Anonymous asked: Alright I basically just lost all respect I once had for you and your blog. Youre just like all the long bearded bigots in the community only your intolerance is disguised by your "queer" label. Your knowledge of Islam is A) clearly limited because as much as you may have learned you have a long way to go before you can claim knowledge and go around passing your own little fatwas and B) just as narrow minded as the sheikhs out there condemning the gay community. So much for "sex positive islam"

I am not passing a fatwa. I am sorry if anyone is confused about that. I’m only giving my opinion. I am also sorry that you think lowly of me and of men with beards. If you are a Muslim, I hope you will find it in your heart to forgive us. If you aren’t, you’re under no obligation to.

I have very limited knowledge so I am trying to stay on the most correct path with what knowledge I do have. If I have made any errors, please do not hesitate to give naseeha if you have Islamic proof for it.

Sex positive Islam does not mean everything goes. It just means that sexuality is celebrated within it’s confines and it isn’t something that is shameful or wrong. You will find I am not condemning the gay community. I am acknowledging their existence and I am acknowledging that it is not “bad” or dirty. It is not “bad” or dirty to act on their desires, either, it’s just not permissible. 

Anonymous asked: but...but how can a homosexual NOT act upon their desires? I'm not gay, but I always put myself in that position that if I were to force myself to be with someone I had no attraction to, that would be horrible. Also not to stereotype, but what about the more "feminine" gay men, even if they denied their urges, what heterosexual women would marry them if they knew they were gay? women usually go for the more masculine type. Does the Qu'ran mention anything there?

No, it doesn’t, but this is why they don’t have to force themselves on someone if they choose not to. They would just be the companions of women. The mukhannathun (effeminate men) never married and no sexual relations were recorded during the time of the Prophet.

If they chose to marry a woman, I imagine they would have grown a beard and stopped adorning themselves in a feminine way. I doubt they would have wanted to, though. 

I know it’s a difficult thing to imagine, but if you look at it from a biological point of view, most people are actually bisexual. People are rarely, if ever, born completely on one end of the spectrum because evolution favours the average. I sort of think of sexuality as a blank slate that your experiences shape and define. If you didn’t live in our society where sexuality is so blatantly thrust on you and it’s more guarded (not repressed, though - that’s just as bad) I don’t think your sexuality would be quite as defined. Now we’re so overwhelmed with what we’re told is desirable, you have people who will only find someone who is a thin, big breasted, light haired, toned, green eyed girl attractive. Back then it was much different. You didn’t see as much of someone else’s body and sex so you didn’t respond to it as much as we do and our sexualities didn’t develop without our consent and our conscious decisions.

Our sexualities are also incredibly fluid, though. You sometimes find yourself finding someone who you never thought you would, attractive. You want to try new things out. You’re interested in something different. God made us to be adaptable. 

I’m not a doctor and I haven’t studied this, it’s just my observations from my sexuality and that of people around me. I think from a young age we are exposed to so much sex and we’ve made a culture out of it, I’m not really sure we even have much of a choice anymore, compared to back when it was much more of a conscious decision to see and know someone’s body. 

So basically… I don’t think it’s fair to be a Muslim who grew up in this society where our sexuality has been developed without our consent but I also have realized I can’t say things are okay if they’re not and in Islam, I don’t think gay marriage and acting on homosexual urges is okay. 

I hope this made sense and cleared things up.

“A great misconception prevails as to the age at which Aisha was taken in marriage by the Prophet. Ibn Sa‘d has stated in the Tabaqat that when Abu Bakr [father of Aisha] was approached on behalf of the Holy Prophet, he replied that the girl had already been betrothed to Jubair, and that he would have to settle the matter first with him. This shows that Aisha must have been approaching majority at the time. Again, the Isaba, speaking of the Prophet’s daughter Fatima, says that she was born five years before the Call and was about five years older than Aisha. This shows that Aisha must have been about ten years at the time of her betrothal to the Prophet, and not six years as she is generally supposed to be. This is further borne out by the fact that Aisha herself is reported to have stated that when the chapter [of the Holy Quran] entitled The Moon, the fifty-fourth chapter, was revealed, she was a girl playing about and remembered certain verses then revealed. Now the fifty-fourth chapter was undoubtedly revealed before the sixth year of the Call. All these considerations point to but one conclusion, viz., that Aisha could not have been less than ten years of age at the time of her nikah, which was virtually only a betrothal. And there is one report in the Tabaqat that Aisha was nine years of age at the time of nikah. Again it is a fact admitted on all hands that thenikah of Aisha took place in the tenth year of the Call in the month of Shawwal, while there is also preponderance of evidence as to the consummation of her marriage taking place in the second year of Hijra in the same month, which shows that full five years had elapsed between the nikah and the consummation. Hence there is not the least doubt that Aisha was at least nine or ten years of age at the time of betrothal, and fourteen or fifteen years at the time of marriage.”

-Maulana Muhammad Ali, Living Thoughts of the Prophet Muhammad

Here are two resources about the age of Aisha rA and questioning the “9” and “6” rule:

http://realdeen.wordpress.com/2006/07/30/real-age-of-hazrat-aisha/ 

http://www.muslim.org/islam/aisha-age.htm

Anonymous asked: So what's your take on the story of Prophet Lut (A.S.)'s people? Allah is the Most Merciful but He (SWT) is also the Most Wise and Most Just.

From my understanding, it was about lust, rape, sodomy, and possibly pedophilia, but I’m not sure as I’m not a scholar. Just from the behaviour, it’s obvious it was not only about homosexuality or being inclined toward the same gender. 

We know from the mukhannathun that just being queer isn’t wrong, as they used to visit the wives of the Prophet SAWS and the only time the Prophet SAWS had a problem with it was when one was describing the bodies of the women to other men. 

Honestly, I’m unsure because this is such a complicated matter. I don’t know if gay marriage is allowed in Islam, or if gay sex is, but I do know that just being gay is not wrong and you can still have a place in the Islamic society if you are. 

Anonymous asked: Random question, apologies in advance if it is offensive, I don't mean it that way: If someone is genderqueer or gender fluid, where should one pray?

I have been searching and searching and I cannot find anything on this at all. I believe the Mukhannathun (effeminate men) used to pray with the women as they were regarded as “men who have no desire for women” and used to be the guards of the harem. I remember reading something about them praying between the men and women in congregation too but I can’t find the proof for that right now.

I would say you should pray in an environment free of judgement and where you feel most comfortable. If you feel most comfortable praying with men, do that. If you feel most comfortable praying with women, then that’s fine too. Or if you feel most comfortable praying in mixed congregation, then pray there. InshaAllah if you have good intentions, God will guide you to where you should be.

Anonymous asked: hi, does Islam prohibit sex before marriage or is it just tradition?

Hi, Islam prohibits any voluntary sex outside of marriage (zina). The Qur’an says:

“And do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse. Indeed, it is ever an immorality and is evil as a way.”

-Al-Isra 17: 32

In regards to who is lawful to you, it says:

And they who guard their private parts, Except from their wives or those their right hands possess, for indeed, they will not be blamed - But whoever seeks beyond that, then those are the transgressors.

- Al-Mu’minun 23: 5-7

The punishment for sex outside of marriage is flogging 100 times. In order to prove this, however, you need a clear confession and the testimony of four Muslim men who all saw the intercourse at the same time.

I want to add that this is separate from the rulings regarding rape. As I was writing, this my mom saw and asked about it so I want to clear it up in case anyone else was wondering. Islam does recognize rape. This hadith pretty clearly explains it:

Wa’il ibn Hujr reports of an incident when a woman was raped. Later, when some people came by, she identified and accused the man of raping her. They seized him and brought him to Allah’s messenger, who said to the woman, “Go away, for Allâh has forgiven you,” but of the man who had raped her, he said, “Stone him to death.” (Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud)

I hope this helped.

realfakescientist:

mehreenkasana:

Plot twist: Women start demanding that their men be virgins.

I mean, it’s a two way street yes? this should be the rational standard rather than a plot twist, because if it’s required by the man of the woman, than the man should be prepared to abide by the same standard. this is coming from a man, who tries to use rational and common sense as much as possible. 

b-but prizing virginity is not from Islam, it’s a Christian innovation that some Muslims have adopted. I don’t think anyone should demand or expect that. The Prophet certainly didn’t. Look at his wives - the majority of them were divorcees or widows. However you are right that men should be held to the same standard as women.

Anonymous asked: Are certain things such as masterbating, oral/anal sex allowed in Islam?

Again, these things are debated. Some people say oral sex is not allowed ever, some say it is as long as no body fluids are ingested because they are considered to be impure. Anal sex is completely forbidden, as far as I am aware. Masturbation is another subject that is heavily debated. Some believe it is okay if you are unable to marry and you fear you will commit a graver sin (sex outside of marriage) if you don’t, some believe it is completely forbidden. I am no scholar, though, and I pray God will forgive me if I’ve committed any errors. 

I think it is better if you look at Islam as a bigger picture, though, rather than just looking at “is this halal or haram” which is what Osama has been saying. Practice Islam as something bigger than just “can I fap” or “can I paint my nails.” 

Anonymous asked: Hi. I've been following you for a while. I'm a non-Muslim and I was wondering why do muslim women wear hijab.

Hello, anon! It’s a pleasure to have you follow me and drop by my ask box. Thank you.

Well, this is a much debated topic. We aren’t given a reason within the religion (hadith and Qur’an), other than so we are identified as Muslims and aren’t troubled, and also because it is better for us so we’ve had to figure it out for ourselves, really.

Many people say that it is for men to help them keep their thoughts pure and resist temptation. Others think it is to protect a woman from harmful gazes. I think it’s a bit of both. 

In Islam, sexuality is not allowed to be used as a bartering tool. Ever. Not in society or in marriage. Women are given other means to gain standing, however her sexuality is something precious that is not for public consumption, and definitely not as a way to manipulate her or others, although it also belongs to her and it is her decision as to how she uses it. Hope this helps.