By: Wendy Gillis Toronto Star News reporter, Published on Sun Aug 25 2013
Islamic scholars experience diversity of Muslim practices at U of T summer program
Visitors from around the world taking part in a University of Toronto Islamic studies conference visit a gay-friendly, gender-equal mosque.
Chris So / Toronto Star
Mosque co-founder El-Farouk Khaki leads a Muslim prayer session where both men and women are in attendance st U of T. The El-Tawhid Juma Circle Mosque is an LGBTQ friendly mosque where attendees have equal status regardless of their gender or sexual orientation.
Three dozen men and women sit barefoot inside a makeshift prayer room inside a downtown Toronto office tower. It is shortly after 1 p.m. on a recent Friday, time for the Juma prayer.
The voice of Laury Silvers, kneeling at the front of the group, breaks through the silence as she recites verses from the Qur’an.
For some gathered here, this marks their first experience of seeing mixed-gender prayers led by a woman, a practice that remains highly unusual in Muslim communities.
Unorthodox, too, is the worshippers’ formation: rather than being separated, women and men are sitting intermingled.
More Video
For today’s first-time attendees — some of whom are visiting from conservative Muslim countries — the visit to Toronto’s El-Tawhid Juma Circle was a wholly new Islamic experience. The mosque is gay and lesbian friendly, and believes in gender equality.
“For me, this was a test of my belief in God,” said Mustaghfiron Rahaya, a devout Muslim from Indonesia studying religion at a university in the Netherlands.
Though she ultimately decided to participate in the prayers, she initially debated whether she should; she had never prayed alongside men, but decided she wanted to experience a new way of worshipping.
Rahaya was among a group of students attending the Connaught Summer Institute on Islamic Studies, a recent conference hosted by the University of Toronto that has attracted Muslim scholars from across Canada and the world.
Over 10 days from Aug. 12 to 22, the students visited various Muslim communities in the Greater Toronto Area, ranging from traditional to liberal, in an attempt to experience diversity within Muslim practice. The Friday visit to the El-Tawhid Juma Circle was part of an examination of gender and sexuality in Islamic studies.
Anver Emon, U of T law professor and the co-director of the program, said he hoped exposing students to this diversity would “help them recognize their own differences, and hence subjective stance, as they embark on research in a field that is highly politicized.”
The El-Tawhid Juma Circle was established in May 2009 by Silvers, a University of Toronto religious studies scholar, alongside Muslim gay-rights activists El-Farouk Khaki and Troy Jackson.
The trio felt there was a need for a Muslim space “where people did not have to leave a part of themselves at the door,” Jackson said.
Though it took some patience — there were times when only the three of them showed up for Friday prayers — the community now boasts about 150 members. Between 15 and 30 people regularly attend the weekly prayers.
To ensure their gatherings are a safe place, including for homosexual members who may not be publicly out, the mosque keeps its downtown location secret (interested attendees learn where to go by inquiring through the group’s website.
“We’re not out there to show how regressive other people are; we’re actually just trying to create a safe and a healing space for people who have been traumatized, quite often in God’s name,” Khaki said.
For Rahaya and other students, the visit raised complex feelings and questions. Issues such as whether or not a woman should lead prayer, or whether men and women should be separated during religious ceremonies, are subject to much debate. And like many other questions in many other religions, answers vary according to interpretation.
“These are very real debates that we are having on the academic side, not only in the religious community,” said Candace Nixon, an Islamic scholar at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “It’s not so explicitly clear that particular verses mean different things.”
For Rahaya, the experience, though foreign at first, was ultimately eye-opening.
“The idea behind that everybody is welcome, that we are the same — that’s something that really touched me,” she said.
Top News
This is not mosque, it is centre of immorality and idiots.
And since you comment so wisely, Ahmed Qureshi, I’m sure you have a little more scintificly based arguments, than the childish “immorality and idiots” argument? A stone doesn’t become a bird,just because you can throw it.
Remember what every sura is started with?
Compassion and mercy. Not hateful judgements.
OK, we can leave out the last word of Qureshi Sahib’s comments. … Should we call it instead a ‘center for ‘some of those gone astray’ ?
Or just leave the judgement to God?
Yes, Ellen …
LOL…this is definitely not a mosque :/ !
Men and women should stand separate but not behind woman.For example what about Masjadul Haram at Mekka and Masjadul Nabi at Medina.
Hi Mr. Ellen Chakir
In response to your comment I would add these lines
The behavior of Gay and Lesbian is un-natural
un-matched and un-social. Which should be stopped by any means and should not be encouraged and not to be supported at all, why..? just for the sake of next race or generations of human beings. Let us see if two men get married, they won’t be able to produce children and similarly if two women get married they will not bring children. Consequently the whole human race will be Vanished and disappeared or can be totally finished. The basic thing is not to follow your illicit desires and wild wishes.
If a child does wrong things in his childhood parents /carers try to bring him/her to the right paths. So it is a duty of the society, parents, schools, the Governments to control to do
the right things in the society in the envoirment and like in the Road Traffic system., Where nobody can drive at his own. .
Are you trying to please Allah by disobeying His commandments and following Satanic customs for which He has destroyed nations in the past?
These Islamic Scholars must study Holy Qura’n and try to understand the Commandments of Allah written in Qura’n. Allah Almighty clearly disclosed that Men’s to lead Prayers, and refrain women’s even touching Holy Book Qura’n during the menstruation, even a the time the delivery of child she has to wait at least 40 days to return to normal life,
As such how women can leads the Prayers.
Women’s however can serve Islam in several other ways as other SAHABIAT Companions of Holy Prophet (swa) were doing in early days of Islam.
May Allah Almighty give Wisdom to these Scholars.
Ellen!
OK! Lets take it purely scientifically. Are you ready for it? Give me some scientific evidences with quotations in support of your stance which is still unclear.
You are confused completely one hand you wish to deal this with scientific reasoning and surprisingly you ended your comment with reference to Qur’an verse.
In all two respects these people are threat and menace to healthy, normal & a prosperous society.
I don’t see my comments out of wisdom. Remember a bird can never kill a stone but a stone can handle two if thrown with wisdom and skill. 🙂
Why should the word ‘Idiots’ be omitted which is the most mild word among all best suited words for these scums.
Can we dare omit following words with what Allah has addressed these people.
And to Lot We gave wisdom and knowledge. And We saved him from the city which practised abominations. They were indeed a wicked and rebellious people. [21:75]
Homosexuality might be unnatural, but there’s no denying it’s an act which has been going on for nearly the entire existence of mankind. Plus, Homosexuality will never be the norm so the ” Let us see if two men get married, they won’t be able to produce children and similarly if two women get married they will not bring children. Consequently the whole human race will be Vanished and disappeared or can be totally finished” comment by Mohamed Ali is completely insane.
You cannot guide nor misguide anyone, Allah clearly says He guides whom he wills. If there are Muslim homosexual, they cannot “misguide” anyone just by being gay.
…
So if people in the muslim communities were more helpful than judgemental when someone for instance has the problem of having homosexual inclinations, maybe they could be guided instead of being pushed out of the mainstream?
I think we are going out of context.
Islam is a religion closest to nature and all Allah’s laws are for the sake of good for humanity. If nothing else, only that argument beats the legality being given to a completely private & personal matter. Do what you want in your own house, do not make everyone else accept it by force.
A Couple of Questions:-
1. Alms757
Can you please provide us with a verse from the Holy Quran saying that “Men only should lead prayers”; just in order to prove your own point that
{…. try to understand the Commandments of Allah written in Qura’n. Allah Almighty clearly disclosed that Men’s to lead Prayers,….}
2. All Commentators:-
Homosexuality has existed with mankind. OK.
Was the Arabian Society free of it during the first thirty years of Islam ?
How did the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him always) dealt with the Gays, Lesbians, Transgenders, Transdressers, Shemales and even Eunuchs of his time ?
===============
It is a serious social “SUBJECT” not an “ISSUE”; please.
Here are some notes from history on two topics.
Ghilman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
“Ghulam” redirects here. For other uses, see Ghulam (disambiguation).
Ghilman (singular Arabic: غُلاَم ghulām ,[note 1] plural غِلْمَان ghilmān )[note 2] describes either young servants in paradise or slave-soldiers in the Abbasid, Ottoman, Mughal and Muslim Turco-Persian Empires (namely, Saljuqs).
Contents
The ghilman were introduced to the Abbasid Caliphate during the reign of al-Mu’tasim (r. 833–842), who showed them great favor and relied upon them for his personal guard. The ghilman were slave-soldiers taken as prisoners of war from conquered regions or frontier zones, especially from among the Turkic people of Central Asia and the Caucasian peoples.
=================
Bachabazi
Bacheh-baazi (Persian: بچهبازی, meaning “being into kids” or “being interested in children” in Iranian dialect and “playing with kids” in Afghan dialect), also known as bacchá (from the Persian bacheh بچه “child, young man, kid”) or bacha bi-reesh (beardless boy), is sexual slavery and child prostitution[1] in which prepubescent and adolescent boys are sold to wealthy or powerful men for entertainment and sexual activities. This business thrives in Afghanistan, where many men keep them as status symbols.[2][3] Some of the individuals involved report being forced into sex. The authorities are barely attempting to crack down on the practice but many doubt it would be effective since many of the men are powerful and well-armed former commanders.[4]
A documentary film by Najibullah Quraishi about the practice was screened by the UK Royal Society of Arts on March 29, 2010[5] and aired by the U.S. TV series PBS Frontline on 20 April 2010.[2] The practice is illegal under Afghan law, being “against both sharia law and the civil code”,[6] but the laws are seldom enforced against powerful offenders and police have been reportedly complicit in related crimes.[7][8]
The UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict reported in 2009, “It is time to openly confront this practice and to put an end to it. Religious leaders in Afghanistan appealed to me to assist them in combating these activities. Laws should be passed, campaigns must be waged and perpetrators should be held accountable and punished. Boys, as well as girls, should be protected so that they are allowed the full benefits of a childhood without exploitation.”[9]
Thank you – Zakaria Virk
But – your provided notes belong to the Abbasid Caliphate and to the Iranian, Afghani and Mughal societies; which thrived centuries after the worldly presence of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him always).
Let us remain narrowed down to the first thirty years of Islam to find any answers:-
1. Was the then Arabian society free of homosexuality?
The undeniable answer is – “NO”.
2. Then; more important is to find and know as how did the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him always) treated the Gays, Lesbians, Transgenders, Transdressers, Shemales and even Eunuchs of that time ?
===============
Abbasids or any other “Monarchies instituted by those (politically) power-driven groups who emerged from within the Muslims” did foster many (not all) distinctively different social traits which were contradictory to the Teachings of Islam.
I found the following quotation in one of the article on the net: “In pre-Islamic Arabia, homosexuality was so common among the Arabs that Muhammad specifically said, “Don’t allow men who imitate women and women who imitate men into your houses. (al-Bukhari, al-Kaba’ir/the Major-Sins by Muhammad ibn-`Uthman adh-Dhahabi)”
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/altmuslim/2013/03/the-gay-muslim-phenomenon-why-islam-considers-homosexuality-a-sin/
The Prophet (pbuh) said: “the best of my ummah are my generation, then those after them and then those after them” [bukhari and muslim]
The 4 main madhabs ( 2nd and 3rd generation) unanimously agreed that women cannot lead men in prayer and that women are to pray behind men ir segregated. This ruling is also agreed upon by the narraters of hadith and the famous 10 Qaris.
Regarding homosexuality; it is a major sin and a crime that has legal punishment. The prophet said; “if two people do an act of sodomy then kill them.” [tirmidhi – book of legal punishments ]
@Shahid Pervaiz
Here is my attempt to answer your impressively INTELLECTUAL questions.
2. All Commentators:-
Homosexuality has existed with mankind. OK.
Was the Arabian Society free of it during the first thirty years of Islam ?
As far as 1st 30 years are concerned no such incident or event is found in historical accounts. Otherwise Qur’an commandments are very clear on it and Rasool SAW would carry out the commandment in any such abomination.
By the way incest has also existed with mankind and so killing on anger why are they not allowed? Interestingly both these two traits are in our genes, in our instinct and entirely natural.
What do you say Mr. Pervaiz?
How did the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him always) dealt with the Gays, Lesbians, Transgenders, Transdressers, Shemales and even Eunuchs of his time ?
I have given answer to this. homosexuality is an offensive abomination and disobeying to the commandment of God and His injunctions…………and subject to punishment as described in Qur’an.
Thank you so much for all the comments.
I will close the discussion in this post tomorrow. If your comment is locked out, you would please understand.
Conclusions
1. Islam addresses all aspects of humanity, human behavior and calls for a rewarding life for all human beings without any discrimination. (Nafae uNaas).
2. Any references to the following must not be MIXED:-
The Holy Quran – (Defines the Principles of Life)
Sunnah – (Depicts the Implementation of the Quranic Guidelines)
Hadith – (Descriptions and Elaborations of the Quranic Guidelines)
3. For example; “Men should lead the prayers (salat)”, is not a reference from Quran, it is from Hadith.
An incorrect reference quoted in a discussion always MISLEADS and CONFUSES the readers and provides an opportunity of ridicule to the opponents.
4. Prayers (salat) offered in congregation by all genders together are allowed. The principle defined by the Holy Prophet (pbuh) is as below:-
Men enter the congregation first and Women follow.
When prayer (salat) is completed, women leave first and men follow.
This was the manner in the Holy Prophet’s (pbuh) mosque in Madina.
5. It is INCORRECT to say that there were no cases of homosexuality during the first thirty years of Islam.
Had it been so, then why the Holy Prophet (pbuh) had to decree against those who were caught in the act of sodomy?
PLAIN TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS THAT;
a. Sodomy is rated as PERVERSION (Fuhsh) in Quran and the people involved are accountable for punitive punishment if and where the Islamic Jurisprudence is applicable.
b. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) expressed his DISLIKING for PRACTICING;
Transdressing
Tattooing and Body Piercing
Seductive Stances
Lesbianism (sihaq)
c. Since Eunuchs are so by birth (although in India and Pakistan, they are surgically made, also) they were treated as any other human being by the Holy Prophet (pbuh).
Lesson taught is that Eunuchs are as human being as could be a Blind by birth.
There is not a single instance where the Holy Prophet (pbuh) even hinted to ban their entry in the mosques or congregations.
Same has been the case for Shemales. They are so by birth.
Many of the readers may find it interesting that a number of Islamic Soofis (auliaUllah) were eunuchs.
d. Islam is and was never was OBLIVIOUS of the facts of human life; and it treated all human in perfect fairness, so much so that a majority of the early followers of Islam were involved in all traits of the then society but became extremely pious after following Islamic Teachings.
People were treated as they were and in due respect and THE MESSAGE OF ISLAM WAS SYMPATHETICALLY PRESENTED TO THEM, SO THAT THEY COULD UNDERSTAND AND ADOPT IT.
Alcoholics quitted drinking as they had never drunk.
Topless Bar Tenders took pride in their modest dresses.
So were all others.
The Holy Prophet (pbuh) treated all human in Full Dignity and Due Esteem.
e. Beyond all that, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) also prescribed other social safeguards (in principle) such as that in fairness to all, avoid guileless family relations with those whom you find inclined to and immersed in manners disapproved by Islam.
Thanks Mr.Pervez for clerifying the issue, but I based my point from the the Quranic verse 21:8 which state “And We sent not before you (O Muhammad SAW) but men to whom We inspired” [al-An].bia’ 21:8)
This is an aspect of the perfection that Allah granted is that He chose all the Messengers whom He sent from among men. He did not send any Messenger from among women.
Secondly I also based mu point on Quranic verse:
“Men are the protectors and maintainers of women” [an-Nisa’ 4:34].
Beside the above other reasons already explained earlier.
Thanks again.
Thank You – “Alm757” and Thank You – “All Commentators”
=====================
Verily you have in the Prophet of Allah an excellent model, for him who fears Allah and the Last Day and who remembers Allah much.
Al-Ahzab Chapter 33 : Verse 22
=====================
As salamu Alaikum to all Believers in ALLAH SWT
Holy Quran & Holy Prophet Mohammed MSAS as the Seal of Holy Prophets.
Holy Prophet said as the end time will draw near there will be 73 Sects among Muslims but only one group will follow the Islamic guidance & I pray that ALLAH SWT guide all of us to true path of Islam. Any innovation in Islam is rejected by ALLAH SWT.
ALLAH SWT destroyed the site of Gays in Sadam & Gomerah. May ALLAH SWT save us from these sins.
Allah says in the quran:
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.” (Surat al-Ankaboot: 28-29)
And they even sought to snatch away his guests from him, but We blinded their eyes. (They heard:) “Now taste ye My Wrath and My Warning.” Early on the morrow an abiding Punishment seized them: (Surat al-Qamar: 37-38)
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! (Surat al-Araf: 80-84)
Allah gives many warnings in the Qur’an against the turning of genders and intercourse. Behold the punishment that will rain upon thee once again.
Thank god I left Islam, a religion which lost the meaning of compassion, love, unity, and putting away hate.
Before ‘leaving Islam’ you should have checked out http://www.alislam.org and http://www.themuslimtimes.org and all its books and articles there. It is never too late. Please check it out!
By doing that, you betrayed the Muslim ummah! That is a sad, sad story. But as long as you are alive, there is always hope…
May Allah (The Originator of the universe) guide you to the truth!
I wish the commentators like Qureshi can come back and see the effect of their comments in Alex. All the rage they expressed against the gays and lesbians is against the basic message of love and compassion in Islam. Calling them “idiots” and stopping them by “any means” is the problem facing Islam. Some self righteous like Qureshi have no knowledge of the Faith. They cover their ignorance by ridiculing others.
Shahid Perviaz has given some factual and scholarly analysis of this issue. This is the true teaching of Islam. We can disagree with others but cannot lose our humanity and compassion.
Certainly there are no punishments based upon religion even in a land where “sharia” rules.
May God save us from tyrants like Qureshi.
Lutf says: “We can disagree with others but cannot lose our humanity and compassion.”
There are limits to providing compassion, e.g. in case of adultery, there is clear order to punish the adulterers with 100 lashes and no mercy should be shown to them. Please see first few verses of chapter 24 i.e. Al Noor.
There is no need to leave everything to God and let the society sink into sinfulness. It is okay not to suppress any one for his faith and beliefs only. But the most harmful acts have to be controlled with some laws.
If you try to impose a way of life on people you will meet resistance. Force equals counter force. That is science. If they accept your way of life out of force, it may not be genuine. They may just be doing it to survive. So you offer the way to people and allow them to find it. If they reject, you do not punish them or eliminate them from society. That is idiotic stupidity and shows you cannot handle a challenge to your ideology in an intelligent manner. You find a way to integrate them into society without injuring others and you continue to offer the way in a passive manner. Any way of life that has to be forced on others in order to work is not the true way of life, it is a lie. As long as you believe that humans can behave like animals and therefore should be controlled then that is what they will do. If you want humans to live in a an enlightened manner, then treat them in an enlightened manner.
As in my post of July 17 shown below:
It is okay not to suppress any one for his faith and beliefs only. But the most harmful acts have to be controlled with some laws.
There is no need to hammer a way of life into people but still there need to be some laws to guide the people into a good way of life. If those laws are considered stringent and harsh then let there be no laws at all. Free the people to do what they like.
But that would end the span of mankind on earth quicker than ever before.
Some things are well known to be against nature. They should be prohibited otherwise they will spread out of control.
In using nature to determine right and wrong there are many modern practices that could be criticized as un-natural in society. Mechanized factories which automate animal slaughtering and processing, spending hours playing video games, using facebook instead of real life, sex change operations, genetic experiments to avoid disease, organ transplants. It can be argued that none of these are natural. The question is what creates progress and what causes harm. In the future it will be common for humans to be not only conceived but also developed and born in medical facilities never having been inside a female’s womb. Further in the future the chromosomes and genetic material will be selected from a bank containing thousands of donors. Logical reasons will be increased safety for both mother and baby and improved genetic disposition to health. This has already been done successfully with animals. The option will still exist to transplant the fetus into a female, but also into male’s body if there would be too much risk to the mother for example. What does this do to the logic against homosexuality not being natural because it excludes our ability to procreate?
Do not cut short humanity’s auto correction mechanism for survival. It is unlikely that people will destroy themselves without laws even in the face of atomic catastrophe. If there are no laws the survival desire will eventually balance human life into sustainability. I’m not saying laws are not needed but that we can not expect to impose laws on anyone when that law is perceived to curtail free will, without a solid demonstration of how the law helps preserve humanity not destroy it. This has not been done in reference to homosexuality.
Whatever your approach, as long as you impose restriction on any group you will experience backlash. This is natural, because imposition is unnatural. It sows the seed for oppression. To influence any group it is essential to do it in a positive manner. History has shown again and again the opposite approach will simply not work in the long term.
The question is: Is there a God who created everything with wisdom and he prescribed the good and bad? Medical science may improve to the point of destruction, self annihilation,,,,
True there may be a catastrophic medical or technological accident whose magnitude escapes our control. In that respect it is a wonder we are still around.
The design of the universe implies an intelligent source. A source of such power is surely wise to prefer that its creations comprehend the purpose behind their obedience. To follow a doctrine blindly is in a way an insult to the doctrine. Obedience has questionable value when it isn’t coming out of an understanding of what and why. It goes against our purpose as a critical thinking creature of free will to obey without question and even worse to admonish those who question the reasoning behind doctrine. How much stronger the faith that abides because it comprehends. If it does not make sense then it is a sign that there is some mental/spiritual questioning required.
We should promote comprehension whenever possible. When someone says something does not make sense, others should try to explain rather than say abide because you are commanded to do so.
Allah created this world and mankind. He has laid down rules for mankind how to live in His in this world.,only He knows what is harmful and beneficial for man. He has warned man in the Quran with examples from people of the past. I think man believes in seeing these days. Those stories in the Quran are there as a reminder to mankind. You do the same actions as the people of the past, you will get the same results that they got, whether good or bad. Whatever our beloved leader Muhammad (saw) encouraged us to do we should do and whatever he has told us to stay away from we should do exactly that, NO BUT. Dua can change conditions. We cannot achieve anything if Allah wants otherwise. Shaytaan is our enemy, let us not be enemies to each other. The Prophet advised us to take the middle way in Deen.We are a nation of Rasulullah (saw). The best of the Nations, the Honoured Ones. We should behave as such. I love you all for the sake of Allah. Salaam
Jemania Talowo, in The Quran, Good and Bad things are described and reason is also given there. Every one knows the nature of man, what he desires for himself and what he despises. It is the inner nature of mankind, cannot be changed easily.
It is useless to go against the real nature of mankind, just by relying on science. Science has its own usefulness. We appreciate all that.
Why to do something which is against the wishes of majority mankind?
Please do not ignore God Almighty in your arguments. We let the gay people to do privately what they like. But certain things need be rationed and controlled.
You may advise us to adopt man/ animal relation too. What shall we do? That may be recommended (needed) for some new science experiment. I beg your pardon.
unfortunately, none of those person will ever enter into Jannah unless they repent and stop the acts of homosexuality. Homosexuality is strictly forbidden in Islam in all shapes and forms. Although it has mainly been focused around Men. Women homosexual are not that strongly discussed. This could be that in adultery in Islam the focus is mainly on penetration.
Do you indeed approach men with desire instead of women? Rather, you are a people behaving ignorantly.”
Quran 4:16
And the two who commit it among you, dishonor them both. But if they repent and correct themselves, leave them alone. Indeed, Allah is ever Accepting of repentance and Merciful.
This sin, the impact of which makes one’s skin crawl, which words cannot describe, is evidence of perverted instincts, total collapse of shame and honor, and extreme filthiness of character and soul… The heavens, the Earth and the mountains tremble from the impact of this sin. The angels shudder as they anticipate the punishment of Allah to descend upon the people who commit this indescribable sin.
This strong rebuke merely comes from the fact that our society has always condemned homosexuality, esp male and those who use their back end. If two men commit adultery, the one who is on receiving end gets death penalty while the other gets 100 lashes. I will make du’a for you all to repent before its too late.
It’s a beautiful mosque and i am telling one thing that one of the best religion is Islam. Islam is that religion which gives you the right way.
Thank you !
If any one need to read more about Islam Just Click here
Read more: http://www.themuslimtimes.org/2013/08/countries/canada/toronto-mosque-is-gay-friendly-mixed-gender-prayers-led-by-a-woman#ixzz3kmH2U76l
Certainly it is not a mosque and I doubt it is being funded with intention…..
FROM MY VIEW OF ISLAM
==The idea behind that everybody is welcome, that we are the same — that’s something that really touched me,” ==
I agree this idea based on Allah’s words in Bible and Al Quran—NOT from the book of Hadith,
1, We are all sinner, including Muslim scholars who judge and forbid Gay-Lesbian etc.Even Extremist Muslim scholars say that the act of Gay-lesbian is criminal act, not sin, should be punished.
2. The act of homosexual and judging other belief, or religion is the act of sin.
3. Whereas Allah has given warnings in Bible and Al Quran as following;
All Allah’s law are just warning, not compulsion. As Allah said clearly in the Bible and Al Quran;
From Bible.
Today I am giving you a choice between good and evil, or between a blessing and a curse, between life and death. (Deuteronomy 30; 1,15)
He who is unjust, let him unjust still.
He who is filthy, let him be filthy still
He who is righteous, let him be righteous still.
He who is holy,let him be holy still.(Rev;22:11).
From Al Quran.
There is no compulsion in God’s religion.QS 2;256.
And showed him the two ways? QS 90;10.( God’s way, and evil’s way.)
And say, “The truth is from your Lord. Now, whoever so wills may believe and whoever so wills may deny.” QS 18;29.
Whoever goes right, then he goes right only for the benefit of his ownself. And whoever goes astray, then he goes astray to his own loss. No one laden with burdens can bear another’s burden.QS 17;15
And had your Lord willed, those on earth would have believed, all of them together. So, will you (O Muhammad SAW) then compel mankind, until they become believers. QS 10;99
”your(Muhammad(saw) duty is only to convey (the Message) and on Us is the reckoning”. QS 13:40.
From the foregoing, Islamic teaching from Allah has given His people a choice between two paths. Allah almighty has the right to judge people’s faith, belief, or lifestyle (such as gay-lesbian etc).
Therefore, Allah and prophet explained that Islam is peaceful religion, and mercy for mankind.
As long as Muslim scholars judge people’s lifestyle, create conflict among Muslim. So Muslim scholar must avoid to judge other lifestyle, accept the differences, and then let God judge His people.
To follow the sunnah Rasulullah (pbuh) have to be according to the progress and development of mankind in 21st century.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eWUfz-Hqg5w9qTuuz4e4a2uUQUutUKlkXi70ZnyFWX0/edit?usp=sharing
Was salam
With my love
gay and lesbian mosque?? are you joking or you don’t know your religion??
gay and lesbian are not allow in islam, Have you forgot how allah destroy the people of lut , when they were the first nation to do this disgusting act, going against nature, inviting male to have sex etcc..
Both the quran and the bible mention this story.
Stop following some stupid so called muslim leader, do your own research.
hahaha, these comments are exactly why the civilized world hates you and your farce of a religion.