Am I going to hell because I'm gay? homosexual? attracted to the same sex?

Question

My heart and mind is a woman.

I'm a muslim. My father was an Imaan but he died 12 years ago. My family, my relatives, my neighborhood, my community are all muslims. I believe in Allah, the creator of all things, the lord of all creations, the most beneficient, most merciful. I'm 19 years old and I am gay. (Allah knows whats in my heart and what I really desire.) I believe that Allah don't make mistakes, never ever Allah made mistake. He is the perfect of all perfects. I also believe that our good and bad fate are from Allah. I took this life a trial. I cried many nights asking myself why do I feel this way, (I don't blame god, I blame myself.) the feeling of being attracted to the same sex. Homosexuality is forbidden, its haram. So where is my place in this world? Where would I go in the hereafter? Is my prayers are being accepted? Did I commit sin whenever I thought of my handsome neighbor? Am I destined to go to hell? I know I'm gay! I always prayed to Allah to make me feel attracted to a woman. Even I did say that in my prayers, Allah knows what's in my heart and whats in my head and what I really desire. Someone people would say, this is so simple...try not not be attracted to the same sex, change your feelings...do you know what it feels like??? Its more just like demanding your daughter to dress like a man, move like a man but I'm a man in a man's body. Allah knows how hard I am trying, people wouldn't understand me because they are not me. Only Allah knows what I really feel! How can I accept myself when my religion won't accept me? My family, my friends... I love what Allah has given me but I can't accept it.

I grew up, sad, lonely, gloomy and always alone. Always hiding, timid and low-self esteem. I don't like what I feel toward a guy, what I want from them (but god knows! how damn my heart wants those desires...). The warmth of a man. I want to be a woman, I want to wear a dress, I want to put on a make-up, I want to wear hijab, high heels and gowns. Most of all I want a man. But I never did! I never did! Because I'm a man! A man should be a man! But what about my feelings? What should I do? I think I'm going crazy thinking all about this through-out my 19 years existence since the start I understood the world. God never made mistake and God made me like this so I must have a purpose. Sometime I wish I'd turn a lunatic, to be thrown in a mental hospital.. sooner I will become crazy!!! If I choose my desires? Is hell my destination? Yes! It is! But If I don't follow my desires, I'll be forever hating myself and hating yourself is a sin for not appreciating what has Allah given to me. Destination is hell too? Is hell is my destiny? My fate?

Answer 1

Have you considered the possibility that you are a transgender woman? Gay men don't ordinarily go around saying things like "my heart and mind is a woman"; transgender women certainly do. Transgenderism should not be confused with homosexuality.

Islam has an interesting, and relatively positive relationship with transgender women:

• There's the mukhannathun or "effeminates":

  According to the scholar and hadith collector al-Nawawi:

  A mukhannath is the one ("male") who carries in his movements, in his appearance and in his language the characteristics of a woman. There are two types; the first is the one in whom these characteristics are innate, he did not put them on by himself, and therein is no guilt, no blame and no shame, as long as he does not perform any (illicit) act or exploit it for money (prostitution etc.). The second type acts like a woman out of immoral purposes and he is the sinner and blameworthy.

  Your post makes you sound like this first kind.

• Iran's Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini published a fatwa regarding genital reassignment surgery, "authorising them for "diagnosed transsexuals" 25 years ago" (ref.; see also Wikipedia).

• Quite recently, fifty clerics in Pakistan issued a fatwa addressing marriage and inherentence of transgender women, even claiming that it's haram to "humiliate, insult or tease" transgender people (ref.).

  Qamar Nasim said that many police officers had charged people in transgender marriages because "due to a lack of knowledge... they consider it same-sex marriage".

I can't tell you if you're a transgender women or not, but have a think about it. Consider also talking to a gender therapist. It will be hard to understand your sexuality without first understanding your gender.

Islam Q&A has an article on this but was written in the context of surgery; while the article is mostly against surgically transitioning, this part is relevant:

...if your masculinity is not established, and you only think that you are a man because of what you see in your body of outward masculine appearance, in contrast to what you feel in yourself of having feminine characteristics and an inclination towards males and being sexually attracted to them, then you should examine your situation

...

You should consult experienced specialist doctors. If they determine that you are male in outward appearance but are in fact female, then you may submit yourself to their treatment, so that they can bring out your femininity by doing surgery. But that will not in fact be a sex change from male to female, because this will not be up to them; rather it will be bringing out your true nature and removing what is in your body, and what you feel deep inside you of confusion and ambiguity.

Answer 2

If you feel attracted to men, only option for you in Islam is to not act upon it. If you act upon it and have relationship with men, then that is forbidden act in Islam. You can remain celibate either for full life or until you feel attracted towards women. Remaining celibate is not difficult, everyone nowadays do this in some part of their life. Like for example, most males attain puberty in their early teens but they remain celibate till their marriage which can be till their late twenties. Some people have to remain away from wives for long period of time for different reasons like work, study etc. There are also males who do not marry due to different reasons like financial, non availability of suitable brides, physical difficulties etc.

To summarize, just because you are attracted to male, you are not sinning. It is only upon acting on it that you sin. So just abstain from that and you can be good Muslim.

Answer 3

Yes. Allah has told us homosexuality is unnatural and an an evil immoral way. There is no justifying this evil so no point in being deluded.

Answer 4

Let's pay heed to some points:

Firstly, Allah never make mistake.

Secondly, although our fate is depended upon Allah (and He permanently wants good fate for us), BUT: having good or bad fate is related to our intentions/practices.

Thirdly, AFAIK, Both Quran/Narrations have mentioned it as "GREAT-SIN", and I red how much its punishment is hard/horrible ... that I prefer not to mention it! that I think it won't never be forgiven (unless by a real repentance and stopping it seriously.) When we see serious/emphasized horrible explanation about its punishment, then logically we won't expect of forgiveness for it ... (besides, I think: If Allah would forgive us "even for great-sins" then He would directly take us to Heaven, not here.)

Fourthly, you as a boy, must definitely do your best to leave it (if don't like to be punished of it...); don't forgot that (I reckon) many ones logically like do many sins, but try a lot to prevent themselves of doing that although it difficult, in order not to be punishment, then:

Although I'm aware that its really arduous for you to leave it, but anyway you have to leave it by diverse ways, such as: changing you place, making yourself busy by diverse things/affairs, choosing another friend, getting marriage if possible, etc.

P.S., I don't like only talk unreal positively to make you to like my answer, but based on reality, it seems a very dangerous sin that can be led in awful penalty or even hell, but it is not clear for us about the degree of its punishment/hell/fire, etc. Hence, I as your Muslim brother advice you that: Don't deceive yourself that "I'm not able to leave this horrible act", hence trust God, change your life style, to pas this short-time world, to reach Heaven, God willing. Good luck.

https://www.porseman.com/article/%D8%AD%DA%A9%D9%85-%D9%87%D9%85-%D8%AC%D9%86%D8%B3-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B2%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D9%82%D8%B1%D8%A2%D9%86---%D8%AD%DA%A9%D9%85-%D9%84%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B7-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D9%82%D8%B1%D8%A2%D9%86/44729

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Answer 5

Given that homosexuality and transgenders, are to a large extent, biologically determined I wouldn't have thought so.

After all, one only needs to look at the natural world, to see an immense diversity of sexual and gender behaviour.

Whilst homosexuality is condemned in traditional Islam, revisionist scholars - according to Alipour and Fadl - offer a more tolerant reading in line to what I described above and grounded in the Qu'ran. And that what is actually being condemned is hedonism - that is a life solely and only dedicated to self pleasure.