Islam & Sexual Diversity

presented by

Muhsin Hendricks
Islamic Scholar
University of Islamic Studies (Jamiah Dirasat al-Islamia
1990-1994
Karachi - Pakistan
The Inner
Circle
 Definition of
Homosexuality
 Anal sex (act)
Unnatural sex (act)
Psychological problem (poor parenting /
dominant mother / child molestation /
environmental)
Lack of morality
Influenced by Western thinking
Attraction towards the same sex
 Orthodox Muslim
Thinking
On Sexual Diversity & Homosexuality
 “Homosexuality is a
‘reversal of the natural
order, a corruption of
man’s sexuality and a
crime against
females’.”
The council of Muslim Theologians, the Jamiatul Ulama of
Transvaal and KwaZulu Natal - Sunday Times, 30 June 2002, p.1
““Sheikh Achmat Sedick,
a spokesman for the
Muslim Judicial council
(MJC), said that Islam
regarded the gay and
lesbian community as
misguided people and
“perverts”.”
Sunday Times, 30 June 2002, p.1
 “Homosexuality is a moral
disorder. It is a moral disease,
a sin and corruption… No
person is born homosexual,
just like no one is born a thief,
a liar or a murderer. People
acquire these evil habits due
to a lack of proper guidance
and education.”

Dr Muzammil Siddiqi of the Islamic Society of North

America - www.religioustolerance.org
 “Homosexuality as a
predisposition can be
disconnected from one’s
identity when one makes the
choice to abandon that
predisposition.”

Homosexuality, by Sheikh Abdurahman Alexander,

senior Imam of the Muslim Judicial Council of South
Africa, Interviewed in Burhanol Islam vol. 35, April
2000
“Since it is our stance that
homosexuality is an
addiction and can therefore
be cured; as the Prophet
Muhammad declares that
there is a cure for every
disease.”

Homosexuality, by Sheikh Abdurahman

Alexander, senior Imam of the Muslim Judicial
Council of South Africa, Interviewed in Burhanol
Islam vol. 35, April 2000
Play Jihad for Love clip
start 10:50
start Chap. 20 01:01:06
The Socio-Political,
Economic &
Religions
Structures of
Sodom & Gomorrah
 The Arava Highway
Route 90 is the primary
artery for vehicle traffic
from the north to Eilat.
According to data
collected in 2004, the
volume of touristic traffic
along Route 90 in the
Central Arava region
reached nearly 4 million
people for the entire
year (in both directions),
which translates into
approximately 11,000
passengers per day

Quran Surah Al-Hijr:76

15:76 And the (cities were)
right on the high-road.

Bible (Genesis 14:1-3,

Genesis 14:8-10,
Deuteronomy 34:3) they
were located near the Dead
Sea.
http://www.biblemysteries.com/lectures/sodom.htm
 Mesopotamia refers to the region now occupied by modern Iraq, eastern Syria, southeastern Turkey, and Southwest Iran

artifacts discovered
depicting same sex couples

2000 to 2950 BC B .C
00
30

Until recently it was

commonly felt that
Abraham lived in the
Middle Bronze Period (c.
2000-1500 B.C.) new
discovery in northern
“29:28 And Lot! (Remember) when he said unto
Syria in 1974 at Tell
Mardikh (Ebla) places his folk: Lo! ye commit lewdness such as no
Abram in the Early creature ever did before you.”
Bronze Period (2950-
2000 B.C.)
 Summary
• Homosexuality was practiced before Sodom & Gomorrah in Mesopotamia,
hence the sexual atrocity committed by the inmates of Sodom & Gomorrah
was not homosexuality according to the Quran.
 Archeological Findings

Bab-edhrah (Sodom) was located near the Dead

Sea and a coating of sulphur has been found on the
site. The theory for the sulphur is that an
earthquake opened a nearby pocket of natural gas.
Natural gas, being lighter than air, drifted up.
However, instead of dissipating harmlessly the gas
www.totheends.com/sodom.html
reacted with the fires burning in the city (the
smallest flame could have set off the natural gas).
As a result, the city was devastated.

Skeletons (both male & female) from Bab-edhrah

do show an abnormally high syphilis rate for a city
of that size.

54:34 We sent against them a violent Tornado with showers of stones…..

http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/encyclopedia/s/so/sodom_and_gomorrah.htm
 To quote the Greek historian Herodotus:
"The worst Babylonian custom is that which compels every woman
of the land once in her life to sit in the temple of love and have...
intercourse with some stranger... the men pass and make their
choice“
In ancient Mesopotamia, Ishtar was the primary Goddess of life,
men and women, nature and fertility, sex, sexual power and birth.
Ishtar was also the goddess of war and weapons and any victory
was celebrated in her temples with offerings of produce and money
as well as through a feast and orgy of sex and fornication with holy
temple prostitutes.

Quran 27:54 (We also sent) Lut (as an apostle): behold, He said to his people, "Do
you do what is shameful though ye see (publically)?

http://en.wikipedia.org
 Enormous Cemeteries, indicating size
of population.

Some of the produce found, such as

pottery and minerals, indicative of
wealth.

People were prosperous and ate well.

Noted from the size of corpses found.

Some produce were found that could

not have possibly grown there due to
acclimatisation, indicating import
and trade.

Complex irrigation system and style

of housing also points to the high
level of engineering & architectural
ability.

http://english.sdaglobal.org/evangelism/arch/sodom.htm
 Carving out houses and palaces in
mountains was also common and inherited
by the ‘Ad nation who came before them.
7:74 "And remember how He made you
inheritors after the 'Ad people and gave you
habitations in the land: you build for
yourselves palaces and castles in (open)
plains, and cave out homes in the
mountains; so bring to remembrance the
benefits (ye have received) from Allah, and
refrain from evil and mischief on the earth."

Some of the remains of the city, which had slipped into the lake, were found on
the banks of the lake. These remains showed that the people of Lut had quite a
 Summary
• Homosexuality was practiced before Sodom & Gomorrah in Mesopotamia,
hence the sexual atrocity committed by the inmates of Sodom & Gomorrah
was not homosexuality according to the Quran.
----------
• A gas leek in the earth, due to excavations, fused with the fires and caused
an explosion. These fires were spread by a fierce tornado as mentioned in
Quran. This natural disaster refutes the biblical idea that God sent fire and
brimstone from the sky.
• Because of the exceptionally high syphilis rate amongst both males and
females, it indicates a sexually permissive society across the sexes. This
refutes the idea that Sodom & Gomorrah were only indulging in homosexual
acts. Also temple prostitution which involves females was a common
practice. Their sexual activity was also shamelessly public and open.
• They were wealthy, prosperous and skilled people.

26:160 The people of Lut rejected the apostles.
26:161 Behold, their brother Lut said to them: "Will ye not
fear ((Allah))?
An was the Sumerian god of the sky.
Marduk was the principal god of
Babylon.
Gula or Shamash was the sun god.
Ishtar was the goddess of love and
of war.
Enlil was the most powerful god in
Mesopotamian religion. His wife was
Ninlil, and his children were Inanna,
Iškur, Nanna-Suen, Nergal, Ninurta,
Pabilsag, Nushu, Utu, Uraš Zababa
and Ennugi.
Nabu was the Mesopotamian god of
writing.
Iškur (or Adad) was the god of
storms.
Ninurta was the Sumerian god of
war
Inanna, the Sumerian goddess of
love and war, was also the wife of
Ninurta.
Pazuzu, also known as Zu, was an
evil god,
 A ziggurat that stands amidst the
ashen ruins in Gomorrah?

A figure believed to be the remains

on the wife of Lot

www.atlastours.net/jordan/the_patriarchs.html
 Summary
• Homosexuality was practiced before Sodom & Gomorrah in Mesopotamia,
hence the sexual atrocity committed by the inmates of Sodom & Gomorrah
was not homosexuality according to the Quran.
• A gas leek in the earth, due to excavations, fused with the fires and caused
an explosion. These fires were spread by a fierce tornado. This natural
disaster refutes the biblical idea that God sent fire and brimstone from the
sky.
• Because of the exceptionally high syphilis rate amongst both males and
females, it indicates a sexually permissive society across the sexes. This
refutes the idea that Sodom & Gomorrah were only indulging in homosexual
acts. Also temple prostitution which involves females was a common
practice. Their sexual activity was also shamelessly public and open.
• They were wealthy, prosperous and skilled people.
----------
• They rejected the message of Lot which was the belief in One God.
 Ezekiel16:49-50: Now this was the sin of Sodom:
She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and
unconcerned; they did not help the poor and
needy. They were haughty and did detestable
things before Me. Therefore I did away with them
as you have seen.

Matthew 10:14-15: If anyone will not welcome you

or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet
when you leave that home or town. I tell you the truth,
it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on
the day of judgment than for that town. {Inhospitality
was a major sin under the law of Abraham}

Jude 7: Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities

about them in like manner, giving themselves over to
fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth
for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal
fire.
 Jewish Tradition
Flavius Josephus, a Jewish historian, wrote:
"Now, about this time the Sodomites, overweeningly
proud of their numbers and the extent of their wealth,
showed themselves insolent to men and
impious to the Divinity, insomuch that they no more
remembered the benefits that they had received from
Him, hated foreigners and avoided any contact with others. Indignant at this
conduct, God accordingly resolved to chastise them for their arrogance, and
not only to uproot their city, but to blast their land so completely that it should
yield neither plant nor fruit whatsoever from that time forward." Jewish
Antiquities 1:194-195 Harvard

A rabbinic tradition, described in the Mishnah, postulates that the sin of Sodom
was related to property: Sodomites believed that "what is mine is mine, and what
is yours is yours" (Abot), which is interpreted as a lack of compassion.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodom_and_Gomorrah
 Talmud on Sodom
The Babylonian Talmud (Sanhedrin 109a)
provides a number of examples of what the
crimes of Sodom were. Their sins had to do
with cruelty and greed.
The men of Sodom waxed haughty only on account of the good which the
Holy One, blessed be He, had lavished upon them...They said: Since there
cometh forth bread out of (our) earth, and it hath the dust of gold, why
should we suffer the wayfarers, who come to us only to deplete our wealth.
Come, let us abolish the practice of traveling in our land.

There were four judges in Sodom named Shakrai (Liar), Shakurai (Awful
Liar), Zayyafi (Forger), and Mazle Dina (Perverter of Justice). Now if a man
assaulted his neighbour's wife and bruised her, they would say to the
husband, Give her to him, that she may become pregnant for thee. If one cut
off the ear of his neighbour's ass, they would order, Give it to him until it
grows again.
 Midrash on Sodom
The Midrash compilation "Pirke de Rabbi
Eliezer" offers a number of reasons why the
Sodomites were considered evil.

Rabbi Joshua... said: They appointed over

themselves judges who were lying judges,
and they oppressed every wayfarer and
stranger who entered Sodom by their
perverse judgment, and they sent them
forth naked...

Quran 29:29 "Do ye indeed approach men, and cut off the
highway?- and practice wickedness (even) in your councils?"
 “Must you approach the males of all keeping yourselves aloof from what your Sustainer has created for you from your
creation, spouses? Nay, but you are people who transgress all bounds of what is right!”

ْ َ َ ْ ‫خلَق لَك ُم ربُك ُم من أ َزواجكُم ب‬

‫ن‬ ِ َ ‫ن الْعَال‬
َ ‫مي‬ َ ‫م‬ َ ‫ن الذُّكَْرا‬
ِ ‫ن‬ َ ‫أتَأتُو‬ ‫ن‬ ٌ ْ‫م قَو‬
َ ‫م عَادُو‬ ْ ُ ‫ل أنت‬ َ ِ َ ْ ْ ِ ْ ّ َ ْ َ َ ‫ما‬ َ ‫وَتَذَُرو‬
َ ‫ن‬
26:165 26:166

Will you approach the men in lust with the exclusion of women? Nay,
you are an ignorant people.

َ ْ ‫شهوة ً من دون الن ِساء ب‬ ْ َ

‫م‬
ْ ُ ‫ل أنت‬ َ َ ّ ِ ُ ِّ َ ْ َ ‫ل‬ َ ‫جا‬ َ ‫م لَتَأتُو‬
َ ِ‫ن الّر‬ ْ ُ ‫أئِنَّك‬
َ ‫جهَلُو‬
‫ن‬ ٌ ْ‫قَو‬
ْ َ‫م ت‬
27:55

You approach men lustfully Yusuf Ali Translation

in preference to women:
nay, you are people given
to excesses!"

ْ
‫ل‬َ ‫جا‬َ ِ‫ن الّر‬ َ ‫م لَتَأتُو‬ ْ ُ ‫إِنَّك‬
‫ن‬
ِ ‫من دُو‬ ِّ ً ‫ش ْهوَة‬ َ
َ
ٌ ْ‫م قَو‬
‫م‬ ْ ُ ‫ل أنت‬ ْ َ ‫ساء ب‬ َ ِّ ‫الن‬
َ ‫سرِفُو‬
‫ن‬ ْ ‫م‬ُّ

7:81
See next slide for explanation
 Hans Wehr
A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic
Edited by J. Milton Cowan

According to
Edward William Lane's Arabic-English
Lexicon (Dictionary)

‫ن‬
ِ ‫من دُو‬
ِّ means “without”

NB: This mistranslation causes a serious error

in meaning in the nature of the crime
committed by the inhabitants:
Muhammad Asad: 7:81 Verily, with lust you approach
men instead of women: nay, but you are people given
to excesses!“

Yusuf Ali: 7:81 "For ye practise your lusts on men in

preference to women : ye are indeed a people
transgressing beyond bounds."

M. Picktall: 7:81 Lo! ye come with lust unto men

instead of women. Nay, but ye, are wanton folk.

Group Exercise 3:
Give your group’s informed translation of 7:81
Compare the difference in meaning if any
 Hans Wehr
A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic
Edited by J. Milton Cowan

He said: "These are but be conscious

my guests: So do not of God and
let me be disgraced disgrace me not!"
by your act of rape
َ‫ه وَل‬َ ّ ‫وَاتَُّقوا الل‬
(violation of human
right).
‫ن‬
ِ ‫خُزو‬ ْ ُ‫ت‬
‫ن هَؤُلء‬َّ ِ ‫ل إ‬ َ ‫قَا‬
َ‫ضيِْفي فَل‬ َ 15:69

‫ن‬
ِ ‫حو‬ُ ‫ض‬ َ ‫تَف‬
15:68

NB: This mistranslation or the word ‫ن‬ِ ‫حو‬ُ ‫ض‬َ ‫ تَف‬in

the first verse causes a serious omission of fact and
also is too closely translated to the word ‫ن‬
ِ ‫خُزو‬
ْ ُ ‫ ت‬in
the subsequent verse which makes its repetition
redundant.
Muhammad Asad: 15:68 Exclaimed [Lot]: "Behold,
these are my guests: so put me not to shame.
Yusuf Ali: 15:68 Lut said: "These are my guests:
disgrace me not.
M. Picktall: 15:68 He said: Lo! they are my guests.
Affront me not!
 Summary
• Homosexuality was practiced before Sodom & Gomorrah in Mesopotamia, hence
the sexual atrocity committed by the inmates of Sodom & Gomorrah was not
homosexuality according to the Quran.
• A gas leek in the earth, due to excavations, fused with the fires and caused an
explosion. These fires were spread by a fierce tornado. This natural disaster
refutes the biblical idea that God sent fire and brimstone from the sky.
• Because of the exceptionally high syphilis rate amongst both males and females,
it indicates a sexually permissive society across the sexes. This refutes the idea
that Sodom & Gomorrah were only indulging in homosexual acts. Also temple
prostitution which involves females was a common practice. Their sexual activity
was also shamelessly public and open.
• They were wealthy, prosperous and skilled people.
• They rejected the message of Lot which was the belief in One God.
• Inhospitable to guests & foreigners, greedy, economic exploiters, had unjust
laws, oppressors
• Arrogant overfed and unconcerned.
• Molested and raped men in preference to sexual pleasure with their own
spouses
I know this is can be quite daunting,
so……
Let’s have a quick break!
 Group Exercise 1:
Sodom & Gomorrah with a number of other cities in the Valley of
Siddim (Cities of the Plain) were destroyed by God due to
numerous atrocities.
In your group, discuss the atrocities and try to draw parallels
between your definition of homosexuality and Sodom &
Gomorrah
Why textual Justification?
 ‫بسم الله الرحمن‬
‫الرحيم‬

‫قل كل يعمل على شاكلته فربكم اعلم بمن هو اهدى سبيل‬

“Say: Everyone acts according to his own manner
(biological / psychological make-up): but your Lord
knows best who it is that is best guided on the way.”
Surah Bani Isra-eel 17:84

‫قل كل يعمل على شاكلته فربكم اعلم بمن‬

‫هو اهدى سبيل‬
“Say: Everyone acts according to his own
disposition: but your Lord knows best who it is
Foot notes: that is best guided on the way.”
Surah Bani Isra-eel 17:84

‫شاكلت‬ way, manner, mode, kind, sort, fashion - Hans Wehr Dictionary
 ‫بسم الله الرحمن‬
‫الرحيم‬

‫سبحن اللذي خلق الزواج كلها مما تنبت الرض‬

‫و من انفسهم و مما ل يعلمون‬
Glory be to Allah, who have created all the
pairs from what the earth produces and
from amongst themselves (humans) and from
that of which they possess no knowledge.
Surah Yaseen : 36

‫سبحن اللذي خلق الزواج كلها مما تنبت الرض و من انفسهم‬

‫و مما ل يعلمون‬
Foot notes: Glory be to Allah, who have created all the different pairs
/ partners from what the earth produces and from
themselves (humans) and from that of which they
1) mates, partners possess no knowledge - Surah Yaseen: 36

2) ‫كلها‬ ‫ الزواج‬is in the exhaustive form; it includes all with no exceptions

3) ‫ انفس‬is the plural of ‫ نفس‬also meaning “person, soul, cell or the self”
 ْ َ ‫ضن من أ‬
‫ن‬ َّ ‫ه‬ ُ َ ُ‫ج‬ ‫رو‬ ُ
‫ف‬ ‫ن‬ َ ‫فظ‬ َ ‫ح‬ ‫ي‬
ْ َ َ ّ ‫و‬ ‫ن‬ َ ‫ه‬ِ ‫ر‬
ِ َ ْ ْ ِ َ ْ ‫ض‬
‫صا‬ ‫ب‬ ُ ‫غ‬ ْ َ‫ت ي‬ ِ ‫منَا‬ ِ ‫ؤ‬ ْ ‫م‬ ُ ْ ‫قل ل ِّل‬ ُ ‫و‬ َ
َ
‫علَى‬ َ ‫ن‬ َّ ‫ه‬ ِ ‫ر‬ ِ ‫م‬ ُ ‫خ‬ ُ ِ‫ن ب‬ َ ْ ‫رب‬ ِ ْ َ ‫ولْي‬
‫ض‬ َ ‫ها‬ َ ْ ‫من‬ ِ ‫هَر‬ َ َ‫ما ظ‬ َ ‫ن إ ِ ّل‬ َّ ‫ه‬ ُ َ ‫زينَت‬ ِ ‫ن‬
َ ‫دي‬ ِ ْ ‫وَل يُب‬ َ
َ‫ن أ‬ َ‫ن أ‬ َ
‫و آبَاء‬ ْ َ ّ ‫ه‬ِ ِ ‫ئ‬ ‫ا‬ َ ‫ب‬ ‫آ‬ ‫و‬ْ َّ ‫ه‬ ِ ِ ‫عولَت‬ ُ ُ ‫ن إ ِ ّل لِب‬ َّ ‫ه‬ ُ َ ‫زينَت‬ ِ ‫ن‬ َ ‫دي‬ ِ ْ ‫وَل يُب‬ َ ‫ن‬ َّ ‫ه‬ ِ ِ ‫جيُوب‬ ُ
َ‫ن أ‬ َ َ‫ن أ‬ َ َ َ ‫ن أ َو أ‬ َ َ ‫ن أ َو أ‬ ِ ‫عولَت‬
‫و بَنِي‬ ْ ّ ‫ه‬ ِ ِ ‫ن‬ ‫وا‬ َ ِ ْ‫خ‬
ْ ‫إ‬ ‫و‬ ّ ‫ه‬
ِ ِ ‫ت‬ ‫عول‬ ُ ُ ‫ب‬ ‫اء‬ َ ‫ن‬ ْ ‫ب‬ ْ ّ ‫ه‬ِ ِ ‫ئ‬ ‫ا‬ َ ‫ن‬ ْ ‫ب‬ ْ َّ ‫ه‬ ِ ُ ُ‫ب‬
َّ ‫ه‬ َ ‫ن أ َو ما ملَك َت أ‬ َ َ‫ن أ‬ َ َ ‫ن أ َو بنِي أ‬
‫ن‬ ُ َ ُ ‫ن‬ ‫ما‬ ْ ‫ي‬ ْ َ َ ْ ّ ِ َ ‫ه‬ ِ ‫ئ‬ ‫سا‬ ِ ‫ن‬ ‫و‬
ْ ّ ِ َ ‫ه‬ ِ ‫ت‬ ‫وا‬ ‫خ‬
َ َ ْ َّ ‫ه‬ ِ ِ ‫وان‬َ ‫خ‬
ْ ِ‫إ‬
َّ ْ ّ َ ‫غير أ ُولِي اْلربة من الرجال أ‬ َ َ َ‫أ‬
‫ن‬
َ ‫ذي‬ ِ ‫ال‬ ‫ل‬ ِ ‫ف‬ ِ ‫الط‬ ‫و‬
ِ ِ َ ِّ َ ِ ِ َ ِْ ْ ِ ْ ‫ن‬
َ ‫عي‬ِ ِ ‫اب‬ ّ ‫ت‬ ‫ال‬ ‫و‬
ِ
َ
َ َ ‫عل‬
‫م‬ ْ ُ ‫ن لِي‬ َّ ‫ه‬ ِ ِ ‫جل‬ ُ ‫ن بِأْر‬ َ ْ ‫رب‬ ِ ْ َ ‫وَل ي‬
‫ض‬ َ ‫ساء‬ َ ِّ ‫ت الن‬ ِ ‫وَرا‬ ْ َ ‫علَى‬
‫ع‬ َ ‫هُروا‬ َ ْ‫م يَظ‬ ْ َ‫ل‬
ْ َ َّ
‫ن‬
َ ُ ِ ُ ‫و‬ ‫ن‬ ‫م‬ ْ
‫ؤ‬ ‫م‬ ‫ال‬ ‫ها‬ َ ّ ُ ‫ي‬ ‫أ‬ ‫عا‬ ً ِ َ ِ ‫وتُوبُوا إِلَى الل‬
‫مي‬ ‫ج‬ ‫ه‬ َ ‫ن‬ َّ ‫ه‬ ِ ِ ‫زينَت‬ ِ ‫من‬ ِ ‫ن‬ َ ‫في‬ ِ ‫خ‬ ْ ُ ‫ما ي‬ َ
ْ ُ‫م ت‬ ُ َّ َ
‫ن‬
َ ‫حو‬ ُ ِ ‫فل‬ ْ ‫عل‬ ‫ك‬ َ ‫ل‬
24:31 AND SAY TO THE BELIEVING WOMEN that they should lower their
gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and
ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw
their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands,
their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers
or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or the followers
(citizens / subordinates) who have no desire / need for women amongst the
men, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and that they
should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments.
 The ِ‫غيْرُِأوْلِي الْإِ ْربَةِ مِنَ الرّجَال‬
َ should be exhaustive:
Thus including all possibilities of men who have no erotic
interest in women

• Eunuchs (men who were castrated)

• Aged men who lost sex drive

• Men who lost their sex drive through illness

• Men who lack sexual desire for women.

‫إِرب‬ - wish, desire, need – Hans Wehr Dictionary

 َ َّ َ ْ
‫ن‬ َ ‫جو‬ ُ ‫ساء اللتِي ل يَْر‬ َ ِّ ‫ن الن‬ َ ‫م‬ ِ ُ‫عد‬ ِ ‫وا‬ َ ‫وال‬
‫ق‬ َ
‫ن‬ َ َّ ‫ه‬ َ ‫عل‬ َ َ َ
َ ‫ع‬ ْ ‫ض‬ َ َ ‫ح أن ي‬ ٌ ‫جنَا‬ ُ ‫ن‬ ِ ْ ‫ي‬ َ ‫س‬
َ ْ ‫ي‬ ‫فل‬ ‫حا‬ً ‫ا‬ ‫نِك‬
‫وأن‬ َ ‫ة‬ ‫ن‬ ‫زي‬ ‫ب‬ ‫ت‬ ‫جا‬ ‫ر‬ ‫ب‬ ‫ت‬ ‫م‬ ‫ر‬ ‫ي‬ َ
‫غ‬ ‫ن‬ َ
َ ٍ َ ِ
ِ َ ٍ َ َ
ِّ َ َ َ ُ ْ ّ ‫ه‬ ُ َ ‫ثِيَاب‬
‫م‬
ٌ ‫ي‬ِ ‫ل‬ ‫ع‬
َ ‫ع‬
ٌ ‫مي‬ ِ ‫س‬َ ُ ‫ه‬ ّ ‫والل‬ َ
‫ن‬
َ ّ ُ ‫خيٌْر ل‬ ‫ه‬ ّ َ ‫ن‬ َ ‫ف‬ ْ ‫ف‬ ِ ‫ع‬ ْ َ ‫ست‬ ْ َ‫ي‬

24:60Such amongst the women as are inactive

and have no desire for marriage,- there is no
blame on them if they lay aside their outer
garments, provided they make not a wanton
display of their beauty: but it is best for them to be
modest: and Allah is One Who sees and knows all
 The ‫ وَالْ َقوَاعِدُ مِنَ النّسَاء‬should be exhaustive:
Thus including all possibilities of women who have no
interest in men or marrying men

• Aged women

• Infertile women

• Women who have lost their sex drive trough

Illness

• Women who have no need to marry men.

‫د‬
ُ ‫ع‬
ِ ‫وا‬ َ ْ ‫ال‬
َ ‫ق‬ - inactive, disabled, invalid – Hans Wehr
 Death to homosexuals
Most Islamic scholars believe that homosexuals must be
put to death – based on Hadith ignoring the Quranic
injunction:

َ‫ل ْلبَابِ َل َعلّكُمْ َتتّقُون‬

َ ‫حيَاةٌ َياْ أُولِيْ ا‬
َ ِ‫َوَلكُمْ فِي الْقِصَاص‬

2:179 In the Law of Equality there is (saving of)

Life to you, o ye men of understanding; that ye
may restrain yourselves.

There are no verses in the Quran supporting rajam (stoning

to death) for any sexual offense.
 Homo-eroticism
in Arabia

Homosexuality existed in early Islam

 The numerous erotic poetry between 7th – 9th century praises the beardless
boy and descriptions of his beauty. Famous poets & homosexuals who wrote
homo-erotic poetry were:

Abu Nawas d.810 Arabian Poet

Caliph Muhammad al-Amin 9th Cent CE

Omar Khayyam [Persian Poet - wrote "Rubbayat"]

Rumi was born (September 30, 1207) in Balkh, now part of Afghanistan

Ibn al-Farid 1182-1235 [poet]

Even the Quran (7th Century poetical masterpiece) does not fall short of this:

ُ ُ َ َ َّ
‫ن‬ ْ
ٌ ‫مكنُو‬َ ٌ ْ
ّ ‫م لؤلؤ‬ ْ ‫ه‬ َ
ُ ّ ‫م كأن‬ ُ ‫نل‬
ْ ‫ه‬ َ ْ ‫غل‬
ٌ ‫ما‬ ِ ‫م‬
ْ ‫ه‬
ِ ْ ‫ي‬َ ‫عل‬
َ ‫ف‬
ُ ‫و‬ُ‫ويَط‬
َ
Round about them will serve, (devoted) to them. 52:24Handsome young boys
as Pearls well-guarded.
(Qur’an 52:24; 56:17; 76:19)
 “gay men” in Medina
Muslim, Collection of Authentic Traditions, Book of Greetings,
Chapter 912
Umm Salama reported that she had a
( 5415)
‘mukhannath’ as a slave in her house. Allah's
Messenger (pbuh) was once in the house that he
(mukhannath) said to the brother of Umm
Salama: 'Abdullah b. Abu Umayya, if Allah grants
you victory in Ta'if on the next day, I will show
you the daughter of Ghailan, she has four folds on
the front side of her stomach and eight folds on
the back. Allah's Messenger (pbuh) heard this and
he said: Such should not visit you.

For more reading on the “Mukhannathun” refer to “Effeminates of early Medina” by Everett Rowson
(5416) 'A'isha reported that a mukhannath used to come to the
wives of Allah's Apostle (pbuh) and they did not find anything
objectionable in his visit, considering him to be a male without
any sexual desire [fakaanoo ya'doonahu min ghair oolaa il-
irbah]. Allah's Apostle (pbuh) one day came as he was sitting
with some of his wives and he was busy in describing the bodily
characteristics of a lady and saying: As she comes in front four
folds appear on her front side and as she turns her back eight
folds appear on the back side. Thereupon Allah's Apostle
(pbuh) said: I see that he knows these things; do not, therefore,
allow him to enter. She ('A'isha) said: Then they began to
observe veil from him.

For more reading on the “Mukhannathun” refer to “Effeminates of early Medina” by Everett Rowson
 (Bukhari LXII, 25)

As for whom(ever) plays with a boy: if he caused him to

enter him, then he shall not marry his mother.
Arabic: feeman yal'abu bis-sabiyy: in 'adkhalahu feehi
falaa yatazawwajanna 'ummahu.
 No persecutions of eunuchs, mukhannath or ulil-irba
minar rijaal during the time of the Prophet.

It is noteworthy that, under the relaxed Omayyads and the

even more permissive Abbassids dynasties which ruled after
Muhammad's death to about 1258, we have no record of
poets being punished for their published sexual opinions and
statements, or even for their sexual activities.... At all events,
homosexuality seems to have been as widely practised and
accepted under the Omayyads and Abbassids (and in al-
Tifashi's own time) as it is in most Muslim countries today....
(Edward A. Lacey)
An Interesting narration
One day Rabi'a Al-Adawiyya saw Rabah [al-
Qaysi] kissing a young boy: 'Do you love him?'
she asked. 'Yes,' he said. To which she replied,
'I did not imagine that there was room in your
heart to love anything other than God, the
Glorious and Mighty!'

Rabah was overcome at this and fainted. When

he awoke, he said, 'On the contrary, this is a
mercy that God Most High has put into the
hearts of his slaves.'

(Quoted from as-Sulami, Early Sufi Women = Dhikr

an-niswa al-muta 'abbidat as sufiyyat, translated by
Rkia E. Cornell, Louisville, KY: Fons Vitae, 1999,
pp. 78-79.)
Questioning

HADITH
as a Science
Is there a need for a book of Law other than the Quran

We did not leave out ANYTHING from this book - 6:38?

Shall I seek other than God as a source of law, when He has

revealed to you this book fully detailed? … 6:114
(See also 7:52, 11:1,41:3, 10:37 and 12:111)

Then what Message, after that, will they believe in? - 77:50
 The Prophet prohibits the writing of his Hadith

(1) Ibn Saeed Al-Khudry reported that the messenger of God had said:
"Do not write anything from me EXCEPT QURAN. Anyone who wrote
anything other than the Quran shall erase it.“ Sahih Muslim , Sahih Ahmad

Zayd ibn Thabit (The Prophet's closest revelation writer) visited the Khalifa
Mu'aawiyah (more than 30 years after the Prophet's death), and told him a story
about the Prophet. Mu'aawiyah liked the story and ordered someone to write it
down. But Zayd said. " the messenger of God ordered us NEVER to write
anything of his hadith," Ibn Hanbal

The famous book, "Ulum Al-Hadith" by Ibn Salah, reports a hadith by Abu
Hurayra in which Abu Hurayra said the messenger of God came out to us while
we were writing his hadiths and said; "What are you writing?" We said,
"Hadiths that we hear from you, messenger of God." He said, "A book other
than the book of God ?!" We said, "Should we talk about you?" He said, Talk
about me, that would be fine, but those who will lie will go to Hell. Abu Hurayra
said, we collected what we wrote of Hadiths and burned them in fire.
Ibn Hanbal in his Musnad book, narrates a hadith in which Abdullah
Ibn Omar said, "the messenger of God one day came out to us as if
he was going to depart us soon and said, "When I depart, hold to
the book of God, prohibit what it prohibits and accept as halal what
it makes halal.”

In the book "Taq-yeed Al-Ilm", Abu Saeed Al-Khudry said, " I asked
the messenger of God a permission to write his hadith, but he
refused to give me a permission."
The collection of Hadith & Sunnah is not divinely inspired

The guided Khalifas, who ruled the Muslim Ummah after the death of the Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh) respected the Prophet's wish in not writing anything but the
Quran and denounced any attempt of writing the Hadith and Sunnah. Their example
was followed for the first two centuries after the Prophet's death.

The Khalifa Omar Ibn Abdul-Aziz in 2nd Century AH, issued an order to permit the
writing of Hadith and Sunnah thinking that he would put an end to the widespread
lies about the Prophet Muhammad.

In the first half of the third century the famous six books of hadith appeared and
these are the books used by many of the orthodox Islamic scholars today.

1- Sahih Bukhari.
2- Sahih Muslim.
3- Sunan Abu Dawud.
4-Sunan Al-Tirmidhi.
5-Sunan Al-Nasai.
6- Sunan ibn Majah.
 The farewell Pilgrimage of the Prophet MuFV L.
hammad is a corner stone in the Muslim history. There are however THREE
versions of this sermon in Hadith collections. This by itself reflects the degree of
inconsistency in Hadith collections as this is the most witnessed speech of the
prophet Muhammad.

“I left for you what if you hold up to, you will

never be misguided, the BOOK OF GOD."
Muslim 15/19, nu 1218; Ibn Majah 25/84, Abu Dawud
11/56
Version consistent with Quran

1 " I left for you what if you hold up
to, you will never be misguided, the
book of God and my Family.
Muslim 44/4, Nu2408; Ibn Hanbal
4/366; darimi 23/1, nu 3319.
Version followed by Shia Muslims
2 "I left for you what if you
hold up to, you will never be
misguided, the book of God
and my Sunnah" .
Muwatta, 46/3
Version followed by Sunni Muslims
 Hadith claims missing verse from Quran

The punishment of the adulterer (married) and fornicator

(unmarried) as stated in the Quran in 24:2 is flogging.
However, in justification for Rajam (Stoning to death) the
following was recorded in Kitab Muhajarat:

"Ayesha said: “The verses of Rajam (stoning

to death) were sent down and written; but the
paper was underneath my seat; and when
the prophet died, and we were busy with his
funeral, a goat entered and ate it up "!

َ‫إِنّا َنحْنُ نَزّ ْلنَا ال ّذكْرَ وَِإنّا لَهُ َلحَافِظُون‬

15:9We have, without doubt, sent down the Message;
and We will assuredly guard it.
 Contradictions in Hadith
DO NOT CROSS YOUR LEG
Gabier Ibn Abdullah said, " The messenger of God prohibited a man from crossing one leg
over the other while lying down on his back " Muslim
CROSS YOUR LEG
Ebada Ibn Tameem said , his father said that he saw the messenger of God lying down on
his back in the mosque while crossing his legs." Muslim

DO NOT DRINK STANDING UP

Abu Hurayra said, the messenger of God said, "Do not drink while standing up, if someone
forgot and did it, he should vomit what he drank." Muslim
DRINK STANDING UP
Ibn Abbas said, "The messenger of God drank from the water of Zamzam while standing
up...." Muslim

DO NOT URINATE IN A STANDING POSITION

"The Prophet never urinated in a standing position." Hanbal.
URINATE IN A STANDING POSITION
"The Prophet urinated in a standing position" Bukhari

END OF THE WORLD IN 100 YEARS

" There will not be on the surface of Earth after one hundred years, one newborn (or
created) human being." Bukhary, vol.1
Work on this….
Hadith contradicting Quran

Burda said that his father said the messenger of God

said; " On the Last Day, some Muslims will come with
sins as much as the mountains, but God will forgive
them for these sins and put these sins on the Jews and
the Christians."
Burda narrated that his father said the messenger of
God said; " Every time a Muslim man dies, God puts in
hell fire a Jew or a Christian." Sahih Muslim
6:164 Say: "Am I, then, to seek a sustainer other than God, when He is the
Sustainer of all things?" And whatever any human being commits rests upon
himself alone; and no bearer of burdens shall be made to bear another.
And, in time, unto your Sustainer you all must return: and then He will make
you understand all that on which you were wont to differ.
see also Quran 3:199
 Insults against women
• Sahih Bukhari 8/102 and Hanbel 4/86
"If a monkey, a black dog or a woman passes in front of a praying person, his prayer
is nullified."

• Sahih Bukhari 76/53

"Bad omen is in the woman, the horse and the home."

• Sahih Bukhari:
Abu Bakara said the messenger of God said;
"Any community whose leader is a woman will never succeed“

Omran Ibn Hussein, said the prophet said; "I looked at Heaven and found that the
majority of its dwellers are the poor, and looked at Hell and found the majority of its
dwellers are the WOMEN.

Abu Hurayra said; the messenger of God said; " If a man calls his wife to his bed and
she refused. Then he slept the night mad at her, she will be cursed by God and the
angels until the morning."
 Continued……

• Musnad Ahmad:
"If a man orders a woman to lift a mountain she should
be ready to lift it.“

• Abu Hurayra said; the messenger of God said;

"A woman should not fast except with her husband's
permission."

How do these hadith make you feel as a woman or as a man?

 Hadd
(Capital) punishment cannot be based on
contradiction.
Abu Dawood Book 38, 4449: Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: If anyone has sexual intercourse
with an animal, kill him and kill it along with him. I (Ikrimah) said: I asked
him (Ibn Abbas): What offence can be attributed to the animal/ He replied:
I think he (the Prophet) disapproved of its flesh being eaten when such a
thing had been done to it.

Abu Dawood Book 38, 4450: Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:

There is no prescribed punishment for one who has sexual intercourse
with an animal.

___________________________________________________________

At-Tirmidhi: 1376: ‘Whoever you find committing the sin of the people of
Lut, kill the one who does it and the one to whom it is done.’
 No reference to Homosexuality in Hadith

• While there are no references to homosexuality in the

hadith collections of Bukhari & Muslim, and no hadith at
all reporting an actual occasion in which the Prophet
dealt with it in any way, the other "canonical" collections
do record, in various forms, his condemnation of the
"act of the people of Lot" usually in the form of a
command to "Kill both the active and passive partner."

• Non-canonical hadith add little more, except for one

labeling sexual relations between women (sehaq) a
form of fornication (zena) and another declaring that
men marrying boys will be one of the signs of the
Shaytaan..
EK Rowson - http://www.iranica.com/articles/v12f4/v12f4026b.html
 Relevant hadith are conveniently brought together in a
series of monographs attacking the sin of sodomy, the
earliest of which is that of al-Haytam b. K¨alaf Duri but
which were still being produced as late as the eleventh
century (400 years after the prophet passed away).

These monographs mostly expands on the Prophet's

condemnation and offering a variety of views on the
appropriate form of punishment for sodomy, as well as
purported (but mutually inconsistent) reports of actual
cases of execution for the offense by the early caliphs,
beginning with Abu Bakr (the offenders being invariably
anonymous)

Guamri, al-Hokm al-mazµbuta fi tahárim fi'l-qawm Lut, ed. Obayd-Allah al-Mesári al-
At¯ari, Cairo, 1988).
 Group Exercise 2:
Can Hadith be used as an authentic source for the formulation of
Shariah Laws.
Discuss this in your group
 Strategizing
• Movie – tool to generate discussion.

• Workshop – Islam & Sexual diversity.

• Textual justification. Training people on the broadened & engaged

arguments.

• Teaching Positive scripture.

• Lobbying with progressive religious organizations.

• Gaining support from open-minded clergy.

• Lobbying with feminist groups.

• Seizing opportunity to push the lgbt. envelope on Sexuality platforms.

• Empowering lgbt individuals with positive scripture and broadened /

engaged interpretation of religious text.