Homosexuality is not a sin by nature according to Islam…

Homosexuality is not a sin by nature according to Islam,
neither a crime, nor a perversion, nor a pathology.

For more detailled information about that topic, please read the Green Book

PDF version click here

Nowhere, neither in the Qur’an nor in the Sunna – hadeeth, oral traditions of the Prophet - homosexuality is condemned, as recalled on May 17th, 2010 by the rector of the Mosque of Bordeaux, Imam Tareq Oubrou [1]. According to that statement, today it is a duty to change some misogynistic and homophobic traditions, and talk about real issues, without amalgams, or misunderstandings, or political manipulations.

First of all, the verses mentioning “the people of Lut” in the Qur’an, never speak of homosexuality by nature; homosexuality - المثلية الجنسية - is not mentioned once. The Qur’an mentions violent sex, dominative, inhuman practiced by the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, and other criminal practices that have nothing to do with homosexuality - rape, theft, refusal of hospitality, murder, etc.. [2]. Moreover, their traditional sex was described as unprecedented. It is said in the Qur’an: “How dare you practice a vice than any people before you had practiced” [3]. And we know today that homosexuality has not been “invented” by the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Considering that these crimes - rape, theft, etc. - Are characteristic of homosexuals is discriminatory and it is an amalgam. If one replace the term “people of Lot” with “Jews” or “Blacks”, we would see that we cannot now condemned all “Jews” or “Blacks” for a crime committed by a city populated predominantly, 5000 years ago (!), of “Jews” or “Blacks”. In this example, the discrimination and the amalgam are obvious. But when it comes to homosexuality, it is less obvious and some dogmatic Muslims continue to accuse us of all these heinous crimes committed by people who had, among other things, homosexual violent and dehumanizing practices.

Therefore, these sexual practices and are often cited by dogmatic Muslims because they think homosexuality is mentioned in the Qur’an indirectly. But theses violent practices have in fact nothing to do with homosexuality per se. It would be more likely that these sexual practices have been described by the ancient historian, Herodotus: “… Once in a lifetime to sit in the temple of love [dedicated to the goddess Ishtar] and … have sex with a stranger … men pass and make their choice. Whatever the money, the woman never refuses, because that would be a sin, the money being by this act made sacred “[4]. In good faith, these acts do not describe homosexuality per se. These are sexual domineering, violent practices which can be equated with prostitution in public.
 These domineering and violent sexual practices also seem to be still in force among the Arabs until shortly before the end of the modern era (nineteenth century), as reported by Khaled Al-Rouyaheb in his wonderful book “Before Homosexuality in the Arab-IslamicWorld “[5]. And so the hadeeth attributed to the Prophet Muhammad , that says: “If you find two men to commit the crime of the people of Lut, kill the active and the passive ” [6]: well this hadeeth does not apply to homosexuality per se, but applies to acts of prostitution made in public. Today there is no question of practicing such a punishment for acts of prostitution made publicly [7]. But it will still take time before the Arabo-islamic countries - often within the scope of dictatorial regimes - evolve on these particular issues [8]; dictatorships, despotic regimes, which cannot be honestly considered as Islamic.



Besides this hadeeth was narrated by one of the companions of the Prophet with the most sulfurous reputation, which itself was involved personally with homosexuality. Aisha RAA, with whom Abu Huraïra also had an altercation, said that what Abu Huraïra considered the words of the Prophet , actually was not the word of the Prophet . These are inconsistencies about hadeeth narrated by Abu Huraïra - hadeeths attributed to the Prophet , in reality often misogynistic and homophobic hadeeths - in total contradiction with the facts as reported also by other companions of the Prophet whose reputations are safer. Inconsistencies about Abu Huraïra that have already been highlighted in 1983 by the famous Muslim feminist, Fatima Mernissi in her famous book: “The political harem, the Prophet and women” [9]. We, sexual minorities who are fighting for human rights, must be aware that the opinion of one man of bad reputation is not valid in front of the advice of the wife of the Prophet Muhammad ; Aisha RAA, the closest of his wives, the first scholar woman within Islam.

Plus Abu Huraïra, the companion of the Prophet Muhammad - the reputation of the companions is considered sacred to the majority of Muslims - seemed to be himself questioning about his sexuality. He spoke to the Prophet Muhammad who, far from condemning him, urged him to accept his fate [10]. But Abu Huraïra preferred to marry and have kids. Then he used to be one of the fiercest persecutors of those whom they use to call the “mukhanathun” - مخنثون. The mukhanathun were men effeminate, androgynous men, who had no desire to women, who did not marry women, before whom the Prophet’s wives did not veil with their hijab [11]. Today mukhanathun could have been described as “gay” or “transgenders”. The Prophet defended, proactively, one of these mukhanathun; Abu Huraïra wanted to kill because of his effeminate manners and way of dressing [12]. It is therefore obvious that the opinion of Abu Huraïra on homosexuality was not neutral, and in total contradiction with the ethical position of the Prophet of Islam who, again, defended proactively these individuals belonging to what we call today “sexual minorities”. What religious or political leader had given such an example, one thousand and almost five hundred years ago ?


Moreover about the Arabo-Islamic traditions considered to be “authentic” - often wrongly attributed to the Prophet Muhammad , as we have seen - there is also the hadeeth often quoted saying: ” When two men have sex as did the people of Lut, the throne of the Merciful is shaken [13]. This hadeeth is apocryphal, which means it was added to the Arabo-Islamic tradition long after the death of the Prophet Muhammad who never claimed that the universe can shake simply because of a sexual relation between two consenting individuals. So why do some Muslims, often dogmatic, still repeat this apocryphal hadeeth, if it was so obvious from the Qur’an that homosexuality is sinful by nature!?

Similarly, there is never any mention of feminine homosexuality anywhere. The only hadeeth that talks about sexual relationships between women is also apocryphal, first cited by al-Tabaraani over three hundred years after the Prophet’s death and was added after the elaboration of the six so called “authentic” books of Hadeeths. This fact tends to prove in this case, after the death of the Prophet , that women’s sexuality was controlled by the men in power’s vision, who did not think a woman without a penis could have an “independent” sexuality – for several Muslim scholars, adultery was considered to be the penetration of a penis into a vagina [13b]. Moreover, these apocryphal hadeeths suggests that with the dogmatization of Islam, “Arabs” no longer saw “homosexuality” – defined here as the exclusive research of a same sex partner - as a threat to filiation, a sacred concept for the tribal morality of that time ; but for the first time probably in the history of the Arabo-Islamic world, several decades after the Prophet’s death , this behavior was seen as a pathology [5].


Remember also the verses of that Surat who speaks of the celestial journey accomplished through Jerusalem by Muhammad : “Say: Everyone acts according to its kind - in Arabic shakilat, شكلة - but your Lord knows best who follows the best path. They ask you about the soul. Say: “The soul comes under the command of my Lord, and indeed of knowledge ye have been vouchsafed but little.” If We willed We could withdraw that which We have revealed, and then you will not find anyone to defend you against Us. ” [14]. Here “shakilat” could be translated as “deep nature on which the individual was shaped” or “gender identity”. It is an interpretation certainly much more modern and progressive than most dogmatic Muslims would like to impose. Only God knows why He created us so and why each one is acting a certain way, depending on its gender or sexuality.

In conclusion we believe homosexuality is not a sin by nature, and it is the duty of every good Muslim to fight against homophobic violence, as recalled by the Rector of Bordeaux, Imam Tariq Oubrou [ 15]. More importantly, it is the duty of all good Muslims in France - and elsewhere - to manage a place for sexual minorities within the Muslim community; homophobia is not an opinion but a crime [ 16]. For us all use of the Arabo-Islamic tradition for political purposes can only serve Islamophobic extremists and dogmatic Muslims. Finally, remember that the Prophet himself forbade – according to his faithful companion, the Caliph of Islam Omar ibn Al-Khattab – to base our ethic mainly on his sayings and hadeeths; we have to stick mainly on the Qur’an [17], very probably because he knew that some parties might use his words to change, playing on the misunderstandings, the fundamentally egalitarian and non-violent spirit of Islam [18].

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Nota Bene (added on the 28th of March 2011)

In some chapters the Qur’an refers to marriage as the union between men and women as a complementary pair. However, other chapters deal with the fundamental nature of the human relationships as a duality with no presence of gender dichotomy. Likely, duality would exist inside of every being. This states the fundamental equality of the spouses and gives a way to a no-gender conception of the human relationships.

“O, people! Care about your commitments with your Lord, Who created with an only soul and from it He created its couple, and from the union of both multitude of men and women were born” (Qur’an 4:1)

“And among His Signs you may find this: that He created couples for you from yourselves to live in peace with them, blowing love and mercy in your hearts. Certainly there are signs in for those who want to see” (Qur’an 30:21).

L.Zahed - founder and spokesman
 For the Commission “Color Islam” of HM2F - the citizen network of Homosexual Muslims of France

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

[1] Le Livre Vert de HM2F a été présenté à l’Assemblée Nationale le 17 mai 2011, à l’occasion de la journée mondiale contre l’homophobie, la transphobie - http://www.homosexuels-musulmans.org/IDAHO_17_mai_2010_colloque_assemblee_nationale_francaise_HM2F.html

[2] Coran : 7.80-84, 11.69-83,15.51-77, 21.71-75, 22.42-43, 25.40, 26.159-175, 27.54-58, 29.28-35, 37.133-138, 50.12-13, 54.32-40 37, 66.10

[3] Coran : 7.80

[4] Dening, S. (1996). « The Mythology of Sex », Chapter 3, Macmillan General Reference, New York.

[5] El-Rouayheb, K. (2010). « L’amour des garçons en pays arabo-islamique. XVIe-XVIIIe siècle », p.36. Epel, Paris – In English “ Before Homosexuality in the Arab-IslamicWorld “.

[6] El Tarmidi, recueil de traditions authentiques, numéro 1376

[7] Manifeste CALEM pour la dépénalisation des rapports sexuelles entre adultes consentant – www.calem.eu

[8] Le rapport d’Amnesty internationale sur la question - http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/POL30/003/2008/en/d77ce647-4cd3-11dd-bca2- bb9d43f3e059/pol300032008eng.pdf ; voir aussi le rapport de l’ILGA - http://ilga.org/historic/Statehomophobia/Homophobie_d_Etat_ILGA_2007.pdf ; voir aussi la torture pratiquée par les forces de l’ordre égyptiennes avant la chute de Mubarak - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCHM6LYiBsY&oref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fresults%3Fsearch_query%3Dtorture%2Begypt%26aq%3Df&has_verified=1 ; voir enfin l’article paru sur Yagg l’interview de Mohamed Mezziane selon lequel « Moubarak a été le premier dictateur arabe à mener une persécution systématique et à grande échelle contre l’homosexualité et les homosexuels entre 2001 et 2005. Des milliers d’hommes ont été arrêtés par la police des mœurs. Les amis et connaissances homos de ces hommes ont été arrêtés aussi, à partir des carnets d’adresses des hommes arrêtés, ou d’une dénonciation obtenue sous la menace. Dans les grandes villes, la police des mœurs a constitué d’énormes fichiers de présumés homosexuels, et ceux-ci étaient souvent harcelés. Une partie de ces exactions a été bien documentée par Human Rights Watch [http://www.hrw.org/fr/news/2003/07/21/egypt-homosexual-prosecutions-overturned], notamment pour la période 2001-2003 - http://www.hrw.org/fr/news/2003/07/21/egypt-homosexual-prosecutions-overturned

[9] F. Mernissi (1987). « Le harem politique : le Prophète et les femmes ». Albin Michel, Paris. On y apprend notamment que le célébrissime Al-Bokhari – le plus grand des savants de la tradition orale islamique, les hadiths - était au courant de la réputation de Abu Huraïra ; et il rapporte lui-même que « les gens disaient qu’Abu Huraïra racontait trop de hadiths » - Al-‘Uzziy, ‘A., A., S., A. (1981). « Difaa’ ‘An-Abi Huraïra ». Maqtabat Al-Nahda, Baghdad -. Omar Ibn Al-Khatab, second khalif de l’Islam, aurait fait la réflexion suivante : « nous avons beaucoup de choses à dire, mais nous avons peur de les dire, et cet homme là n’a aucune retenue » - Hajar, B. « Al-Isaba fi Tamyiz al-Sahaba ». Beyrouth -. Il aurait en effet retenu plus de 5300 hadiths - Hajar, B. « Al-Isaba fi Tamyiz al-Sahaba ». Beyrouth - reportés dans les six ouvrages musulmans les plus authentiques ; c’est-à-dire très probablement plus qu’aucun autre compagnons de Mahomet ; plus même que les propres épouses même du Prophète comme Aïcha, qui passait déjà à l’époque comme une référence en matière de jurisprudence et de sagesse islamique ! Sans compter que pour rapporter autant de hadiths, Abu Huraïra qui s’est converti à peine deux ans avant la mort du Prophète aurait dû passer son temps à écouter toutes les paroles du Prophète , afin de rapporter plus de sept hadiths par jour (ou un peu plus d’un par jour, si l’on reprends une autre forme de décompte des différentes version d’un même hadith) !

[10] Lors d’un entretien privé avec le Prophète Mahomet, Abu Huraïra lui dit ceci : « je suis un jeune homme et je crains les tourments de son âme, mais je ne trouve pas les moyens d’épouser une femme » [innee rajulun shaabbun wa ana akhaafu ‘alaa nafsee al-‘anata wa laa ajidu ma atazawwaju bihi an-nisaa’a]. Le Prophète garda le silence, même après qu’Abu Huraïra ait réitéré sa déclaration trois fois. Enfin, après la quatrième fois, Mahomet dit : « O Abu Huraïra, la plume est sèche en ce qui concerne ce qui peut être convenable pour ceux d’entre vous. Alors, soit eunuque pour cette raison ou abandonne. » - Bukhari, LXII 8. Pour comparaison, rappelons-nous que lorsqu’Uthman – khalife de l’islam après la mort du Prophète - est venu demander à Mahomet s’il pouvait être autorisé à vivre une vie d’abstinence. Cela lui a été clairement refusé. Abu Huraira semblait donc perturbé par le fait qu’il se sentait incapable de se marier à une femme.

[11] Sunan Abu Dawud – recueil de traditions dites « authentiques » -. Livre de l’Adab, no 4928 (4:282) ; voir aussi le livre de Rowson, E., K..: “The effeminates of early Medina”, Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 111, No. 4. (Oct. - Dec., 1991), pp. 671-693.

[12] Sunan Abu Dawud, Livre 41, numéro 4910.

[13] S. Kugle (2010). « Homosexuality in Islam ». Oneworld Publications, London.

[13b] Hendricks, M. (2010) « Islamic text ; a source of acceptance of queer individuals into mainstream Muslim society” - click here ; voir aussi le livre De Habib, S. (2007). « Female Homosexuality in the Middle East: History and Representations ». Routledge, London ; voir aussi Andrew, W., G. & Kalpakli, M. (2005). “The Age Of Beloveds: Love And The Beloved In Early-Modern Ottoman And European Culture And Society”. Duke university press, où les auteurs décrivent des femmes masculines et fortes au poids d’en tuer un lion à mains nues, un mythe qui enferme toujours la femme sous le joug de la masculinité toute puissante puisque les seules femmes indépendantes serait des femmes masculines - http://books.google.fr/books?id=a30HVkX4UAEC&printsec=frontcover&dq=andrews+and+kalpakli+beloved&source=bl&ots=mzl2fYjZL3&sig=po35gKo7x45TrnejuD3nUqFoUjc&hl=fr&ei=R5N_TZqPK8SxcenQ9IAH&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CBsQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false - ; voir aussi Kuru, S. (2006). « Kuru, Selim S. 2000. A Sixteenth Century Scholar: Deli Birader and His “Dafi`ü’l-Gumum Ve Rafi`ü’l-Humum.” Unpublished PhD Dissertation. Harvard University”, où l’auteur nous parle de ces femmes qui déambulait dans l’empire ottoman dans des “bordel” ambulant emplis de godemichés et autres ustensiles de plaisirs ; voir aussi Najmabadi, A. (2005). « Women With Mustaches And Men Without Beards: Gender And Sexual Anxieties Of Iranian Modernity ». University of California Press, où l’auteur parle, très succinctement, de “contrat” – probablement de type matrimoniaux – entre certaines femmes de harems – des harems qui parfois pouvaient abriter plusieurs centaines de femmes issues des quatre coins du royaume.

[14] Coran : 17.84-86

[15] L’imam Tarek Oubrou était à l’Assemblée Nationale le 17 mai 2011 pour rappeler que nulle part, ni dans le Coran ni dans la Sunna –tradition orale du Prophète , l’homosexualité n’est condamnée en tant que telle - http://www.homosexuels-musulmans.org/IDAHO_17_mai_2010_colloque_assemblee_nationale_francaise_HM2F.html

[16] En 2004, l’homophobie est devenue un délit passible de deux ans d’emprisonnement et de 30 000 euros d’amendes - http://www.leparisien.fr/societe/l-homophobie-va-devenir-un-delit-24-11-2004-2005481660.php ; Rappelons par ailleurs que l’homophobie est un problème qui ne touche pas uniquement les musulmans ; c’est une problématique sociétales qui consiste a déshumaniser un groupe minoritaire bouc émissaire, lorsque le groupe majoritaire se sent en danger - http://www.homosexuels-musulmans.org/infrahumanisation_deshumanisation_violente_et_justice_de_la_reforme_de_l-islam_de_france.html. L’homophobie comme nous venons de tenter de le montrer n’a rien à voir avec l’islam. Un musulman qui serait homophobe et qui utilise l’islam - comme il pourrait utiliser certaines études biaisées en sciences humaines - http://www.kinseyinstitute.org/ - doit être dénoncé pour son comportement personnel, qui n’engage en rien l’ensemble de la communauté musulmane de France dont nous, les HM2F, faisons parti.

[17] Il dit : « le plus menteur des Mohaddithin [compagnons du Prophète qui rapportent les hadiths qu’ils disent avoir entendu] est Abu Huraïra » -
Tabari, Tafsir, op cit, volume XXI, p.157. Ainsi, ‘Omar l’a menacé de l’exiler, et de le renvoyer au Yémen, son pays d’origine, s’il continuait à raconter de tels hadiths - op cit, volume XXI, p.157. Aïcha également rejeta l’un de ses hadiths. Abu Huraïra, rapporte, selon lui, du Prophète Mahomet , qu’une femme croyante maltraitait une chatte en la torturant et que cette dernière a périt en Enfer. Néanmoins, ce témoignage est rejeté par ‘Aïcha ; un disciple raconte : « Nous étions chez ‘Aïcha, et il y avait Abu Huraïra avec nous, Aïcha lui dit : « Abu Huraïra, est-ce toi qui as dit que tu as entendu le Prophète Mahomet déclarer qu’« une femme est allée en Enfer parce qu’elle a affamé une chatte en l’assoiffant » ? « J’ai entendu le Prophète Mahomet dire cela », répondit Abu Huraïra. « Le croyant a trop de valeur aux yeux de Dieu, lui répondit Aïcha, pour qu’il puisse le torturer à cause d’une chatte […]. Abu Huraïra, la prochaine fois, quand tu entreprendras de répéter les propos du Prophète de Dieu, surveille ce que tu racontes » - Shaykh al-Islam al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani dans al-Isaba fi Tamyiz al-Sahaba, volume VII, p.118. Nous savons là aussi que Abu Huraïra ne supportait pas que l’on maltraita de petits chattons. D’ailleurs son surnom, Abu Huraïra, veut dire en arabe « le père des chatons » ; il a été surnommé ainsi parce qu’il aimait particulièrement les petits chats.

[17] Bidar, Abdennour (2008). « L’islam sans soumission ». Albin Michel, Paris.
http://www.homosexuels-musulmans.org/homosexuality-is-not-a-sin-perversion-according-to-islam.html