Recently the religious authorities in the State of Selangor in Malaysia have been very hard at work in restricting Islamic speakers who are not accredited with credentials to speak in mosques from conveying Islam. On May 14th, an Islamic teacher was detained in Section 8, Shah Alam for teaching without a credential. This was followed by the arrest of three independent speakers including two former participants of the popular ‘Pencetus Ummah’ at a mosque in the town of Rawang the very next day, for the same offense. What is clear is that the content of the lectures delivered were never evaluated by the religious authorities at all; what counts is the credential. Even if the message delivered is the truth, the deliverer is still considered to have committed a crime! At the same time, Muslims in Malaysia are increasingly bombarded with various “propaganda” by liberal groups. Unfortunately, these people are not arrested by the religious authorities, even though the evidence is very clear. They often dispute the interpretation of the Quran and al-Hadith by scholars whom they claim as being old-fashioned and outdated and they often interpret the verses and the hadith according to their whims and desires. Recently, a stir on the social media concerning the issue of homosexuality have surfaced.
Comment:
This latest propaganda being spread by liberal groups claims that there is no clear evidence in the Quran and al-Hadith that forbids homosexuality. Defenders of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transsexual) differentiate homosexuality and liwat (sodomy). They claim that Islam only describes the legal prohibition of liwat, but not homosexuality. In fact, they claimed that Allah (swt) cursed the people of Prophet Lut not because the act of liwat but because of their opposition to the Prophet. Among the attempts to “legalize” LGBT is to say that homosexuality is not the same as the past. Although they acknowledge that there is a punishment on liwat by Islam, they also claimed that homosexuality is not in the Quran and al-Hadith. On that basis, they claim, that Islam does not forbid homosexuality, as to them, they see homosexuality as only a form of sexual ‘attraction’ between the same gender but not the sexual act itself. Nevertheless, it is obviously known and understood that the term “homosexual” is synonymous to an “act” and is not merely a “feeling”. Even if it was just a ‘feeling’ Islam has clearly forbidden acts which may cause a man to be attracted to other men or women attracted to other women (sexually). Since childhood, Islam has taught that children should be separated from their beds as early as 7 years old. Furthermore Rasulullah ﷺ has said,
«لاَ يَنْظُرُ الرَّجُلُ إِلَى عَوْرَةِ الرَّجُلِ وَلاَ الْمَرْأَةُ إِلَى عَوْرَةِ الْمَرْأَةِ وَلاَ يُفْضِي الرَّجُلُ إِلَى الرَّجُلِ فِي ثَوْبٍ وَاحِدٍ وَلاَ تُفْضِي الْمَرْأَةُ إِلَى الْمَرْأَةِ فِي الثَّوْبِ الْوَاحِدِ«
“Let no man see the nakedness of man. And a woman must not see the nakedness of women. Let not a man to sleep with another man in a blanket. And a woman in the same blanket with another woman.” [Muslim]
In another hadith it is mentioned,«أَنَّهُ لَعَنَ الْمُتَشَبِّهَاتِ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ بِالرِّجَالِ وَالْمُتَشَبِّهِينَ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ بِالنِّسَاءِ» “The Prophet cursed men who resemble women and women who resemble men” [Bukhari].
All these traditions are clearly prevention of actions that could lead to same-sex sexual attraction. Thus, the distinction between homosexuality and sodomy is clearly just an attempt to justify the heinous act, in addition to efforts to recognize and allow the existence of LGBT and the abominations they perpetrate.
As for the liberal group’s understanding that the curse and wrath of Allah (swt) on the people of Lut is not due to their heinous practice of sodomy but simply due to the opposition of the people against their prophet, the verses in the Quran themselves have clearly rejected such notion. They interpreted the word fahisha (abomination) found in Surah al-A’raf verse 80 as the objection of the people of Lut against their Prophet. Hence, they say that saying homosexuality is forbidden based on the story of the people of Prophet Lut is not right. However, it is clear that the word fahisha very clearly refers to the act of sodomy committed by the people of Lut, as stated clearly in Surah al-A’raf,
وَلُوطًا إِذْ قَالَ لِقَوْمِهِ أَتَأْتُونَ الْفَاحِشَةَ مَا سَبَقَكُم بِهَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ مِّن الْعَالَمِينَ * إِنَّكُمْ لَتَأْتُونَ الرِّجَالَ شَهْوَةً مِّن دُونِ النِّسَاء بَلْ أَنتُمْ قَوْمٌ مُّسْرِفُونَ
“(Remember) when he said to his people, “Do you commit indecency (fahisha), which has never been done by a person (in this world) before you?” Indeed, you approach men with the desire to unleash your passion instead of women. You are indeed aggressors”
(Surah al-A’raf 7:80-81)
The phrase “to unleash your passion” refers to the act by the people of Prophet Lut, while the phrase “you are indeed transgressors” show censure and the prohibition of homosexual acts. In addition to violating the human nature, such action manifests dementedness.
وَجَاءهُ قَوْمُهُ يُهْرَعُونَ إِلَيْهِ وَمِن قَبْلُ كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ السَّيِّئَاتِ قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ هَـؤُلاء بَنَاتِي هُنَّ أَطْهَرُ لَكُمْ فَاتَّقُواْ اللّهَ وَلاَ تُخْزُونِ فِي ضَيْفِي أَلَيْسَ مِنكُمْ رَجُلٌ رَّشِيدٌ
“He said: ‘O my people! Here are my daughters, they are purer for you. So fear Allah and do not disgrace (of) my guests this. Is there not amongst you any upright man?”
(Surah Hud 11:78)
The phrase أَلَيْسَ مِنكُمْ رَجُلٌ رَّشِيدٌ “Is there not amongst you any upright man?” indicates a clear denunciation by Prophet Lut that homosexuality is an act only perpetrated by people who are psychotic. Hence, indeed, homosexuality, be it just ‘feelings’ or the act of sodomy, is a heinous thing in Islam. And the attempt by demented liberals to justify homosexuality is indeed a heinous attempt. It was indeed regrettable that the religious authorities are only interested and very determined to apprehend and punish ‘credential-less’ Islamic teachers but let liberals and defenders of LGBT activities free to propagate their devilish messages. To the liberals and LGBTs, do repent and study Islam in the right way. Don’t busy yourselves blaming others for alienating you; it is in fact you who are the one who have been alienating yourselves.
Dr. Muhammad – Malaysia