Do not come near indecencies, openly or secretly - reminder
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم Assalamu alaikum, I see this discussion come up often: are same-sex urges acceptable in Islam if you don’t act on them? Here’s an ayah that can help guide us. In Surah Al-An'am (6:151) Allah says: “Say, ‘Come! Let me recite to you what your Lord has forbidden to you: do not associate others with Him. Honour your parents. Do not kill your children for fear of poverty. We provide for you and for them. Do not come near indecencies, openly or secretly. Do not take a human life-made sacred by Allah-except with legal right. This is what He has commanded you, so perhaps you will understand.’ ” From this verse we can list a few prohibitions, and the one I want to focus on is: do not come near indecencies, openly or secretly. The Arabic word here is fawahish (فواحش), from fahisha (فاحشة), which is translated as shameful acts, immoralities, obscenities, lewd things - and that covers sexual sins outside marriage, whether heterosexual or homosexual. Scholars agree that sexual relations outside of marriage are considered sinful in Islam. The verse doesn’t only forbid committing such acts - it warns against coming near them. It even stresses both open and secret forms. That implies we should avoid situations, thoughts, or environments that lead us toward these deeds, not just avoid the act itself. So are urges or thoughts forgivable if you don’t act on them? It depends. If you’re actively resisting and working to change your situation and thoughts, that’s different from passively allowing those urges to grow unchecked. It’s like someone trying to quit alcohol but still frequenting places or habits that encourage drinking - they won’t recover without real effort to avoid triggers. Similarly, for any indecent behavior - hetero or homo in nature - you should strive to repel those inclinations: change your surroundings, lower exposure to triggers, seek righteous company, make dua, and work on your iman. Not acting isn’t always enough if you’re not trying to move away from what tempts you. والصلاة والسلام على نبينا محمد والحمد لله رب العالمين