Since homosexuality is one of the most evil deeds , its prescribed punishment is one of the greatest punishments, both in this world and the Hereafter. The scholars have differed as to whether its punishment is greater and more severe than that of adultery, or that they are similar. Abu Bakr As-Siddiq, Ali bin Abi Talib , Khalid bin AI- Waleed, Abdullah bin Az-Zubayr, Abdullah bin Abbas , Jabir bin Zayd, Abdullah bin 'Umar, Az-Zuhari, Rabee'ah bin Abi Abdir-Rahman, Malik, Ishaq bin Rahawayh, Imam Ahmad and Shafii all stated that the punishment for homosexuality should be harsher than that of adultery, that is killing, in any case. 'Ata' bin Abi Rabah, Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Sa ' id bin Al- Musayyib, Ibrahim An-Nakha'i, Qatadah, AL-Awza' i, Shafii (his second opinion), Imam Ahmad (his second opinion), Abu Yusuf and Muhammad all stated that the punishment for homosexuality should be similar to that of adultery. Al-Hakim and Abu Haneefah have stated that the punishment for homosexuality should not go beyond censuring and chastisement, and have argued their opinion on the fact that Allah ~ or His Prophet ~ did not set a prescribed punishment for such evil act, and that it is an act which is neither favoured nor desired by human nature. They have claimed that it is for this reason that Allah ~ prescribed a punishment for adultery, theft, drinking wine, yet never prescribed a punishment for such abnormal acts as eating the dead, drinking blood, or eating pork. However, those who hold the first opinion - which is the opinion of the majority of the scholars and represents the overall opinion of the Companions - have said: "There is no greater evil deed than that of homosexuality; it comes after polytheism and also, perhaps, that of killing," as we shall clarify, inshallah. They said: "Allah ~ never tested any nation in the world, before the nation of Lot, with this great sin, then punished them in a manner not witnessed by any other nation before. Allah ~ combined several calamities in their destruction: He ~ over turned their village and rained down stones upon them, in a well ordered way, each one being destined for each and every individual among them. This was the severe punishment for the people in the towns of Sodom and Gomorah for their evil crime; for angels even flee to remote areas of this universe for fear that the punishment, set for those evil people, might touch them. The earth moans and complains to its Lord, and the mountains nearly move away from their set positions, when a homosexual act is committed. The authentic Sunnah of the Prophet ~' which the Companions~ put into practice, stated that a homosexual's punishment is death. It is confirmed that Khalid bin Al- Waleed ~ found a homosexual man in the countryside (the narration says: 'a man on whom a sexual act is practised in the manner (normally) practised on women'), and wrote to Abu Bakr ~ . The latter sought the opinions of the other Companions ~. of whom Ali bin Abi Talib ~ had the harshest opinion, saying: "No nation has done such an act except one, and you know what Allah ~ had done to them. I think he should be thrown into a fire." So Abu Bakr ~ wrote to Khalid (explaining this) and he had him burnt." Abdullah bin Abbas ~ said: "One should look for the highest building in the village and throw the homosexual from its summit, face down, followed by stones. " Abdullah bin Abbas ~ derived this punishment from that which Allah ~ had given to the people of Lot. It was also Abdullah bin Abbas who reported the Hadith in which the Prophet ~ said: "If you find anyone doing as Lot' s people did , kill the one who performs it as well as the one to whom it is done ." 1 The Prophet ~ said: "Allah has cursed the one who does the act of Lot's people . Allah has cursed the one who does the act of Lot's people. Allah has cursed the on e who does the act of Lot's people."2 The Prophet ~ never cursed the adulterer three times, and never cursed those who do other great sins three times, in one Hadith. However, he ~ uttered the curse on the homosexuals three times to put an emphasis on the greatness of their sin! Allah ~ said about adultery: ( Do not come near adultery; it is a great sin and an evil way) 3 and about homosexuality, in the words of Lut ~\ ( Do you commit the worst sin that none preceding you has committed in the 'Alamin (the world of mankind and jinn)? ) 4 We notice that Allah ~ used an indefinite noun to refer to adultery, as a sin among others, yet He ~ used the definite article to refer to homosexuality to show the full meaning of this sin . Allah ~ confirmed the evil of such an act in the fact that no other nation had done it before Lot's people, saying: ( none preceding you has committed in the 'Alamin ) and described it in a manner which is revolts and disgusts the hearts and human nature, saying: ( Verily, you practice your lust on men (instead of women)) . 5

Thus , this reveals the nature of their need for pure satisfaction of their lust, which is opposed to the reason for which men incline towards women - i.e. sexual satisfaction, the attainment of love and mercy among married couples, procreation which preserves the most dignified of all creations (mankind), safeguarding women, etc ... Homosexuals have changed the natural way in which Allah ~ created men - i.e. to have passion for women and not men. They go against this nature and prefer to satisfy themselves with men, and so Allah ~ turned their dwellings and their hearts up on them; turning their town upside down, and sending them to an ever lasting punishment. Allah ~ impeached them with transgression: ( But you are a people transgressing beyond bounds ) 6 , and described 7

them , in another Verse , as a people given to evil. When those homosexuals came running to Lot ~I, asking him to provide access to his (two) good looking guests, he told them: ( 0 my people! Here are my daughters; they are purer for you (if you marry them lawfully)) 8. He ~ ' offered to marry them to his daughters for fear of the disgrace that would have been brought upon him and his guests: (So fear Allah and do not disgrace me with regard to my guests! Is there not among you a single right- minded man?) They replied, stubbornly: (Surely, you know that we have neither any desire nor need of your daughters, and indeed you know well what we want!) . 9

So he &i.§1 said, in a very distressful manner: ("Would that I had the strength to overpower you, or that I could betake myself to some powerful support") 10 • In that distressful moment, the Messengers of Allah (the two angels who were sent as guests by Allah) revealed to him their true nature and the reason for their visit. They informed him that his evil people would neither be able to reach them nor him, saying ("O Lot! Verily, we are the messengers from your Lord! 1

They shall not reach you!") • They gave him the glad tiding of the punishment set for his evil people, telling him: ("So travel with your family in a part of the night, and let not any of you look back; but your wife (will remain behind), verily, the punishment which will afflict them, will afflict her. Indeed, morning is their appointed time. Is not the morning near?")1 When their appointed time came, all their dwellings were uprooted and raised up into the sky, until the angels heard the barking of their dogs and the braying of their donkeys, and the Command of Allah im went to His Messenger and Angel, Gabriel &i.§1, who turned them upside down and then rained down upon them stones of baked clay. This punishment was made as a sign for mankind, a lesson for those mindful of Allah ~' and an exemplary punishment for those who share their transgression. Therefore, all the passions and satisfactions have gone, leaving just sorrow and torment. Their lustful satisfaction was short-lived but their punishment eternal. They were addicted to their lust, but when they came around, they found themselves in the land of punishment, in the place where regret was of no benefit to them. While they are being tortured in the Hell-Fire, it is said to them: ("You taste therein its heat and whether you are patient of it or impatient of it, it is all the same... you are only being requited for what you used to do.")2

The scholars have three opinions regarding this matter: First, the doer of such act should be disciplined, without receiving any corporal punishment, which is the opinion of Malik, Abu Haneefah, and Shafii in one of his two opinions. Second, its ruling is that of the adulterer; to be flogged if he is unmarried, and stoned to death if he is married; which was the opinion of Al-Hasan. Third, its ruling is that of the homosexual, which was the opinion of Imam Ahmad. So the punishment is either irrevocable killing or the set punishment as given to an adulterer. Those who have said that his punishment should be capital punishment have argued their case with the Hadith reported by Abu Dawud, on the authority of lbn 'Abbas ~ that the Prophet ~ said: "Kill whoever has sexual intercourse with an animal , and kill the animal with him."3 They said that since it is an illegal sexual act, its punishment should be like that of a homosexual. Those who did not consider any prescribed punishment for it have stated that the above Hadith is weak, and that if it were authentic, they would have explained this differently. Isma'il bin Sa'id Al-Shalanji said: "I asked Ahmad about the one who had sexual intercourse with an animal, but he did not have any opinion. He could not confirm the Hadith of 'Amru bin Abi 'Amru (who reported from Ibn 'Abbas)." Tahawi has stated: "This Hadith is weak, and Ibn 'Abbas had already given his opinion that there is no prescribed punishment for the one who had sexual intercourse with an animal." Abu Dawud said that lbn 'Abbas's opinion weakens this Hadith. There is no doubt that the natural reprimand of having sexual intercourse with an animal is stronger than that of homosexuality, yet it does not mean that both acts are considered the same, regarding people's nature; in fact, relating one to the other is a wrong way to conduct comparative evaluation.

It is wrong to compare a lesbian act to a homosexual one, because there is no definite sexual intercourse in a lesbian act (no insertion of an organ in the private part). It was reported in a Hadith that " if a woman has a sexual act with another woman, they are both adulterers." However, there is no prescribed punishment for such an act, because there is no "insertion", while the act is referred to as an act of fornication in its broadest sense, such as: the fornication of the eyes, hands, feet or mouth. If it is confirmed, then the Muslim scholars are in agreement that the judgment regarding homosexuality with a slave is the same as the judgment regarding any other person, and so whoever thinks it is lawful to perform a homosexual act with one's slave, using, as an argument, Allah's Saying: ( Except from their wives or (the slaves) that their right hands possess - for then, they are free from blame)1 has simply compared his evil act with his right to have sexual intercourse with his slave-girl. Thus he is indeed a disbeliever, who should be given the right to repent, just like that of the apostate, but if he does not repent, he should be executed. Therefore, the judgment and subsequent punishment regarding a man's homosexuality with his slave is the same as if it had been done to any other type of person.

Is there be any possible way to treat a harmful virus? Could a person intoxicated with infatuation regain his/her consciousness and repossess his/her heart once more? The answer is yes, as this positive answer comes from the Hadith: "Whatever disease Allah ~ has sent down, He ~ has (also) appointed a cure for it." 1 There are two ways of treating the disease of a heart corrupted with lust: First, stop its cause before it becomes established as a habit. Second, removing the problem, before it dominates one's mind. Both ways are easy for one who gains the Support of Allah ~. but are difficult for one who is not supported by Allah ~- The way to stop this condition, before it settles in the heart, is to lower one's gaze (from looking at the unlawful), as mentioned in previous chapters, because gazing is one of the arrows of Iblis (Satan), so whoever freely releases his gaze, would suffer perpetual regret. There are many benefits oflowering one's gaze: ( 1) It is in compliance with the Commandments of Allah ~ and a good opportunity for a person in his/her life. In fact, there is nothing more beneficial to one in this world and the Hereafter than to try one's utmost to comply with the Commandments of Allah ~ - (2) It prevents the effect of the poisonous arrow ( of Satan) from reaching its target (the heart of man). (3) It keeps the heart in the harmonious company of Allah ~ - By freeing one's eyesight from all restrictions, it is given the opportunity to see the unlawful , which would scatter one's heart and distance it from Allah ~ - Letting one's gaze loose generates the separation of the heart from Allah ~ - ( 4) It strengthens one's heart and lightens it, just as loosening one's gaze weakens it and burdens it. (5) It brightens the heart, and it is for this reason that Allah ~ mentioned the Verse about light just after mentioning the Commandment to lower one's gaze; He ~ said: ( Say to the believers to lower their eyes and safeguard their private parts) 2 then He ~ said: ( Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His Light is as a niche and within it a lamp)3 i.e. an example of His Light is the heart; whenever His Believing Servant complies to His Commandments and His Prohibitions. Whenever the heart of a believer lights up, good fortune appears before him/her from all sides, however when one's heart settles in darkness, all aspects of evil and difficulty surround him/her from all sides. (6) It inherits a truthful acumen to distinguish between truth and falsehood. Shuja' Al-Karamani used to say: "If a person follows the Sunnah and is mindful of Allah ~ . by lowering his gaze from the unlawful, and observes only what is lawful, his insight will not fail him." When a man abstains from something, in compliance with the Divine Commandments, Allah ~ would replace whatever he/she missed by giving him/her good judgment, earned by developing good insight in the heart. (7) One's heart would develop firmness, strength and power. It is said: "Whoever opposes his low desires, Satan fears (approaching) his shadow." On the contrary, you will find that one who follows his own desires has a low and disgraceful self, which Allah ~ gives to those who disobey Him. Allah ~ said: (But honour, power and glory belong to Allah, His Messenger, and the believers) 1 and He ~ said: (So do not become weak, nor be sad, and so you would become superior, if you were indeed true believers.) 2 Faith is in words and actions; internally and externally; as Allah ~ said: (Whoever desires honour, power and glory, then to Allah belong all Honour, Power and Glory. To Him ascend all the goodly words, and righteous deeds exalt it)3 i.e. those who desire honour, power and glory should seek it through their obedience to Allah ~ , with goodly words followed with good deeds . In the supplication of Qunuut4, we ask Allah: "Surely, he to whom You show allegiance is never abased, and he whom You take as an enemy is never honoured ." (8) It blocks the way for Satan to enter into the heart. Indeed, Satan slips inside at the time of an unlawful look and goes straight to the heart, in an instant. Satan then starts to beautify an image before the gazer, in such a way that he/she would become besotted by it, as his/her heart would become inflamed with passion. It is for the reason that the punishment for those who desire to look at unlawful pictures is that Allah ~ would prepare for them, in the " interval world" (of the grave) between one's death and resurrection, a fire-pit in which their souls would be cast until the Day of Resurrection. This was reported by the Prophet ~ in an authentic Hadith (from Al-Bukhari and Muslim), following a vision that was given to him by Allah ~ - (9) It helps the heart focus on its benefits, because letting the gaze loose would no doubt make the heart forget its duty, and would also give one's base self the chance to follow its own desires, away from the remembrance of its Lord. Allah ~ said: ( Do not obey him whose heart We have made heedless of Our Remembrance, and who follows his own lusts, and whose affair has been lost.) 5 (10) There is a way linking the eyesight to one ' s heart, so if one's heart is corrupted, the eyesight becomes corrupted, and vice versa. When one's heart is corrupted, it is no longer suitable to accommodate the Love and the Company of Allah ~ A second way to stopping this disease before it settles in the heart is to occupy one's heart with the Love and Remembrance of Allah ~- It is only common sense that when the self unties its bond with a beloved subject, it searches for a replacement that is higher in status. However, it needs to possess two qualities: First, good judgment to distinguish between beloved and reprehensible levels of love, and so it may be possible to select the highest of the beloved levels from the lowest, and to bear the lowest of the reprehensible , in order to save oneself from its highest. This is an intellectual duty, so whoever acts differently would have a lower status than animals. Second, there should be a strong determination to enable one to make the good choice and give up the bad one. Allah ~ denied the Imamah (leadership in Islam) to everyone, except those with patience and certainty; He ~ said: (We made from among them leaders, giving guidance under Our Command, when they were patient and used to believe with certainty in Our Signs.)1

It is necessary to understand that the love of Allah cannot co- exist with the love of whatever is unlawful; they are opposites which cannot be combined. It is inevitable that one would expel the other. The power of love should be devoted to Allah ~ . Alone, with no partners; any other love should only exist for the Sake of Allah ~- Any other love, which is devoted to others besides Allah ~ . would become a torment for its possessor. Allah ~ does not forgive His Servants for associating anything with Him in this love, but forgives other sins of whomsoever He wills. The love of pictures exceeds the love of what is beneficial or non-beneficial for the Servant of Allah; therefore; he/she has to choose between these two loves, because both of them cannot co-exist in the same heart. Whoever turns away from the Love of Allah ~ and from the desire to meet Him, Allah ~ tries him/her with the love for others, to punish him/her with this invalid love, in this world and in the Hereafter. He ~ punishes him/her with the love of idols, or the love of the cross, or the love of women/men, or the love of relatives, or the love of what is disgraceful and vile. Indeed, whoever does not take Allah ~ as His God, has taken his/her vain desire as his/her god; Allah ~ has said: ( Have you see him who takes his own lust as his god? And Allah knowing such, left him astray, and sealed his hearing and his heart, and put a cover on his sight. Who then will guide him after Allah? Will you not then remember?)2

The characteristic of worship is love, with submission and humiliation, of the beloved. Whoever loves something and his/her heart submits to it, then his/her heart is actually worshipping it. The levels of this love are: The bond of love, which is called a bond because the lover is so fond of the beloved, and thus tied down. Ardent love, as this love is poured towards the beloved. Infatuation, as this love is closely attached to the heart. This meaning was used by Allah ~ to describe the punishment in Hell for the disbelievers: (Its torment is ever an inseparable, permanent punishment.)3 Passion, which is an excess of love; a description which is not suitable for the Status of Allah ~- Longing, which is the journey of the heart to its beloved; this was mentioned, with regard to Allah ~' in a supplication of the Prophet :i: "O Allah! I ask You, with the longing and y d es Ire to meet . ,,1 ou, . .. The Prophet :i reported that Allah ~ said: "There is the desire of the Righteous Servants who long to meet Me; but My desire to meet them is even stronger." This is the meaning that the Prophet ~ mentioned in the Hadith: "Whoever loves meeting Allah, Allah loves to meet him."2 The scholars have said, interpreting the Verse, (Whoever hopes for the Meeting with Allah, then Allah's Term is surely coming), that when Allah ~ knew about the strong 3 desire of His Righteous Servants to meet Him, and that their hearts would not have been fully guided until they met Him. So He ~ set an appointed time for them to meet Him, in order to calm their souls. The best and most savoured life is that of those longing to meet their Lord. Their life is really a good life, as there is no more blessed or peaceful life than that. It is the good life mentioned by Allah ~: (Whoever works righteousness - whether male of female - while he (or she) is a true believer, verily, to him We will give a good life)4. This does not refer to the life that is shared between believers and disbelievers, righteous and wrongdoers, such as having good food, clothing, weddings - and perhaps even the Enemies of Allah exceed in these blessings, more than the believers. The good life mentioned by Allah ~ is that which makes the believer's heart focus only on pleasing Him, Alone, in all his/her actions. The Prophet ~ reported that Allah ~ said: "Whosoever shows enmity to someone devoted to Me, I shall be at war with him. My servant draws not near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him , and My servant continues to draw near to Me with nawajil ( extra optional duties), so that I shall love him. When I love him I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask something of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it. I do not hesitate about anything as much as I hesitate about seizing the soul of My Faithful Servant: he hates death and I hate hurting him, but it is necessary for him. " 5 In this Hadith, Allah ~ defined the reasons for his/her love of two things: performing His Prescribed Religious Duties, and striving to get closer to Him with optional duties. When a person continues to perform optional religious duties (such as extra prayers and fasting) out of love for Allah ~' he/she becomes one of the Dearly Beloved Servants of Allah, and when a person reaches this state, his/her heart would never be directed to love anyone else more than Allah ~ - Allah ~ specified the hearing, eyesight, hands and feet in this Hadith because they are the means of perception and action. The hearing and eyesight provide the willpower for the heart (to do an action) or the dislike ( of doing it) , love and hate; and after that a person uses his/her hands and feet. If the hearing and eyesight of a person are perceived with (mindfulness of) Allah, his/her perception would be well safeguarded, and also his/her love and hate would be well preserved. It is this Company of Allah with His Righteou Servant which is special, and this is stressed in the following Verses: ( Do not be sad (or afraid), surely Allah is with us ) 1 (Allah is with the Muhsinun (good-doers))2 ( Truly, Allah is with those who fear Him and those who are Muhsinun (good-doers.)3 (Be patient. Surely, Allah is with those who are patient.>4 (Nay, verily with me is my Lord. He will guide me.)5 (Do not be afraid, verily, I am with you both, hearing and seeing.); 6 speaking to Musa (Moses) and Harun ~I. It is this Company with Allah ~ which eases all the complex situations from a believer, and turns all his/her fears into safety and serenity. With the Company of Allah ~, a believer overcomes all his/her worries and anxieties, so whatever is distant and unattainable becomes close and attainable. Without the Company of Allah, a person's heart would become like a fish out of water, turning and struggling until it gets back into the water, where it regains its life again. Allah ~ mentioned the most honoured of all His Creation and the most beloved to Him £ ; His Messenger Muhammad :i in the highest status of worship - i.e . calling people to worship Allah ~. Alone, and declaring his Prophethood, when Allah ~ said: (When the Servant of Allah (Muhammad :I) stood up invoking Him (His Lord -Allah) in prayer, they (the Jinn) just made round him a dense crowd, as if sticking one over the other, (in order to listen to the Prophet's recitation)) 7 (If you are in doubt concerning that which We have sent down to Our Servant (Muhammad :I) then bring a Surah of the like thereof) 8 (Glorified (and Exalted) is He (Allah), Who took His Servant (Muhammad :I) for a journey, by night, from Al-Masjid Al-Haram to Al-Masjid AI-Aqsa ) 9 Allah ~ created His Creation in order to worship Him, Alone, without associated partner with Him , as this is the most perfect type of love and submission to Him £ . This is true Islam, the religion of Ibrahim ~1, as Allah ~ said: (Who turns away from the Religion of Ibrahim, except him who befools himself? Truly, We chose him in this world and verily, in the Hereafter he will be among the righteous. When his Lord said to him: "Submit (i.e. be a Muslim!)" He said: "I have submitted myself (as a Muslim) to the Lord of the 'Alamin (mankind and jinn and all that exists)", and this submission to Allah was enjoined by Ibrahim, upon his sons, and by Ya'qub (Jacob), saying: "0 my sons! Allah has chosen for you the True Religion, then do not die except in the Faith of Islam." Or were you witnesses when death approached Ya'qub? When he said to his sons: "What will you worship after me?" They said: "We shall worship your God, the God of your fathers, Ibrahim, lsma'il (Ishmael), Ishaq (Isaac); One God; and to Him we submit (in Islam).) 1 It is for this reason that the worst of all sins is polytheism, the basis of which is not devoting all one's love for Allah~. Allah ~ has said: (And of mankind are some who take (for worship) others besides Allah, as rivals (to Allah). They love them as they love Allah. But those who believe love Allah more.)2 True worship cannot be achieved by assoc1atmg partners with Allah, in this love. This is contrary to having love for the Sake of Allah, which is a fundamental aspect of worshipping Allah. In fact, to love the Prophet ~. or rather love him before ourselves, our fathers and sons, is necessary to complete one's faith, because loving the Prophet ~ is a part of having love for Allah ~. The Prophet ~ said: "Whoever possesses the (following) three qualities will have the sweetness of faith ( 1 ): The one for whom Allah and His Messenger become dearer than anything else; (2) Whoever loves a person and he loves him only for Allah's Sake; (3) whoever hates to revert to atheism ( disbelief) as he would hate to be thrown into the Fire."3 The Prophet~ said: "If anyone loves for Allah's Sake, hates for Allah's Sake, gives for Allah's Sake, and withholds for Allah's Sake, he would have perfect faith.',4 This type of love is one of the prerequisites for having love for Allah; the stronger it is, the more powerful is its foundation.