Homosexuality in Islam

Today I'm going to deal with a issue few people like to talk about, or even think of. Muslims I've talked to despise this topics and they don't want to hear a word of it, whilst they who are homosexuals try to hide their practice, at least in Muslim countries. They might be executed if someone knows. However, ignoring an issue doesn't make the problems disappear. I'm not afraid to talk about this topic, and I'm not afraid to express my view. However, it's difficult for me to give advice to anyone experiencing this, because I'm not fully aware of how they became homosexuals. I mean, how they grew up, what they want to achieve from this, how they feel etc. Some people only wants "excitement", while others might have fallen deeper and really loves a person from the same sex.

So, what does Islam say about homosexuality?
To make it short it's haram. Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) created mankind to multiply and have families, if people from the same sex marry, they can't have children. I'm fully aware that technology has advanced immensely over the past years, and that now you can make and have children in different ways, but that's not the natural way. It's not the way Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) meant it to be.

The Quran says: "What! Do you come to the males from among the creatures, and leave what your Lord has created for you of your wives? Nay, you are a people exceeding limits." - Quran 26:165

And: "And (We) sent Lut when he said to his people: What! Do you commit an indecency which any one in the world has not done before you? Most surely you come to males in lust besides females, nay you are an extravagant people." - Quran 7:80

In the hadith we find that the Prophet (sallalahu 'alayhe wa sallam) said: "Kill the one who sodomizes and the one who lets it be done to him." [Sahih Tirmidhi]

"May Allah curse him who does what Lot's people did." [Sahih Ibn Habban]

"Lesbianism by women is adultery between them." [Sahih Tabarani]

The sinful with homosexuality is the actual sexual act between two people of the same sex. If someone has the desires but suppresses them, and doesn't act upon them, he is not sinning if he only has feelings for someone of the same sex. If you have these feelings you shouldn't give up or commit suicide, which is common for homosexuals because of the severe laws within their country (especially Arab countries.) An unlawful act followed by another unlawful act doesn't make it lawful. The best to do it to ask Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) sincerely for help and inshaAllah He will help you.

You aren't really Muslim if you commit homosexual acts. Why? Simply because Islam means submission to the will of Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) and it's explicitly stated in the Quran that homosexuality is illegal.

"What! Do you indeed approach men lustfully rather than women? Nay, you are a people who act ignorantly." - Quran 27:55

From the hadith: Prophet Muhammed (sallalhu 'alayhe wa sallam) said: "A man should not look at the private parts of another man, and a woman should not look at the private parts of another woman. A man should not lie with another man without wearing lower garment under one cover, and a woman should not lie with another woman without wearing lower garment under one cover." [Abu Dawood, narrated by Abu Sa'id al-Khudri]

If a person is homosexual he should do his best to change this. I know that it can be hard, although I never experienced this myself. The important is that the person conceals this and wants to change it from the inside, then Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) will be there to help you, and inshaAllah give you reward for your tries and suppressing your desires. The person should also later marry someone from the opposite sex and try to start a family, it might turn his/her thoughts away from homosexuality. However, this doesn't work for everyone, but we can't force anyone. Everyone has his own business with Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) and everyone will be individually judged. If someone simply doesn't want to listen, it will be on his account. I encourage everyone to sincerely try to change it if they are attracted to the same sex.

Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) knows best.