What does Islam say about homosexuality?
Text taken from the About Religion site (USA), freely translated by Giulia BroCanello
Islam is clear in its prohibition of homosexual acts. Islam scholars appoint these reasons to condemn homosexuality, based on the teachings of the Koran and Sunnah:
- It clashes with the "natural" order with which God created human beings;
- it leads to the destruction of the family and the institutions of the marriage;
- It induces people to ignore God's guide in the other areas of life.
In Islamic terminology, homosexuality is alternatively called al-Fahsha '(an obscene act), Shudhudh (abnormality), O' Amal Qawm Lut (behavior of the people of Lut). Islam teaches that believers should neither join, nor support homosexuality.
The Koran
The Koran tells stories that are intended to teach people precious lessons. The Koran tells the story of the people of Lut (Lot), which is similar to that told in the Old Testament of the Bible. We learn that an entire nation was destroyed by God because of their obscene behaviors, which included unbridled homosexuality. When a prophet of God, Lut made a preach to his people. We too listen to what Lot said to his people: "Will you commit obscenity like no other person in creation ever committed before you? To you who prefer men instead of women. No, you are really a person who goes beyond the limits ". (Qur'an 7: 80-81).
In another verse, Lot warned them: "Of all the creatures in the world, will you approach the males, and will you leave what Allah has created for you to be your companions? No, you are a person who transgresses (all limits)!"(Qur'an 26: 165-166). People rejected Lut and threw it out of the city. In response, God destroyed them as punishment for their transgressions and disobedience. Muslim scholars quote these verses to support the prohibition against homosexual behavior.
Marriage in Islam
The Koran says that everything has been created for couples who complete each other. The coupling of male and female is therefore part of human nature and natural order. Marriage and family are the way admitted in Islam for the emotional, psychological and physical needs of a person to be satisfied. The Koran describes the relationship wife/husband as a relationship of love, tenderness and support. Procreation is another way of satisfying human needs, for those who God blesses with children. The institution of marriage is considered the foundation of Islamic society, the natural condition with which all people have been created to live.
Punishment for the sexual attitude
Muslims generally believe that homosexuality derives from conditioning and exposure, and that a person who feels homosexual desires should try to change. It is a challenge and a struggle to win, just as others face this in their lives in different ways. In Islam, there is no legal judgment against people who feel homosexual impulses but do not act according to these. In many Muslim nations, acting on the basis of homosexual feelings, the behavior itself, is condemned and subject to legal penalty. The specific penalty changes among jurists, varying from prison sentence or flogging, to the death penalty.
In Islam, the capital penalty is reserved only for the most serious crimes that compromise society as a whole. Some jurists see homosexuality in that way, especially in nations such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Yemen. However, arrests and punishments for homosexual crimes are often not made. Islam also places a strong emphasis on individual privacy law. If a "crime" is not carried out in the public sphere, it is mostly ignored as if it were a question between the individual and God.
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Original text: Homosexuality in Islam
