Is homosexuality or bisexuality allowed for women?

Question

When the Quran forbids homosexuality, it only addresses men, not women. Speaking of which, when the Quran permits polygamy to men, it only addresses men. Now, both of the verses only address men yet polygamy is forbidden to women but homosexuality/bisexuality is not permitted to women. Why is that?

Answer 1

No, women satisfying their desires with other women ( سحاق ) is forbidden in Islam. The evidence for that includes:

• The Quran teaches Muslim women to guard their private parts just like it teaches men to guard their private parts:

  وقل للمؤمنات ... ويحفظن فروجهن

  And tell the believing women to ... guard their private parts

  ^{— Quran 24:31}

  والحافظين فروجهم والحافظات

  The men who guard their private parts and the women who do so

  ^{— Quran 33:35}

  This implies that they must guard them from everyone unless explicitly permitted, and this permission exists specifically for their husbands (23:5-7).

• The Hadith which prohibit a woman from even looking at the nakedness of another woman, when looking is forbidden so is everything beyond that:

  ‏ لا تنظر المرأة إلى عورة المرأة

  No woman should look at the nakedness of another woman.

  ^{— Sunan Ibn Majah & Sahih Muslim}

  The Hadith which describe it as a form of Zina, which is haram.

  السحاق بين النساء زنا بينهن

  Immorality between women in zina between them.

  ^{— Mu'jam al-Kabir Tabarani}

  وإذا أتت المرأة المرأة فهما زانيتان

  If a woman has sexual relations with another woman, then they are both guilty of Zina.

  ^{— Sunan al-Kubra al-Bayhaqi}

• There is consensus on its prohibition.

  لا خلاف بين الفقهاء في أن السحاق حرام

  There is no dispute among the jurists that sahq (the sexual act between women) is haram

  ^{— Mawsoo'ah al-Fiqhiyyah}