تَكُونُ عَلَيْهِ وَكِيلًا ۞ أَمْ تَحْسَبُ أَنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ يَسْمَعُونَ أَوْ يَعْقِلُونَ إِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا كَالْأَنْعَامِ بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ سَبِيلًا ۞

And He says in Âyah 29 of Surah al-Rūm:

بَلِ اتَّبَعَ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا أَهْوَاءَهُمْ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ فَمَنْ يَهْدِي مَنْ أَضَلَّ اللَّهُ وَمَا لَهُمْ مِنْ نَاصِرِينَ ۞

However, those who do wrong, follow their own lusts without any warrant or knowledge. Who is able to guide him whom Allah has sent astray? For such there are no helpers (against Allah’s punishment).

It follows from the above Âyaat that the root cause of all sin is man succumbing to his desires. Our desires, in most cases, with the incitation and conniving of Shaitân, invite us away from the Straight Way and Allah Ta’ala calls towards the Straight Way.

The Ulamâ have mentioned many cures for this illness. From amongst them he should:

1- Firstly, make sincere Tauba. He must have extreme remorse and make a firm resolution to Allah Ta’ala never to go back to that sin.

2- Continuously talk about, listen to, and ponder over the might and greatness of Allah Ta’ala, especially the following 5 attributes: – Allah is: (1) All-seeing (2) All-hearing (3) All- knowing

(4) All-powerful (5) Severe in punishment.

3- Control the gaze as the root cause of all these types of thoughts is the abuse of the eyes.

4- Totally avoid looking at, sitting near, greeting or talking to whoever he is attracted to.

5- Make Dua and cry before Allah Ta’ala for assistance in abstaining from all sin and evil. The following Dua should be read:

اللَّهُمَّ إنِّي أَعُوذُ بِك مِنْ شَرِّ نَفْسِي وَمِنْ شَرِّ كُلِّ شَيْطَانٍ مَّرِيدٍ وَمِنْ شَرِّ كُلِّ دَابَّةٍ أَنْتَ آخِذٌ بِنَاصِيَتِهَا إنَّ رَبِّي عَلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ .

“O Allah I seek refuge in You from the evil of myself, and from the evil of every rebellious Shaitân, and from the evil of every creature You have command over all. Surely my Rabb (Lord) is on the Straight Part”.

May Allah Taála guide us all and protect us from the evils of Shaitân and our Nafs. Âmeen

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Mufti Khaleel Ali

Darul Iftaa, Jaamia Madinatul Uloom (Trinidad)

www.fatwa-tt.com /www.jaamia.net