Islam and

“LGBTQ”

Dr. Sharif El-Tobgui Gender,

Sexuality,
Morality &
Identity
 Contents

 Setting the Stage

 How Did We Get Here?
 Importance of Conceptual Framework
 Islamic Paradigm on Gender, Sex, and Sexual Morality
 Homosexuality and Transgenderism
 Moral/sharʿī considerations
 Muslims with same-sex attractions / GD
 Summary and Conclusion
 Resources
 Literature
• Significant growth of LGBT literature
targeting youth over the past decade
• Lumberjanes – popular comic book series (75
issues) for teenagers: Protagonist is a Navajo
“trans woman” with two gay fathers.
• In 2010, approximately 10 books published
by mainstream publishers for young adults
with LGBT characters. By 2016 that number
climbed to 80.
• Annual “Rainbow Book List” provides
updates concerning LGBT books ranging from
infants up until 18 years old.
• Libraries throughout the country now host
“drag queen story hour.”
 Media
• Of the 118 films GLAAD counted
from the major studios in 2019, 22
(18.6%) contained characters who
identified as LGBTQ.
• “A new database from Insider
confirms more than 250 LGBTQ+
characters in children’s cartoons
dating back to 1983. And if you look
at the data from 2010 through 2020
– especially in the latter five years –
the representation of overtly queer
characters skyrockets.”
• Sesame Street, SpongeBob, and
more have had LGBT characters.
 Schools
• California, Colorado, Illinois, New
Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, and
Washington mandate LGBT
education.
• Other states have rolled out
“inclusive” curriculum standards
but have not signed statewide
bills.
• Organizations like SOGI Education
in Canada are devoted to
advancing LGBT education in
schools.
• Latest brawl with Disney in FL
 Global Affairs
• Pressure growing on Muslim countries to
become “LGBT affirming”
• Earlier this month, US Embassy accounts
in Muslim countries tweeted in support
of Pride month.
• Also is now a tool of demonization and
oppression – AIPAC posted a tweet
reading: “Do you support LGBTQ+ rights?
Hamas doesn’t. Hamas discriminates
against lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender and intersex people.”
• Imams have been banned from entering
European countries on account of LGBT-
critical teachings and preaching.
 Burger King Pride Whopper

• “Burger King ad prompts apology after ‘Pride

Whopper’ campaign featuring burgers with
‘top’ and ‘bottom’ buns sparks backlash.”
• “The fast-food chain’s advertising agency issued
an apology on Sunday for a much-ridiculed,
tone-deaf marketing campaign announcing the
‘Pride Whopper,’ a burger served with ‘two
matching buns.’”
• The ad “includes a burger with two bun tops
and another with two bottoms, a seemingly
misinformed nod to sex within the LGBTQ+
community.”
• Within days of the ad going live, people around
the globe took to social media to comment on
the campaign, citing the chain’s failure to
understand ‘how gay sex works’ as well as
critiquing corporate ‘rainbow-washing’ during
Pride Month.’”
• “The post continues: ‘We’ve learned our
lessons and will include experts on communi-
cating with the LGBTQ community for future
work as promoting equal love and equal rights
will still be a priority for us.’”
 LGBT and Islam
• “University pulls image of women in hijabs kissing after
Muslim community protests” (LGBTQ Nation)
• “‘Shame on you... for such an insulting mockery post to
my religion,” one commenter wrote about the call to
‘celebrate the power of love.’”
• “The university initially responded on the post by stating
that they understood the image might be ‘upsetting to
some Muslims’ and calling the topic ‘complex and
intersectional,’” but eventually pulled it due to Muslim
pressure.
• “Muslim culture isn’t inherently anti-gay: the Quran says
nothing about homosexuality (unlike the Bible); Islamic
history is filled with texts openly depicting
homosexuality as a beautiful, matter-of-fact thing; and
more American Muslims support same-sex marriage
than do Christian Evangelicals, Protestants, and
Mormons, according to a Pew Research Study.”
 The Sexual Revolution

 Begins late 1960s.

 Fundamental rejection of Christian (Abrahamic religious) moral norms surrounding gender,
sex, and sexuality.
 Separation of sex, reproduction, and marriage, as well as morality. Were tightly bound
before, but each now seen as a free-floating variable.
 Demise of the nuclear family, with huge social dislocations (fatherlessness, delinquency,
single motherhood, poverty, etc.)
 Visibility and prominence of homosexuality and gay rights/liberation movement ride on the
coattails of the Sexual Revolution.
 Puts all (traditional) religious believers in a difficult position.
 Amalgamation and Separation (1)

 Modern Western culture separates three things that are tightly bound up
with each other (by nature and religious Law):

Sex Reproduction Marriage/Morality

 On the other hand, it amalgamates three things that ought to be kept

rigorously separate:

Desires Actions Identity

 Sexual Revolution: Antecedents (1)

 Rise of a materialistic, mechanical worldview (17th cent.)

 God cut off from His creation
 Loss of inherent meaning and purpose
 Enlightenment (18th cent.)
 Human reason the standard for all knowledge (incl. moral)
 Revelation discredited/set aside
 Liberalism (18th/19th cent.)
 Premium placed on individual freedom and personal autonomy
 See my lecture “Negotiating Paradigms: Islam and the Modern Worldview” for more details.
 Sexual Revolution: Antecedents (2)

 See The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self, Carl R. Trueman (2020) [abr. Strange New World]
 Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778): Locates identity in inner psychological life of individual.
Feelings are central to who we are. Authenticity tied to outward expression of inner feelings.
 Karl Marx (1818–1883): Religion a sign of weakness; freedom only through abolishment of
 Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900): “Death of God” = death of human nature (“And be not like
those who forgot God so He caused them to forget themselves” – Sūrat al-Ḥashr, 59:19)
 Sigmund Freud (1856–1939): Sees sex as foundational to human personhood and happiness
(but civilization requires its containment); even infants are sexual
 Nietzsche, Freud, and Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) concur that moral notions are essentially a
matter of taste (“emotivism,” discussed at length by Alasdair MacIntyre, After Virtue)
 Wilhelm Reich (1897–1957) and Herbert Marcuse (1898–1979) call for radical sexual liberation.
 Homosexuality in the Wake of
the Sexual Revolution
 After the Ball: How America Will Conquer Its Fear and Hatred of Gays in the 90s, by
neuropsychologist Marshall Kirk and social marketing and ad. exec. Hunter Madsen (1989)
 “The campaign we outline in this book, though complex, depends centrally upon a program of
unabashed propaganda, firmly grounded in long-established principles of psychology and
advertising.”
 Desensitization: The principle of desensitization builds on people’s primal instincts, whereby a
flood of gay-related advertising, presented in the least offensive fashion possible, gets the job
done. “If straights can’t shut off the shower, they may at least eventually get used to being wet.”
 Conversion: “We mean conversion of the average American’s emotions, mind, and will through
a planned psychological attack in the form of propaganda fed to the nation via the media.”
 A Queer Thing Happened to America: And What a Long, Strange Trip It’s Been, Michael L. Brown
(2011)
 “It is difficult to overestimate the importance of this move to make sexual
desire central to human identity. In modern society, everything from the
common use of terms such as ‘straight’ and ‘gay’ in everyday conversation to
the underlying assumptions of international human rights law presupposes that
this is the case. And the idea that human flourishing is virtually synonymous
with sexual fulfillment is a commonplace—in fact, virtually an intuition—of
modern Western culture.” (Carl Trueman, Strange New World, p. 74)

“If we are at root defined in large part by our sexual “The old chestnut of ‘love
desires—if sexual desire (or “orientation,” as we the sinner, hate the sin’
now say) is who we are—then sex must be political simply does not work in a
because rules governing sexual behavior are rules world where the sin is the
that govern what is and is not considered by society identity of the sinner and
to be legitimate as an identity” (emphasis added). the two cannot be separated
(Trueman, Strange New World, p. 79) even at a conceptual level.”
(Trueman, SNW, p. 157)
 On the Creation of the
Male and Female
)٣َ،‫كَر َوالأََنثى (سورةَالليل‬
َ‫الذ‬
َ َ‫خَلق‬
َ ‫َوما‬
And [by] His creation of the male and the female

)٤٥َ،‫كَر َوالأََنثى (سورةَالنجم‬

َ‫الذ‬
َ ‫ن‬َ ‫جَي‬
َ َ‫خَلقَ الزَو‬
َ ‫وأَنَ َه‬
And that He creates the two mates – the male and female

)٣٦َ،‫كالأََنثى (سورةَآلَعمرين‬
َ ‫كَر‬
َ‫الذ‬
َ ‫س‬َ ‫َوَلَي‬
And the male is not like the female

)٢١َ،‫رون (سورةَالروم‬
َ َ‫مة إَنَ في ذٰلكََلآياتَ َل َق َومَ َيَت َفك‬
َ َ‫ل َبَيَن َكمَ َم َودَ َة َو َرح‬
َ ‫كنوا إََلَيها َوجَ َع‬
َ‫س‬
َ ‫واجا َلَت‬
َ ‫خَلقَ لَ َك َم َمنَ أََن َفسَ َك َم أَ َز‬
َ َ‫آيات َه أَن‬
َ َ‫َو َمن‬
And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquility in them; and He
placed between you affection and mercy. Indeed in that are signs for a people who reflect.

)١َ،‫دة وخلقَ منها َزوجاا و بثَ منهما رجالا كثيراَ ونساءَ (سورةَالنساء‬
َ ‫اس اتقوا ر بك َم الذي خلقك َم منَ نفسَ واح‬
َ ‫يا أيها الن‬
O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of
them many men and women.
 Men and Women in the Quran

 Surely men who submit (to Allah) and women who submit (to Allah), men who have faith and women who
have faith, men who are obedient and women who are obedient, men who are truthful and women who are
truthful, men who are steadfast and women who are steadfast, men who humble themselves (to Allah) and
women who humble themselves (to Allah), men who give alms and women who give alms, men who fast and
women who fast, men who guard their chastity and women who guard (their chastity), men who remember
Allah much and women who remember (Allah much) – for them has Allah prepared forgiveness and a
mighty reward. (Sūrat al-Aḥzāb, 33:35)
 The believing men and believing women are allies of one another. They enjoin what is right and forbid what
is wrong and establish prayer and give zakāt and obey Allah and His Messenger. Those – Allah will have
mercy upon them. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise. (Sūrat al-Tawba, 9:71)
 Whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has faith, verily to him will We give a new life, a life that
is good and pure and We will bestow on such their reward according to the best of their actions. (Sūrat al-
Naḥl, 16:97)
 Men are the protectors and maintainers of (qawwāmūna ʿalā) women, because God has given the one more
(strength) than the other, and because they support them from their means… (Sūrat al-Nisāʾ, 4:34)
 … And women shall have rights similar to the rights against them, according to what is equitable; but men
have a degree (of advantage) over them. And God is Exalted in Power, Wise. (Sūrat al-Baqara, 228)
 Difference and Complementarity
of the Male and Female

• Difference and complementarity: ‫“( وليسَالذكرَكالأنثى‬And the male is not like the female”)
• Obvious biological complementarity between male and female bodies and reproductive systems
• Purpose inherent to the body and its functions as created by God, not for us to decide or assign on our
own vs.
• “My body, my choice”
• Complementarity in disposition (khilqa): masculine vs. feminine traits
• Fathers and mothers not interchangeable
• Religious rules for men, others for women (even in, e.g., prayer)
• Many scientific studies showing all sorts of physiological, psychological, and dispositional differences
between men and women (though this is taboo because it goes against notions of social constructionism)
 The Nature of Morality
and Ethics in Islam
• God’s command is fundamental
• “I have created jinn and mankind but to worship Me” (٥٦َ،‫)وماَخلقتَالجنَوالإنسَإلاَليعبدونَ– الذار يات‬
• Allah and His Messenger alone are the legislators of what is right and wrong, permitted and prohibited
)٣٦َ،‫وماَكانَلمؤمنَولاَمؤمنةَإذاَقضىَاللٰهَورسولهَأمراَأنَيكونَلهمَالخ يرةَمنَأمرهمَومنَيَ َعصََاللٰهَورسولهََقدََلََاللاَمبيناَ(الأحزاب‬

“It is not for any believing man or woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided on an affair, to have
any choice in their matter; and whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has manifestly gone astray.”
• Consequences matter
• Allah is wise, just, and merciful and legislates for us what is best for us, both in this world and the next
• Virtue and moral character (‫ أَ خْلاق‬،‫ )خ ُلُق‬are of paramount importance (٤ ،‫َظيم – القلم‬
ٍ ‫قع‬ َ ‫)و َِإ َّن‬
ٍ ُ ‫ك لَعَلى خ ُل‬
• “I was sent but to perfect the noble traits of character” (‫)إنماَبعثتَلأتممَمكارمَالأخالق‬
• “Every religion has a characteristic moral trait (khuluq), and the characteristic trait of Islam is modesty (ḥayāʾ).”
• “If you have no shame/modesty (ḥayāʾ), then do as you please.” (‫)إذاَلمَتستحيََاصنعَماَشئت‬
 Contemporary Moral and
Ethical Discourse
• Divine Command
• Irrelevant → Sexual morality separated from religion; becomes thoroughly personal and subjective
• Centrality of Ersatz-notions such as
• Freedom
Islam based on servitude and submission (to God)
• Autonomy
auto, self; nomos, law → autonomy, “to give oneself the law”
God and His Messenger alone have the right to legislate
• Authenticity
We are only our true authentic selves as human beings when we have found and submitted to our Creator
• Consequences
• Judged in purely subjective terms (if at all)
Allah knows our interests better than we do, and He alone has full knowledge of all consequences
• Virtue and moral character
• Virtue an old-fashioned and quaint term in modern parlance; sexual behavior seen as irrelevant to moral character
“except for the one who comes to Allah with a sound heart” (٨٩َ،‫)إلاَمنَأتىَاللٰهَبقلبَسليمَ– الشعراء‬
Islamic Sexual & Gender Norms (1)

• Centrality of sexual norms to any society and moral system

• Sexual norms in the Sharīʿa are tied to family and family law
• Centrality of family—and therefore of sex and sexual morality—to Islam
• Sex outside of marriage (zinā) strictly forbidden (ḥarām). Constitutes a major sin (kabīra).
• Undermines one of the fundamental objectives (maqāṣid) of the Sharīʿa, which are the protection of
• religion (dīn)
• life (nafs)
• lineage/family (nasl, nasab)
• property (māl)
• intellect (ʿaql)
• honor (ʿirḍ)
Islamic Sexual & Gender Norms (2)

• Consequences of zinā:
• Obscuring (or “mixing”) of lineage (khalṭ al-ansāb)
• Undermining the institution of marriage, which leads to
• Breakdown of the family unit and, by extension, of society
• Grave consequences for one’s personal virtue, moral character, and standing before Allah
• Norms for minimizing zinā:
• “[Tell them to] lower their gaze and guard their private parts” (‫)يغضواَمنَأبصارهمَو يحفظَواََروجا َم‬
• No physical contact between non-maḥrams
• No khalwa between non-maḥrams
• Modest dress, speech, and behavior (both men and women)
 Islamic Sexual & Gender Norms (3)

• Is zinā the only thing forbidden in the realm of sexuality?

• “Things are permissible (mubāḥ) by default” (‫)الأصلَفيَالأشياءَالإباحة‬, unless specifically prohibited
• “Sexual matters are forbidden (ḥarām) by default” (‫)الأصلَفيَالأبضاعَالتحريم‬, unless specifically permitted
• What is permitted?
• Sexual relations between a man and a woman bound by an Islamically valid contract of marriage (nikāḥ)
• What is prohibited?
• Everything else
• Sexual acts short of intercourse
• Anal intercourse categorically (incl. in marriage)
• Exposing one’s ʿawra to other than one’s spouse without need (such as medical)
• Masturbation (according to the majority)
• Things that systematically threaten to lead to illicit relations: gazing, touching, khalwa & immodest speech,
dress, or behavior
 Islamic Sexual & Gender Norms (4)

• What does it mean in the Sharīʿa to protect family/lineage (nasl, nasab)?

• Extended family normative (consider inheritance laws)
• Blood ties through lineage—and therefore natural reproduction—of prime importance. Consequently,
• Prohibition of most means of artificial reproduction as being “tantamount to zinā”

• Further Islamic principles related to gender

• There are only two: male and female (incl. for intersex/khunthā) (٤٥َ،‫)وأنهَخلقَالزوجينَالذكرَوالأَنثىَ– النجم‬
• (Biological) sex and (psychological) gender not distinguished
• Deliberate imitation of the opposite sex forbidden, specifically in dress and affectations
“Allah has cursed men who (deliberately) imitate women and women who (deliberately) imitate men.”
• Gender transitioning not recognized; sex “reassignment” procedures prohibited
 Islamic Sexual & Gender Norms (5)

• But what about those who fall outside the binary?

• Sex, gender identity and expression, and sexual orientation should line up as a normative matter
• Exceptions to the rule do not undermine the rule itself, that is, the normativity of
• the male–female gender binary
• the expectation of broad conformity to the behavioral norms (dress and mannerisms) of one’s natal
sex/gender
• opposite-sex attraction and (within marriage) sexual expression

• Am I sinful for feeling attracted to my own sex or not identifying with my own gender?
• * Key Islamic principle * : You are morally responsible only for what you have control over
• Merely experiencing same-sex attractions or gender identity disorder/dysphoria does not constitute a sin
• But we are still responsible for our actions—specifically, refraining from ḥarām sexual behavior or deliberate
imitation or impersonation of the opposite sex
The “Genderbread” Person
 Gender (Non)conformity in Islam (1)

Scholars recognize a conventional (ʿurfī) component to what counts as male vs. female dress, interests,
behavior, etc.
• Dress: Strictly forbidden (on the basis of the ḥadīth) to imitate the opposite sex in dress, accoutrements,
etc., as conventionally recognized in one’s society
• Mannerisms: Scholars recognize that a person can have gender atypical mannerisms, gait, voice, etc.
• Mukhannath (‫)مخنث‬: male with effeminate mannerisms
• Mudhakkara (‫)مذكرة‬: female with masculine mannerisms
• These mannerisms can be either khilqī (constitutional) or ghayr khilqī (affected)
• Purposely affecting such mannerisms is by ḥarām consensus.
• As for those for whom they are khilqī, scholars differ:
• Must try to recondition oneself. Sinful if no effort made; blameless if reasonable efforts made to no avail.
• No obligation to attempt reconditioning.
 Gender (Non)conformity in Islam (2)

• Interests and behavior: Not prescriptive when it comes to things like personal interests and likes:
• Girls being more into sports or bricolage, boys interested in music and art, etc.
• Sunna has lots of examples of, e.g., men crying profusely. Prophet (saas) was not above domestic tasks.
• No ideal of “womanhood” similar to the Victorian notion of the dainty, delicate, fainting female.
• What counts as appropriate same-sex interaction largely conventional (many Muslim men touchy-feely
compared to West), but
• Clear Islamic guidelines transcend culture (e.g., prohibition of seeing or touching the ʿawra of someone
of the same sex, lying naked together under one sheet, etc.)
• Intersex Individuals (khunthā – ‫)خنثى‬:
• Gender Identity Disorder (GID):
• Seen as a psychological or emotional condition, not a third sex or a “woman trapped in a man’s body”
• Hormonal and surgical transition procedures not permitted Islamically.
 What Is Homosexuality?
The Contemporary Background
• Principle: “One can only judge a thing once it is properly conceived” (‫)الحكم على الشيء فرع عن تصوره‬
• Homosexuality, in contemporary parlance, usually refers to
• Feelings of romantic and/or sexual attraction to members of one’s own sex
• Engaging in romantic relationships and/or sexual behavior with members of one’s own sex
• Adopting a personal and social identity based on such feelings and/or relationships and acts
• Modern culture amalgamates these three into one (“I am gay/lesbian/queer”)
• This is very new and culturally specific to the modern West
• Homosexual sentiment and behavior widely attested in past societies, but never taken as an identity
i.e., it was something you did, not something you were
• Elision of a meaningful distinction between desires and actions is morally problematic
• Considering homosexuality a question of identity rather than acts fundamentally alters the conversation
 Amalgamation and Separation (1)

 Modern Western culture separates three things that are tightly bound up
with each other (by nature and religious Law):

Sex Reproduction Marriage/Morality

 On the other hand, it amalgamates three things that ought to be kept

rigorously separate:

Desires Actions Identity

Amalgamation and Separation (2)

 It also (incorrectly) separates

biological sex gender identity/expression sexual orientation

 while drawing a false equivalence between

race gender sexual identity/behavior

 Verses on the People of Lot (1)

 Mentioned in at least nine different places in the Quran, totaling over 75 verses.
 Same-sex sexual relations between men were the emblematic sin of Lot’s people.
 Other misdeeds mentioned in a few verses, but “approaching males with desire (shahwa)
instead of females” is the transgression mentioned most often and in greatest detail.
 Revisionists have tried to reinterpret the sin as one of rape or inhospitality to Lot’s guests.
 But, the Quran repeatedly mentions the same-sex aspect of the acts in particular as the
defining feature of their iniquitous nature. For example:
(80) And (mention) Lot, when he said to his people, “Do you commit iniquity (fāḥisha) such as none in
creation have committed before you? (81) Verily you come with desire unto men instead of women. Nay,
you are a people transgressing (beyond bounds).” (82) But the only reply of his people was to say, “Turn
them out from your town! Truly they are people who keep themselves pure.” (Sūrat al-Aʿrāf)
 Verses on the People of Lot (2)

(160) The people of Lot belied the messengers. (161) Behold, their brother Lot said to them,
“Will you not be mindful (of God)? (162) Indeed, I am a faithful messenger unto you, (163) so
fear you God and obey me. (164) I ask from you no reward for it; my reward is only with the
Lord of the Worlds. (165) Of all creatures do you come unto males, (166) leaving what your
Lord has created for you from your mates? Nay, but you are a people transgressing (the
bounds).” (167) They said, “O Lot! If you desist not from this, you shall surely be driven out.”
(168) He said, “I am, in truth, of those who loathe your deed.” (169) “My Lord, deliver me and
my family from what they do!” (170) So We delivered him and his family altogether— (171)
save an elderly woman (his wife) who stayed behind. (172) Then We destroyed the others, (173)
and We brought down upon them a rain (of stones); Evil was the rain of those who had been
warned! (174) Verily in that is a sign, yet most of them do not believe. (175) And verily, your
Lord—He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful. (Sūrat al-Shuʿarāʾ)
 Verses on the People of Lot (3)

(54) And (mention) Lot, when he said to his people, “Do you commit iniquity (fāḥisha) with eyes wide open? (55) Do you
indeed come with desire unto men instead of women? Nay, but you are a people behaving foolishly.” (Sūrat al-Naml)
(28) And (mention) Lot, when he said to his people, “You commit iniquity (fāḥisha) such as none in creation have
committed before you. (29) Do you indeed come unto men, and cut off the road, and practice evil deeds in your
assemblies?” The reply of his people was but to say, “Bring upon us God’s punishment, if you are among the truthful.” […].
(Sūrat al-ʿAnkabūt)
(77) And when Our messengers [the angels] came to Lot, he was anguished on their account and constrained from helping
them. And he said, “This is a trying day!” (78) And his people came hastening unto him, and before they had been working
evil deeds. He said, “O my people, these are my daughters; they are purer for you. So fear God and disgrace me not with
respect to my guests. Is there not among you a right-minded man?” (79) They said, “You know well that we have no claim
on your daughters, and indeed, you know what we want.” (Sūrat Hūd)

– Reinterpreting this as rape is a classical example of anachronistically projecting contemporary notions—such as the post–
Sexual Revolution fixation on “consent” as the only relevant criterion in sexual behavior—onto the texts.
– See: “Can Islam Accommodate Homosexual Acts? Qur’anic Revisionism and the Case of Scott Kugle” (M. Vaid, MuslimMatters)
– Verses on Qawm Lūṭ: 7:80–48; 11:77–83; 15:57–77; 21:74–75; 26:160–175; 27:54–58; 29:28–35; 37:133–136; 54:33–40
 What Is Homosexuality?
Building an Islamic Framework (1)
• Principle: “One can only judge a thing once it is properly conceived” (‫)الحكم على الشيء فرع عن تصوره‬
• No single word for “homosexuality” in the Sharīʿa or in (classical) Arabic
• The Sharīʿa addresses acts, not desires (i.e., that are beyond one’s control)
• Islam does not categorize human beings on the basis of mere desires, sexual or other, i.e., a person
does not come to be a particular thing, or come to constitute a particular class of human beings,
on the basis of (mere) desires and inclinations
• Islam also does not place human beings into discrete identity categories on the basis of acts
• Question: What is the best way to answer the question: “What does Islam say about homosexuality?”
Must distinguish between desires, acts, and identity (as they are all separate in Islam, not amalgamated)
• Question: What are the implications of accepting a Western sexual identity framework?
Identity framework changes the discussion, elides moral concerns, and frames the issue as one of social justice
(defined subjectively) as opposed to Allah’s Command, which is paramount and itself embodies perfect justice
 What Is Homosexuality?
Building an Islamic Framework (2)
• Principle: “One can only judge a thing once it is properly conceived” (‫)الحكم على الشيء فرع عن تصوره‬

• How does the Sharīʿa classify sexual acts?

• Ḥalāl (man and woman bound by an Islamically valid contract) vs. ḥarām (all else)
• Ḥarām acts further subdivided into
• gross enormities (kabāʾir) → male-female zinā (fornication/adultery) and male-male liwāṭ (sodomy)
• other → all non-penetrative forbidden sexual acts (incl. siḥāq, or female “grinding,” i.e., lesbian acts)
These are all muḥarram li-dhātihi, or “prohibited intrinsically”
• Preludes to prohibited sexual acts, such as touching, gazing, khalwa & immodest dress, speech, and behavior
These acts are considered muḥarram li-ghayrihi, or “prohibited on account of another” (i.e., because they lead to that
which is prohibited intrinsically)
 Straight Strugglers:
The Subjective Experience
• There are Muslims who experience unchosen same-sex attractions and/or gender dysphoria.
• Islam does not define or categorize people on the basis of internal feelings.
• Must always distinguish between feelings and acts (and between acts and advocacy).
• Muslims struggling faithfully with SSA or GID should be embraced and supported as mujāhidūn
in the path of Allah (hence the Straight Struggle support group; see also Strong Support).
• These feelings cannot simply be turned on and off like a switch; it is much deeper than that.
• The gay identity paradigm.
• We now have a wealth of resources in our community to help faithful strugglers. See, e.g.
• “From a Same-Sex Attracted Muslim: Between Denial of Reality and Distortion of Religion,” Br. Yousef
(MuslimMatters, 2016)
• A Way Beyond the Rainbow podcast, Br. Waheed Jensen (88 episodes, 2020–2022)
 Further Questions

• Distinguishing “being gay” (identity paradigm) from “having same-sex attractions (SSA)”
• Where does homosexuality, or same-sex attractions, come from?
• Can homosexuality be “cured” or overcome?
• Can someone with same-sex attractions ever hope to marry (Islamically) and have a family?
• How best to deal with individuals who experience SSA inside our communities, families, etc.?
• How best to deal with non-Muslim colleagues, classmates, etc. when it comes to this issue?
• How should Muslims deal with cultural and political pressures stemming from this issue in the
public square? (See “Where the Rainbow Ends: American Muslims and LGBT Activism,” M. Vaid)
 Working towards Principles (1)

 Strongly and confidently establish Islamic gender and sexuality paradigm

 Gender is binary, gender differences are real and God-given
 Sexual expression is legitimate only in the context of (heterosexual) marriage
 Actively critique and deconstruct Western paradigm post–Sexual Revolution: show what is wrong with it
 Rejection of sexual identity paradigm
 Must once again separate desires, actions, and identity
 Terminological implications → avoid identity-laden vocab: gay, LGBT, dignifying “who people are,” etc.
 Use descriptive terms instead, and adjectives not nouns: “has homosexual feelings,” “experiences SSA”
 No gay exceptionalism (either positive or negative)
 Pushing acceptance of LGBT acts in an Islamic environment is just as unacceptable as pushing alcohol, zinā, etc.
 Merely having – and faithfully struggling with – same-sex desires/GID merits no particular stigma or singling out
 Working towards Principles (2)

 Balancing individual and community, subjective feelings vs. objective truths (right and wrong)
 Individuals dealing with same-sex attraction or gender identity issues should be supported in their efforts to realize their
purpose as Muslims and live their lives in submission to Allah and His dīn
 Private support and consultation as opposed to public “accommodation” or “inclusion”
 Defiant activist types should not be allowed to disrupt Islamic spaces or impose their will on the community
 Supporting the faithful struggler
 Show empathy and understanding for what is often a very difficult and emotionally taxing issue
 Support the person in general spiritual/other ways: mentorship, general advice, listening ear, shoulder to cry on
 Know your limits: you are not a spiritual guide or professional psychologist and don’t know the details of this issue, so…
 Direct the person to resources, such as A Way Beyond the Rainbow, and maybe offer to discuss
 Maintaining the Straight Path: Clarity, Compassion, Conviction
 You are not more merciful than Allah. True compassion is guiding to the truth and what pleases the Creator.
 Be humble and kind, but never apologetic about Islamic beliefs.
 Islamic teachings on sexual ethics are not an embarrassment or a “problem”; they are the only solution to our problems!
 Some Resources

• “From a Same-Sex Attracted Muslim: Between Denial of Reality and Distortion of Religion,”
Br. Yousef (MuslimMatters, 2016)
• A Way Beyond the Rainbow Podcast, Waheed Jensen (Buzzsprout, 2020–2021)
• “Can Islam Accommodate Homosexual Acts?: Qur’anic Revisionism and the Case of Scott Kugle,”
Mobeen Vaid (MuslimMatters, 2016)
• “ ‘And the Male Is Not like the Female’: Islam and Gender Nonconformity,” Part 1, Mobeen Vaid
(MuslimMatters, 2017); Part 2, Mobeen Vaid & Waheed Jensen (MuslimMatters, 2020)
• Foundational articles on gender, family, and sexuality by Sh. Abdal Hakim Murad:
(1) “Boys Will Be Boys: Gender Identity Issues”; (2) “Islam, Irigaray and the Retrieval of Gender” (1999);
(3) “Fall of the Family” (2015)
• “Islam and LGBT Issues: Reading Material” (muhammadandiscourse.blogspot.com)
Season 1 (Episodes 1 – 12):

Tackles the topics of shame, vulnerability,

self-compassion, identity and the psycho-
logical perspectives related to the genesis
of same-sex attractions and gender
dysphoria, as well as particular relevant
therapeutic models.

Season 2 (Episodes 13 – 26):

Tackles the spiritual dimensions related

to the struggle, from the wisdom of
hardships and tribulations, attachments
and surrender, as well as gifts and Divine
openings, to the struggle with tempta-
tions and desires, sin and repentance, as
well as the story of the people of Lut
(pbuh).
“A Way Beyond the Rainbow” is a podcast series
discussing the everyday struggles of Muslims with
same-sex attractions (SSA) who want to live a life
true to Allah and Islam. This podcast series is a safe
space for Muslims who struggle with SSA, as well as
parents, family members, friends, imams, chaplains,
community leaders, and the community at large.
Season 3 (Episodes 27 – 40):

Focuses on the importance of support Season 4 (Episodes 41 – 65):

systems and social connections and
answers frequently-asked questions
when it comes to friendships and support
groups. The season also tackles in depth
the topics of marriage and celibacy, as
well as marital intimacy and sex.
Dedicated to healing and recovery work. Tackles
foundational topics relevant to the healing journey,
from complex trauma, emotional attachments,
dependency and codependency, as well as inner
child work and reparenting, self-discipline and self-
esteem, to sexual compulsions and addictions, as
well as sexual abuse.

Season 5 (Episodes 66 – 88):

Addresses the wider community and focuses on relevant sociopolitical themes,

such as revisionist movements, shar‘i perspectives, gender dysphoria and trans-
genderism, as well as relevant topics for parents and family members, spouses,
teachers, imams, and community leaders.