Homosexuality: What Does Islam Say?

Atikur Rahman Nagari

Cows and goats have sexual desires, as do dogs and cats. Yet you will never see a bull having sex with another bull, nor a dog or cat engaging in sexual activity with an animal of the same sex. All living creatures on earth turn to the opposite sex when sexual desire arises. So how can human beings, regarded as the noblest of creatures, become lower than animals in fulfilling their sexual desires? The Quran describes such people as “those are like cattle; rather, they are even more astray.” The practice of individuals of the same sex engaging in sexual relations with one another is known as homosexuality.

In Islam, homosexuality is considered an even graver wrongdoing than adultery. Abdullah ibn Abbas (RA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (S.) said: “Whomever you find doing the action of the people of Lut (AS) (homosexuality), kill both of them.” (Tirmidhi: 4/57; Abu Dawud: 4/269; Ibn Majah: 2/856).
Homosexuality has been declared completely forbidden in Islam and is regarded as worse than ordinary adultery. Homosexuality was among the reasons for which Allah destroyed the people of Lut (AS), the inhabitants of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. The Quran states: “And We sent Lut (AS) when he said to his people: Do you commit such an obscenity as no one in the world has committed before you? Indeed, you approach men with desire instead of women. Rather, you are a transgressing people.” (Al-A’raf 7:81–82).
The Quran also states: “Do you commit such immorality with men among the people of the worlds? And leave what your Lord has created for you as mates? Rather, you are a transgressing people.” (Surah Ash-Shu’ara 26:165–166).
“Remember Lut (AS), when he said to his people: Why do you commit such an obscenity when you know its consequences? Do you approach men with desire instead of women? Indeed, you are a barbaric people. His people responded only by saying: Expel the family of Lut (AS) from your town. They are people who want only to remain pure. So We saved him and his family, except his wife, for whom We had decreed that she would be among those destroyed.” (Quran 27:54–57).

“My messengers came to Ibrahim (AS) with good news. They said: We are going to destroy the inhabitants of the town of Lut (AS). Surely its inhabitants are criminals.” (Quran 29:31).
The very act of homosexuality, for which a nation had to face the terrible consequence of destruction, is now being promoted again by some people in the name of “modernity” and “rights.” It is an ongoing attempt to turn human beings physically into people but mentally into animals.

The accursed people of Lut (AS) were destroyed because of the crime of homosexuality. The people of Prophet Lut (AS) were homosexuals. Prophet Lut (AS) repeatedly urged them to refrain from such acts and fulfill their sexual desires with women through lawful means. But who would listen to Lut (AS)? Prophet Lut (AS) failed in his efforts. At that point, four handsome young men arrived at his house as guests. When the people accustomed to homosexuality learned of the guests’ arrival, they wanted to commit immoral acts with them. Prophet Lut (AS) became frightened, but the four young men told him, “O Lut (AS), we are angels.”

Homosexuality is considered a form of sin not only in the Quran, the Islamic scripture, but also in the Holy Bible (Genesis 19:1–13; Leviticus 18:22; Romans 1:26–27; 1 Corinthians 6:9). Romans 1:26–27 specifically teaches that homosexuality was punished as a consequence of disobedience to and rejection of God.
When people persist in sin because of disbelief, God gives them over to “shameful lusts” so that they may sink into even more disgraceful sins and, by distancing themselves from God, experience a futile and hopeless life. 1 Corinthians 6:9 states that those who are “guilty” of homosexuality will not inherit the Kingdom of God. God did not create people with a homosexual attitude. The Holy Bible states that people become homosexual because of sin (Romans 1:24–27) and that it is the consequence of their own sinful desires.

However, the Bible does not describe homosexuality as a “greater” sin than other sins. Among the sins mentioned in 1 Corinthians 6:9–10, homosexuality is one of those that keeps a person from the Kingdom of God.
Ibn Abbas (RA) said that the Messenger of Allah (S.) said: “If you find anyone doing what the people of Lut (AS) did, kill the one who does it and the one to whom it is done.” (Abu Dawud 38:4447). Jabir (RA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (S.) said: “The thing I fear most for my people is that someone will do what the people of Lut (AS) did…” (Tirmidhi, 1457).

If a man can fulfill his sexual desires with another man, his attraction toward women will certainly decrease. Where would this lead? If men no longer turn to women, what would happen to human reproduction? The spread of homosexuality would not only lead to the spread of epidemics such as AIDS but would also certainly disrupt natural human reproduction. Human civilization would be placed at risk.