If you will excuse me, and without undue sensitivity (“there is no shyness in religion”), I would like to ask about the immortal youths of whom the Qur’an speaks along with al-hoor al-‘iyn. Is it possible that my Lord has created them to satisfy sexual desires in homosexuals, as a reward to them for their patience in this world and avoidance of sin? Or is there another group of beautiful boys especially for homosexuals, other than these? This question is not a joke; rather it is a genuine question and I expect an answer, with all due respect and professionalism. Do not forget that the name of your website is “Islam: Questions and Answers.” We are waiting for your response. Thank you.

Praise
be to Allah

Firstly:

You could have asked this question in a more appropriate
manner, giving real information about your name, language and religion, and
we would never fall short – if Allah wills – in answering you. We have
answered questions for Jews, Christians, Buddhists and atheists, and their
questions have not prevented them from giving their real information, and we
have shown them our respect and appreciation. But in your case, you say in
your information that your religion is Buddhism and that your job is drug
dealer, and that your language is the language of the street. We do not know
what this has to do with your question, especially your saying “my Lord”.
Are you speaking of Buddha or of the Lord of the Worlds?

If a Muslim claims that he does not follow the religion of
Islam, that constitutes apostasy – Allah forbid – even if he is joking! Such
a thing is not a joking matter and is not to be mocked. But if a person is
asking in earnest, then let him ask about whatever he wishes, of things that
he needs to know about his religious and worldly affairs. But that has
nothing to do with writing such things in one’s information.

Whatever the case, none of that will prevent us from
answering your question, because we know that this specious argument is
being spread by the enemies of Islam.

Secondly:

We have read about some atheists saying that Islam attracted
the Arabs and the homosexuals by telling them that in Paradise they would
have beautiful boys with whom to commit indecent acts – Allah forbid – and
that sexual desire, corrupted human nature and resentment towards Islam made
these people wander blindly in their transgression, so they began to quote
verses of the Holy Qur’an which they thought supported what they had
fabricated against the religion of Islam. There can be no doubt whatsoever
that they are liars and fabricators, and that Islam did not bring anything
but purity and chastity, and these perversions only exist in societies that
have been corrupted. Allah, may He be exalted, punished their predecessors –
namely the people of Loot – in a manner in which He did not punish any other
nation.

Islam regards sexual perversion – homosexuality – as a major
sin. The people of Loot (peace be upon him) who committed this abhorrent sin
were described as transgressors and ignorant people who transgressed beyond
all bounds in their crimes, because they did that which is contrary to sound
human nature. Read what Allah, may He be exalted, says about Loot (peace be
upon him) when he addressed his people (interpretation of the meaning):


“ ‘Go you in
unto the males of the Alameen (mankind),


And leave those whom Allah has created for you to be your
wives? Nay, you are a trespassing people!’”


[ash-Shu‘ara’ 26:165-166]


“And
(remember) Lout (Lot)! When he said to his people: ‘Do you commit Al-Fahishah
(evil, great sin, every kind of unlawful sexual intercourse, sodomy, etc.)
while you see (one another doing evil without any screen, etc.)?


Do you approach men in your lusts rather than women? Nay, but
you are a people who behave senselessly’”


[an-Naml 27:54-55]


“And
(remember) Lout (Lot), when he said to his people: ‘Do you commit the worst
sin such as none preceding you has committed in the Alameen (mankind and
jinns)?


‘Verily, you practise your lusts on men instead of women.
Nay, but you are a people transgressing beyond bounds (by committing great
sins).’


And the answer of his people was only that they said: ‘Drive
them out of your town, these are indeed men who want to be pure (from
sins)!’


Then We saved him and his family, except his wife; she was of
those who remained behind (in the torment).


And We rained down on them a rain (of stones). Then see what
was the end of the Mujrimoon (criminals, polytheists, sinners, etc.)”


[al-A‘raaf 7:80-84].

We have highlighted the abhorrent nature of this sin and the
prohibition on it, and mentioned the ruling that the one who does it and the
one to whom it is done are to be executed, in many answers. See – for
example – the answers to questions no. 38622,
84140 and 27176. In the
answer to question no. 10050, you will find a
discussion on the prohibition on female homosexuality – lesbianism – also.

Can it be the case that for one who has committed a grave sin
such as this, Allah, may He be exalted, will prepare for him boys with whom
he can satisfy his perverted desires?! Can it be said to the Muslims: Be
patient in resisting perverse desires so that you can fulfil them in
Paradise?! These atheists know that Islam is a religion of chastity and
purity, and they know that Islam does not approve of these perversions,
either in this world or in Paradise, but they are people of evil and
atheism, so they do not care about anything but slandering Islam, because
they are infuriated by the fact that people are entering the religion of
Allah in crowds, including scientists, doctors and government ministers.
This enrages them, so they spread lies and fabrications against this
religion. But the more their lies and fabrications become clear to people,
the more they adhere to Islam and know that the atheists and the enemies of
this pure religion are devoid of any good.

Allah has declared that in His Paradise no vain or sinful
talk will be heard, so how about sinful actions?! He, may He be exalted,
says (interpretation of the meaning):


“No Laghw
(dirty, false, evil vain talk) will they hear therein, nor any sinful speech
(like backbiting, etc.)


But only the saying of: Salam!, Salam! (greetings with peace)”


[al-Waaqi‘ah 56:25-26].

Homosexual inclinations are not natural or inherent; rather
it is a disease that affects the one who goes against sound human nature and
is far removed from purity in his attitude and deeds. This is contrary to
the male inclination towards females, which is the natural inclination.
Hence Allah, may He be exalted, has prescribed marriage in this world, and
He has promised to the Muslims the hoor al-‘iyn in the Hereafter. This is
what Islam teaches, nothing else.

Thirdly:

With regard to the verses which those atheists and enemies of
Islam quoted as evidence, in which mention is made of those immortal boys or
boys of everlasting youth, those verses include the following
(interpretation of the meaning):


“And there
will go round boy-servants of theirs, to serve them as if they were
preserved pearls”


[at-Toor 52:24]


“And round
about them will (serve) boys of everlasting youth. If you see them, you
would think them scattered pearls”


[al-Insaan 76:19]


“They will be
served by immortal boys,


With cups, and jugs, and a glass from the flowing wine,


Wherefrom they will get neither any aching of the head, nor
any intoxication.


And fruit; that they may choose,


And the flesh of fowls that they desire”


[al-Waaqi‘ah:56:17-21].

These verses describe the servants of the people of Paradise.
Allah, may He be exalted, has created them for that purpose in the most
beautiful form, but it is not part of their role to do that which those
liars have fabricated; rather, Allah, may He be exalted, has told us of
their deeds in the Qur’an, where He says that they will serve the
inhabitants of Paradise, and will go around taking food and drink to them,
and no more than that.

At-Tabari (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

The words “They
will be served by immortal boys”
[al-Waaqi‘ah:56:17] mean: There will go around to those who were
foremost in faith, whom Allah will bring close (to Him) in Gardens of bliss,
boys who are all of the same age and will never change or die.

“With
cups, and jugs” – the
word translated here as cups refers to vessels with wide necks and no spout.

“and a
glass from the flowing wine”
– this refers to a cup of wine from a flowing spring

“Wherefrom
they will get neither any aching of the head”
that is, they will not get headaches as a result of drinking and becoming
intoxicated.

“nor any
intoxication” that is,
they will not lose their minds.

“And
fruit; that they may choose”
that is, those immortal boys will go around among those who were foremost in
faith, with fruits from which they may choose for themselves whatever of the
fruits of Paradise they like

“And the
flesh of fowls that they desire”
that is, they will also go around with meat from whatever fowl (birds) they
like.

End quote from Tafseer at-Tabari (23/101-105)

Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

The words “And
round about them will (serve) boys of everlasting youth. If you see them,
you would think them scattered pearls”
[al-Insaan 76:19] mean: There will go around to the people of
Paradise to serve them boys from among the children of Paradise

“of
everlasting youth” that
is, all looking the same, in a way that will last for ever, and never
change, for they will never grow any older. As for those who interpreted it
as meaning that they will wear earrings in their ears, they only did so
because this is something that is only appropriate for young boys, not for
adults.

“If you
see them, you would think them scattered pearls”
that is, if you saw them going about attending to the needs of their
masters, with their large numbers, bright faces, and beautiful colours,
garments and adornment, you would think that they were scattered pearls.
There is no likeness more beautiful than that, and nothing more delightful
to the eye than pearls that are scattered in a beautiful place.

End quote from Tafseer Ibn Katheer (8/292)

Some of the scholars are of the view that the boys of
everlasting youth are those who die in infancy among the sons of both the
believers and the mushrikeen, but this view is not correct. Rather the
correct view is that which we have mentioned above, that they are created
specially to serve the people of Paradise. For more information, please see
the answer to question no. 43191

Finally:

This is our response to what you have asked about, and we
hope that you will benefit thereby, and that Allah will open your heart to
Islam, so that you will become one of its followers and one of those who
ward off from it the schemes and fabrications of the followers of falsehood
and liars. If you do not benefit from this answer of ours, then perhaps
others will benefit from it and will learn from it that Islam is the
religion of chastity and purity, and it is not possible for it to have
brought what those followers of falsehood have fabricated about the purpose
behind the creation of the servants of the people of Paradise. As for what
we have quoted from the commentators, no other view is known from the
scholars of Islam.

Finally, we should point out that the phrase “there is no
shyness in religion” is incorrect. For more information on that, please see
the answer to question no. 12370.

And Allah knows best.