Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Homosexuality is a severe
illness and a grave calamity. If it is accompanied by actually committing
immoral actions, then it is even worse, because of the sin and abhorrent
nature of those immoral actions and their bad consequences in this world and
in the Hereafter.
Hence you should focus on
how to treat this perversion and save yourself from this destructive evil,
more than focusing on whether to conceal it from your fiancée or disclose it
to her.
You should realize that
there are causes for this calamity, and these causes may be due to what the
person affected has done. The one who wants to save himself from this
situation should examine these causes and rid himself of them, and do what
we advise, otherwise he is approving of and accepting his condition and he
does not want to change for the better. Among the causes which may be due to
his own actions are the following:
1.
Weakness of faith and
remoteness of the heart from love of Allaah, and a lack of fear of His
punishment.
2.
Looking freely at beardless
youths, and enjoying their beauty and form.
This is the first step
towards sin for those who are affected by this disease. Allaah has enjoined
lowering the gaze and refraining from looking at haraam things, and the
Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has enjoined
likewise. When he stopped following this command and began to do that which
is forbidden, Iblees was able to shoot his poisoned arrow into his heart,
and thus destroy him.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah
have mercy on him) said: Looking is the origin of most of the problems that
befall man, because looking generates thoughts, then thoughts generate
ideas, and ideas generate desires, and desires generate will, which then
becomes stronger and becomes firm resolve, in which case the deed will
inevitably be done unless there is something to prevent it. Hence it was
said that patience in lowering the gaze is easier than patience in bearing
the pain that comes afterwards. End quote from al-Jawaab al-Kaafi (p.
106).
Hence the scholars are
unanimously agreed that it is haraam to look at beardless youths, and some
of them regard that as more haraam than looking at women.
Imam al-Nawawi (may Allaah
have mercy on him) said: Similarly the scholars forbade a man to look at the
face of a beardless youth if he is handsome, whether with or without desire,
and whether it is free of fitnah (temptation) or there is the fear thereof.
This is the correct view which was favoured by the scholars. This was stated
by al-Shaafa’i and the prominent scholars of his madhhab (may Allaah have
mercy on them). The evidence for this is that a beardless youth is, in some
ways, like a woman; he may be desired as a woman is desired, and his form
may be beautiful like that of a woman, and many of them may be more
beautiful than many women. The prohibition applies more to them for another
reason, which is that in their case there may result from attachment to them
types of evil that do not occur in the case of women. End quote.
Sharh Muslim
(4/31).
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn
Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Looking at the face of a
beardless youth with desire is like looking as the face of a mahram or a
non-mahram woman with desire, whether the desire is desire for intercourse
or the desire to derive pleasure from looking. If he looks at his mother,
sister or daughter with pleasure derived from looking like the pleasure
derived from looking at a non-mahram woman, then it is known to everyone
that this is haraam. The same applies to looking at the face of a beardless
youth, according to scholarly consensus. End quote.
Majmoo’ al-Fataawa
(15/413) and (21/245).
And he (may Allaah have
mercy on him) also said:
The one who looks
repeatedly at a beardless youth and the like, or persists in that, and says
“I am not looking with desire” is lying, because if he has no need to look,
then he is only looking because of the pleasure that he feels in his heart
as a result. As for an accidental glance, it is forgiven, if he averts his
gaze.
Majmoo’ al-Fataawa
(15/419) and (21/251).
The kind of looking with
which these sick people are afflicted includes what they watch on satellite
channels and what they see in newspapers and magazines, and on websites, of
pictures of children and beardless young men, and this is what provokes them
to commit immoral actions.
3 – Falling short with
regard to obligatory and naafil acts of worship
If the person who is
afflicted with this problem prays on time, fulfilling the conditions and
obligatory parts of prayer, that will be a deterrent that keeps him from
falling into evil and immoral ways. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
“Verily, As‑Salaah (the
prayer) prevents from Al‑Fahsha’ (i.e. great sins of every kind, unlawful
sexual intercourse) and Al‑Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism, and every
kind of evil wicked deed)”
[al-‘Ankaboot 29:45]
So how about if he
regularly performs sunnah and naafil prayers?
4 – Forsaking the Qur’aan
and failing to read books about the lives of righteous men and the imams
The Book of Allaah contains
guidance, light and healing; it is the best protection for the Muslim
against falling into sin and it is the best remedy for the one who does fall
into sin.
If he reads books about the
imams and biographies of the scholars, he can take them as an example and
become familiar with their stories and rise above immorality and evil.
5 – Falling short in
seeking knowledge
Knowledge is light, through
which one may know what is halaal and do it, and what is haraam and avoid
it. Through it he may come to know his Lord, may He be exalted, and His
names, attributes and deeds. That will generate in his heart a sense of
shyness before his Lord and shyness before His angels, so that he will not
want to commit evil and immoral actions. Through knowledge he will come to
know the state of sinners and the punishment that Allaah has prepared for
them.
6 – A lot of spare time in
the lives of those who have this problem
If they kept themselves
busy with acts of worship, sport, permissible actions and seeking knowledge,
they would not have time to spend in thinking of haraam things, let alone
doing them.
7 – Making friends and
keeping company with bad people
The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) likened the bad friend to one who works the
bellows: he will either burn his companion’s clothes or he will notice a bad
smell coming from him.
8 – Not getting married
Allaah has created natural
desires in man, and He has made the outlet for that in women. The
permissible way to do that is marriage. The one who goes against his natural
state (fitrah) and diverts that desire towards other males like him, is even
lower than the animals, for the animals that Allaah has created are in front
of us, and do we ever see any male mounting another male or looking at him
with desire? Look at this and compare it with the one who looks at beardless
youths of his own gender with desire, and the one who commits immoral
actions with them, and that even makes him refrain from marrying women!
See the answer to question
no. 20068 for information on ways
to escape and treat this disease.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, describing the remedy for
haraam love and infatuation: The remedy for this fatal disease is to
understand that what has befallen him of this disease that is contrary to
Tawheed is due to his ignorance and the negligence of his heart towards
Allaah. He must acknowledge the Oneness of his Lord (Tawheed) and His laws
and verses first of all, then he should do acts of worship, both inward and
outward, which will distract his heart from always thinking of this thing,
turn to Him a great deal and beseech Allaah to take this away from him. He
should focus his heart on Him. There is no better remedy for it than
sincerity towards Allaah. This is the remedy that Allaah mentioned in His
Book when He said (interpretation of the meaning):
“Thus it was, that We might turn away
from him evil and illegal sexual intercourse. Surely, he was one of Our
chosen, (guided) slaves”
[Yoosuf 12:24].
Allaah tells us that He
diverted the evil of infatuation and immoral actions away from him because
of his sincerity, because if the heart is sincere and one’s actions are
sincerely for the sake of Allaah alone, then the love of images cannot take
hold of his heart; they can only take hold of an empty heart, as the poet
said:
Her love came into my heart
before I had any idea of what love is,
And it found my heart
vacant, thus it too hold of it.
End quote from al-Jawaab
al-Kaafi (p. 150, 151).
Secondly:
One of the gravest mistakes
is to think that there is no remedy for this disease, and that the
homosexual can never become straight. If that were the case, then Allaah
would not have told the people of Loot to repent, and the Prophet of Allaah
Loot (peace be upon him) would not have called them to give up their
perversion. Allaah is the Creator of man, and He knows what can be changed
in man and what cannot, so do not pay any attention to any claim that is
contrary to that.
How many homosexuals have
turned to their Lord and repented, and their repentance has been accepted
and they have changed their ways, and their haraam desires have disappeared.
Loot (peace be upon him) called on his people to marry, because that is an
effective remedy, in which the one who is affected by this thing can direct
his desires in the permissible manner.
Thirdly:
From the above it is clear
that what the homosexual falls into of being attached to images of beardless
youths, or evil immoral actions, is the result of his deeds (and he is to
blame). He is required to give it up, and he can rid himself of that. If we
assume that he feels attracted to men, then he must resist that and avoid
the causes that may lead to him falling into haraam, just as a normal man is
naturally attracted to women, but he is required to lower his gaze and not
be alone with a woman, and he must avoid all the means that lead to fitnah
(temptation).
Fourthly:
As for your saying “what
should we do?”, we have explained to you what you should do. You should fear
Allaah and respect Him so much that you do not want Him to see you in the
bad situation which He dislikes for you, and for which He gives people a
painful punishment.
But what we are really
shocked by is what you say after that: “Is it our fault that we are like
that? What is the wisdom behind a man being created like this?”
Yes, O slave of Allaah, the
blame and consequences, the threat and punishment, all befall the one who
commits the sin; he deserves it because of the evil acts that he has done
and what his hands have earned.
Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning):
“And among men is he who
disputes about Allaah, without knowledge or guidance, or a Book giving light
(from Allaah),
9. Bending his neck in
pride (far astray from the path of Allaah), and leading (others) too (far)
astray from the path of Allaah. For him there is disgrace in this worldly
life, and on the Day of Resurrection We shall make him taste the torment of
burning (Fire).
10. That is because of
what your hands have sent forth, and verily, Allaah is not unjust to (His)
slaves”
[al-Hajj 22:8-10]
Allaah also says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“And those who dispute
concerning Allaah (His religion of Islamic Monotheism with which Muhammad
صلى الله عليه وسلم has been sent), after
it has been accepted (by the people), of no use is their dispute before
their Lord and on them is wrath, and for them will be a severe torment”
[al-Shoora 42:16]
Shaykh al-Sa’di said (may
Allaah have mercy on him): Here Allaah tells us that “those who dispute
concerning Allaah”, with false proofs and contradictory specious
arguments, “after it has been accepted (by the people)” i.e., after
the people of insight and reason have responded to Allaah, because of the
definitive signs and clear proof that He has made clear to them, therefore
these people who dispute the truth after it has been made clear to them, “of
no use is their dispute” i.e., it is false and rejected “before their
Lord” because it implies rejection of the truth, and everything that is
contrary to the truth is false.
“and on them is wrath”
because of their disobedience and their turning away from the proof of
Allaah and their rejecting it. “and for them will be a severe torment”
which is the effect of Allaah’s wrath on them. This is the punishment of
everyone who contests the truth with falsehood. End quote.
Allaah says of His lying
enemies (interpretation of the meaning):
“And when they commit a
Faahisha (evil deed, going round the Ka‘bah in naked state, every kind of
unlawful sexual intercourse), they say: ‘We found our fathers doing it, and
Allaah has commanded it on us.’ Say: ‘Nay, Allaah never commands Faahisha.
Do you say of Allaah what you know not?’
29. Say (O Muhammad
صلى الله عليه وسلم): My Lord has
commanded justice and (said) that you should face Him only (i.e. worship
none but Allaah and face the Qiblah, i.e. the Ka‘bah at Makkah during
prayers) in each and every place of worship, in prayers (and not to face
other false deities and idols), and invoke Him only making your religion
sincere to Him (by not joining in worship any partner with Him and with the
intention that you are doing your deeds for Allaah’s sake only). As He
brought you (into being) in the beginning, so shall you be brought into
being [on the Day of Resurrection in two groups, one as a blessed one
(believers), and the other as a wretched one (disbelievers)].
30. A group He has
guided, and a group deserved to be in error; (because) surely, they took the
Shayaateen (devils) as Awliyaa’ (protectors and helpers) instead of Allaah,
and think that they are guided”
[al-A’raaf 7:28-30].
Shaykh al-Sa’di (may Allaah
have mercy on him) said: Here Allaah says, describing the evil state of the
mushrikeen who commit sins, and claim that Allaah commanded them to do them:
“And when they commit a Faahisha (evil deed)” meaning everything that
is regarded as abhorrent and repugnant, which includes their
circumambulating the Ka’bah naked. “they say: ‘We found our fathers doing
it” they spoke the truth concerning that. “and Allaah has commanded
it on us” they were lying concerning that, hence Allaah rejected this
attribution of theirs and said: “Say: ‘Nay, Allaah never commands
Faahisha (evil deeds)’” i.e., it is not befitting to His perfection and
wisdom to enjoin His slaves to commit evil deeds, whether it is what these
mushrikeen were doing or anything else. “Do you say of Allaah what you
know not?,” and what fabrication can be greater than that? End quote.
What you have said is what
the enemies of Allaah, the mushrikeen and those who disbelieve His
Messengers, say. They fall into sin, then they make excuses for it on the
basis of qadar (the divine decree), saying that Allaah created them like
that, or that He commanded them to do it; exalted be Allaah far above what
the wrongdoers say.
Hence let the adulterer,
thief and murderer say: What is my fault? Allaah created me like this. This
false argument ultimately invalidates all the divine laws, and invalidates
the commands and prohibitions, and gives people free rein, so that they
fornicate like donkeys, and soon some of them may commit evil actions in the
street, as will happen at the end of time, and as happens in some kaafir and
sinful countries!
Do you know that you are
the one who opened this door to yourself, but that Allaah has proof against
you, and you have no proof against Allaah?
So keep yourself busy with
closing the door to evil and corruption, before you become unable to close
it, instead of keeping yourself busy wondering about the one who made the
door and how come he did not keep it closed, as it seems that you do not
know the difference between the door and the wall!
If you want it all to be a
wall, with no door in it, and no lamp, then what is the point of
accountability, and what is the value of commands and prohibitions, halaal
and haraam, reward and punishment, Paradise and Hell?
To sum up our advice to
you, we advise you to hasten to get married, so that you can put your sperm
into that which is pure and halaal, and protect yourself against haraam
sex.
But, so that you will not
deceive the one who trusts you or betray that trust or transgress against
one who has not wronged you, it is essential that you begin first with
sincere repentance to Allaah from the sin of homosexuality that you have
fallen into, and strive to do all kinds of acts of obedience. Keep yourself
busy with Allaah and pleasing Him, then as soon as you feel that you have
started to follow the path of guidance, and you feel that you are going in
the right direction, then strengthen the motives of goodness and purity in
your heart by marrying one who will keep you chaste. But before starting to
treat the problem or feeling that you have repented sincerely, do not
transgress against anyone else and do not betray the one who has trusted
you.
We ask Allaah to heal you,
purify your heart, and keep you chaste.
And Allaah knows best.
