I am a Canadian ex-Muslim living with Islam’s formal and informal death penalty for apostasy. In Part 5 of this series of articles, I will address the impermissibility of homosexuality in Islamic theology and law.

Same-gender sex is considered to be a grave sin in Islamic theology, and most schools of Islamic law prescribe death to gays. The death penalty for homosexuality under the Sharia is derived partially from what are considered by the majority of Muslims to be among the most authentic Hadith collections (the saying and doings of Muhammad, the prophet of Islam).

In the Hadiths below, we find Muhammad calling for his followers to “Turn them (gays) out of your houses,” and prescribing the killing of gay folks:

Sahih Bukhari: Volume 7, Book 72, Number 774:

"Narrated Ibn ‘Abbas: The Prophet cursed effeminate men (those men who are in the similitude (assume the manners of women) and those women who assume the manner of men, and he said, 'Turn them out of your houses.' The Prophet turned out such-and-such man, and Umar turned out such-and-such woman."

Abu Dawud (4462):

"The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, 'Whoever you find doing the action of the people of Lot, execute the one who does it and the one to whom it is done.'"

Abu Dawud (4448):

"If a man who is not married is seized committing sodomy, he will be stoned to death."

The Qur’an, Islam’s supposedly perfect holy book, is replete with hatred toward gays and condemnations of the homosexual lifestyle. When ISIS members throw gays off roof tops and LGBTQ folks are tortured in Islamic Sharia Gulag-style prisons, their captors are most certainly reading from the Qur’an and Muhammad’s hadith and the laws of Sharia pertaining to homosexuality, and not from some random romance novel.

In the details of the Qur’an’s description of the “People of Lot,” taken from Biblical stories, we see that the Islamic holy book considers the People of Lot to be a lecherous people deserving of death. Therefore it is not unreasonable to conclude that the Qur’an not only condemns homosexuality, but quite possibly prohibits it. Regardless, the Qur’anic passages below, and the hadiths listed above, clearly continue to inspire and instruct the murder of untold numbers of gay folks across the Islamic world and the Muslim community elsewhere in this relatively modern year of 2018.

"And the two men among you are guilty of lewdness, punish them both. If they repent and amend, Leave them alone; for Allah is Oft-returning, Most Merciful." (Qur'an 4:16)

"We also (sent) Lut: He said to his people: 'Do ye commit lewdness such as no people in creation (ever) committed before you? For ye practise your lusts on men in preference to women: ye are indeed a people transgressing beyond bounds.' And his people gave no answer but this: they said, 'Drive them out of your city: these are indeed men who want to be clean and pure!' But we saved him and his family, except his wife: she was of those who legged behind. And we rained down on them a shower (of brimstone): Then see what was the end of those who indulged in sin and crime!" (Qur'an 7:80-84)

"'... Of all the creatures in the world, will ye approach males, And leave those whom Allah has created for you to be your mates? Nay, ye are a people transgressing (all limits)!' They said: 'If thou desist not, O Lut! thou wilt assuredly be cast out!' He said: 'I do detest your doings. O my Lord! deliver me and my family from such things as they do!' So We delivered him and his family, - all Except an old woman who lingered behind. Then afterward We destroyed the others. We rained down on them a shower (of brimstone): and evil was the shower on those who were admonished (but heeded not)!" (Qur'an 26:165-173)

"(We also sent) Lut (as a messenger): behold, He said to his people, 'Do ye do what is shameful though ye see (its iniquity)? Would ye really approach men in your lusts rather than women? Nay, ye are a people (grossly) ignorant!' But his people gave no other answer but this: they said, 'Drive out the followers of Lut from your city: these are indeed men who want to be clean and pure!' Then We saved him and his household save his wife; We destined her to be of those who stayed behind. And We rained down on them a shower (of brimstone): and evil was the shower on those who were admonished (but heeded not)!" (Qur'an 27:54-58)

"And (remember) Lut: behold, he said to his people: 'Ye do commit lewdness, such as no people in Creation (ever) committed before you. Do ye indeed approach men, and cut off the highway? - and practise wickedness (even) in your councils?" But his people gave no answer but this: they said: 'Bring us the Wrath of Allah if thou tellest the truth.' He said: 'O my Lord! help Thou me against people who do mischief!' When Our Messengers came to Abraham with the good news, they said: 'We are indeed going to destroy the people of this township: for truly they are (addicted to) crime.'" (Qur'an 29:28-31)

---