Articles:
The Articles section of Queer Shia UK brings together research-based writing on Shia Islam, gender, sexuality, and lived experience, grounded in primary religious sources and critical scholarship. These pieces explore theology, history, jurisprudence, and contemporary realities, centring Queer Shia voices while engaging respectfully with the Qur’an, hadith, and classical fiqh.
Our aim is to provide accessible, nuanced, and faith-rooted perspectives that challenge oversimplified narratives, preserve dignity, and affirm that Queer Shia Muslims belong fully within Islam.
Imam Ali (عليه السلام): “Knowledge enlivens the soul. Seek knowledge, for learning it is a form of worship, studying it is glorification, and searching for it is jihad.” (Nahj al-Balagha, Hikmah 147)
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Imam Ali (عليه السلام): “Knowledge enlivens the soul. Seek knowledge, for learning it is a form of worship, studying it is glorification, and searching for it is jihad.” (Nahj al-Balagha, Hikmah 147) ✳︎
The paper explores how LGBTQ issues, especially homosexuality, are viewed within Shia Islam by examining the perspectives of several scholars and activists. It highlights a range of views: some figures shift from seeing homosexuality as strictly sinful to more moderate or human-rights-oriented positions, while others focus on equal ethical treatment regardless of religious interpretation. The study concludes that Shia Islamic thought on LGBTQ rights is still evolving and inconclusive, with no widely accepted consensus yet.
The book argues that the Qur’an does not condemn sexual orientation, and that passages commonly used against homosexuality—especially the story of the people of Lut—address rape, coercion, and violent injustice, not consensual same-sex relationships. Kugle shows that hadiths prescribing severe punishment are weak or disputed, and that classical jurists never reached consensus.
Using the Qur’anic ethics of justice, mercy, and human dignity, the book concludes that LGBTQ Muslims can live faithfully within Islam, grounded in the religion’s primary sources.
Sex-Reassignment Rules in Shiite Jurisprudence
The article examines how Shiite Islamic scholars view sex-reassignment surgery (SRS). It reviews religious texts and legal opinions to determine whether SRS is permitted under Shiite law. The study examines Shiʿi Islamic legal opinions on sex-reassignment surgery by analysing religious texts and scholarly rulings. It shows that Shiʿi scholars are divided: some permit the surgery under specific conditions, while others reject it entirely, reflecting ongoing disagreement within Shiʿi jurisprudence.
The article compares how Catholic and Shia Islamic ethics treat transsexuality and sexual reassignment surgery (SRS). It shows that the Vatican generally rejects SRS — viewing sex as fixed at birth and not changed by surgery — while leading Shia clerics in Iran permit and even support SRS, sometimes seeing it as necessary to reveal a person’s “true” gender. The author argues these differences stem from distinct religious understandings of sex, gender, and the body, making transsexuality a useful case for exploring broader moral and theological distinctions between the two traditions.
The paper examines how Islamic legal thought has responded to transgender sex-reassignment surgery (SRS), focusing on two influential fatwas — by Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran and Sheikh Muhammad al-Tantawi in Egypt — that legalised SRS under Islamic law, overturning earlier views that such surgery was unquestionably forbidden. It explains why these scholars arrived at more permissive rulings through traditional methods of Islamic jurisprudence (ijtihad) and argues that these opinions represent a significant expansion of tolerance toward transgender Muslims. The article also suggests that the same interpretive approach could open up debate on other gender and sexuality issues in Islam.
The study explores how Iran’s Shia Islamic context treats transgender identities differently from Western and broader Muslim-majority perspectives. It argues that Iran distinguishes transgender identity from lesbian, gay, and bisexual identities by treating gender variance as a medical/psychological condition and permitting legal and medical gender transition — rooted in fatwas like that of Ayatollah Khomeini. This has created one of the few legal frameworks in the Middle East where transgender people can access state-sanctioned sex-reassignment surgery and change legal gender, although non-binary identities are not recognised and social stigma remains high. The authors also criticise the common Western practice of lumping transgender issues together with LGB issues, saying the categories are distinct and conflating them leads to misunderstanding.
Maryam Khatoon Molkara was an Iranian trans woman whose case led to the practical application of Islamic rulings permitting gender reassignment surgery in Iran.
The key religious source is a fatwa by Ruhollah Khomeini, written before the 1979 Revolution and reaffirmed afterward. In his legal text Tahrir al-Wasila, Khomeini states that sex reassignment surgery is religiously permissible when medically indicated and is not considered haram.
Molkara personally appealed to Khomeini, who confirmed that the fatwa applied to her, granting written permission for legal and medical transition. Within Shia fiqh, the ruling treats transsexuality as a medical condition distinct from homosexual acts.
As a result, Iran became one of the few Muslim-majority countries where gender reassignment surgery is religiously and legally recognised, with Molkara widely seen as the figure who turned a theoretical ruling into lived reality.
The article shares real stories of several gay and lesbian Iraqis fleeing their home country due to intense social, familial, and militia-linked persecution because of their sexual orientation. It describes beatings, threats, torture by family members and Shia militias, attempts to escape via marriage ruses, and eventual flight to Lebanon to seek safety. These personal narratives illustrate how deeply dangerous and hostile life can be for LGBTQ people in Iraq, even before recent laws explicitly criminalising same-sex relations.
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The paper looks at how Islamic religion, culture, and law shape the lives and identities of hijra (a recognised transgender community) in Bangladesh. It argues that transgender people face stigma and exclusion because Islamic legal traditions and social norms lack clear guidance on gender diversity, so authorities and communities treat trans people differently. The author shows how religious interpretations, state policies, and cultural practices intersect to influence rights such as inheritance, marriage, and participation in religious life, often marginalising hijra despite legal recognition as a third gender.
The article is a first-person account by a transgender Muslim, Kiku Aruba Basu, describing their lifelong experience of feeling born in the wrong body and the challenges of growing up gender-diverse in a heteronormative society. They explain the emotional and medical journey toward transition, the stigma they faced, and how they found personal comfort and spirituality in Islam. The piece also discusses religious perspectives, noting that some Islamic traditions (e.g., Shia fatwas in Iran, recognition of a third gender in parts of Sunni Islam) have been more accepting of transgender identities. The author emphasises that if faith views gender identity as sinful, then the problem lies with the interpretation of faith, not with the individual.
This is a first-person essay by a queer Shiʿa Muslim in the United States who reflects on growing up in a devout family and struggling to reconcile their Islamic faith with their homosexuality. The author describes family tensions, religious teachings, and personal relationships, but ultimately explains that their love for Islam remains strong despite conflicts over sexual identity, choosing to focus on the faith’s spiritual meaning rather than strict moral rules.
The piece describes how anti‑Shia bias exists as a structural and often unconscious form of prejudice within many Sunni‑majority Muslim communities in the Western diaspora. It draws on the author’s personal experiences to show how Shia Muslims can face microaggressions, exclusion, and erasure in mosques, student groups, relationships, and broader Muslim spaces — where Sunni norms are treated as the default and Shia practices and history are marginalised. The author argues that this anti‑Shiʿism operates like a form of privilege, causing harm even when unintended, and stresses that genuine unity requires recognising and valuing sectarian diversity rather than forcing minority communities to conform.
The author reflects on questions about whether a person can be both Muslim and gay, noting that while homosexuality has traditionally been viewed as prohibited in classical Islamic scholarship, it does not nullify one’s faith per se. They discuss arguments by queer Muslim scholars like Scott Kugle who suggest that Islamic law should adapt to modern understandings of sexuality, but contrast this with traditional interpretations that see same-sex acts as forbidden based on the Qurʾān and prophetic teachings. The piece ultimately calls for Muslims to treat individuals with kindness and wisdom while upholding what the author sees as established moral teachings on sexual conduct.
Homosexuality, Transidentity, and Islam by Ludovic-Mohamed Zahed explores the relationship between Islamic scripture and gender and sexual diversity. Drawing on the Qur’an, prophetic traditions, and historical scholarship, the book challenges common assumptions that Islam inherently condemns LGBTQ+ identities. Zahed examines how certain interpretations developed through later jurisprudence, cultural influences, and political contexts rather than the core ethical message of Islamic texts. Combining theology, history, and social analysis, the work argues that Islamic ethics emphasise compassion, diversity, and justice, opening space for Muslims to reconcile faith with diverse gender identities and sexual orientations.
Video Link & Summary of (Homo)Sexuality and the Quran, Pride Khutba at el Tawhid Juma Circle: The Unity Mosque video
Summary of the Audio below
نچلے حصے میں تفصیل
Summary of the Khutbah (Sermon)
This khutbah is a progressive Islamic sermon delivered during Pride Month, centering queer inclusion, sexual ethics, justice, and Qur’anic interpretation, while mourning the deaths of LGBTQ+ activists—particularly Sarah Hegazi.
1. Opening & Context
The sermon opens with traditional Islamic praises and prayers, followed by:
A land acknowledgment recognizing Indigenous peoples of Turtle Island (North America)
A call for reconciliation through reparations, not symbolism alone
A content warning due to discussions of violence, sexual abuse, and homophobia
The speaker frames Islam as a faith deeply concerned with justice, dignity, and care for the vulnerable.
2. Islam, Sexuality & Spirituality
Drawing on Progressive Muslims edited by Omid Safi, particularly the chapter by Scott Kugle, the sermon argues that:
Islam is historically sex-positive, not sexually repressive
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and classical scholars spoke openly and positively about sexuality
Sexuality is not opposed to spirituality; it is one of the ways spirituality is lived
Sexual desire is part of Allah’s intentional creation and wisdom
Sex is presented as a force that:
Heals divisions
Confronts ethical truths
Sustains human continuity
3. Does the Qur’an Condemn Homosexuality?
A core argument of the sermon is that:
The Qur’an does not mention homosexuality
The modern concept of “homosexuality” did not exist at the time of revelation
Sexual and gender diversity align with the Qur’anic affirmation of human diversity
Using thematic Qur’anic interpretation, the speaker shows that:
Diversity in bodies, identities, and dispositions is divinely intended
Classical scholars acknowledged people who do not fit a strict gender binary
4. Reinterpreting the Story of Prophet Lut (Lot)
The khutbah challenges the dominant narrative that Lut’s people were punished for same-sex acts.
Instead, drawing on early sources (notably al-Kisa’i), it argues:
The people of Lut were punished for rape, violence, robbery, and abuse of power
Their defining sins were:
Raping travelers
Denying hospitality
Exploiting the vulnerable
Rejecting their prophet violently
The sermon emphasizes:
Rape is not sex—it is coercion and domination
Lut’s struggle was ethical, not juridical
The Qur’an condemns sexual violence, not consensual same-sex relationships
5. Critique of Classical Jurisprudence
The speaker critiques later scholars (e.g., al-Tabari) for:
Imposing meanings onto the Qur’an through definition and substitution
Treating speculative interpretations as divine certainty
Reducing a broad ethical story to narrow sexual prohibitions
This approach, the sermon argues, stripped the Qur’an of its moral depth and justice-centered message.
6. Ethical Message of the Qur’an
Across prophetic stories (Lut, Salih, Ibrahim, etc.), the Qur’an consistently teaches:
Hospitality over cruelty
Care for the vulnerable over domination
Justice over arrogance
The true challenge of Lut’s story today is:
Opposing rape and sexual violence
Defending refugees, travelers, and marginalized people
Rejecting patriarchy, homophobia, and transphobia as modern “idols”
7. Contemporary Relevance & Accountability
The sermon condemns:
Muslim societies that punish consensual sex but excuse rape
Religious leaders who remain silent on LGBTQ+ inclusion
Families and governments that abandon or persecute queer people
It directly links religious silence to real-world harm and death.
8. Mourning & Call to Action
The khutbah memorializes:
Victims of homophobic violence
Queer Muslims lost to suicide, murder, and state violence
Sarah Hegazi, whose suffering is named as systemic murder, not personal failure
The sermon concludes by calling Muslims to:
Reclaim Islam’s ethical core
Extend justice into intimate and sexual ethics
Embrace love, pleasure, curiosity, and compassion as divine gifts
Core Message (In One Sentence)
The Qur’an does not condemn queer identities; it condemns oppression, violence, and the abuse of power—and true faith demands justice, care, and dignity for all.