Non-binary Muslim Convert
Question: I’m a convert and non-binary Muslim. Many Muslims are very anti-LGBT. I’m not really looking for an answer, just reassurance. I’ve felt for years that I can’t be a Muslim because of my LGBT identity; even now that I accept Islam, I’m nervous about facing rejection from other Muslims. I’ve prayed and felt Allah’s acceptance; I know He loves me for who I am. I just so desperately want to be accepted by the community too. Are there any hadiths/verses that may reassure me?
Answer:
Assalamu alaykum,
Thank you for your question. I want to first commend you and congratulate you for accepting Islam as your religion and I pray that you will find ultimate comfort, guidance, and success in this world and the next.
Acceptance
I feel that you are saddened and frustrated by the stance that Muslims take on this issue. Please understand that if you feel unaccepted, it is not because of your faith, but because Muslims are taught from an early age about the impermissibility of being LGBTQ. This tends to make them sensitive, nervous, and oblivious to people’s feelings around the issue.
If I were in your shoes, I would focus on my faith, and not someone else’s pleasure or acceptance. No Muslim is better than another except through God-fearing (taqwa) and that is where you should start. Allah, Most High, says, “O humanity! Indeed, We created you from a male and a female and made you into peoples and tribes so that you may ˹get to˺ know one another. Surely the noblest of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous among you. Allah is truly All-Knowing, All-Aware [49:13].
Increase in knowledge and worship
The best thing that you can do for yourself and to increase in closeness to Allah is to learn His religion and apply it to the best of your ability. Learn how to pray correctly, be consistent, read some Quran everyday with the meaning, and learn your halals and harams of everyday life. Consider these free courses:
https://seekers.flywheelstaging.com/courses/living-right-halal-and-haram-and-living-prophetic-excellence-hanafi/
Strive for Allah’s pleasure, pray the Prayer of Need, ask Allah in the depths of the night and turn to Him wholly. Try to apply what is right, despite your inclinations, and by His grace, you will have a tremendous reward in a place, where “there will be no fear upon them, nor shall they grieve”. May Allah facilitate your matter for you and don’t hesitate to follow up with any question or concern.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqeeda, fiqh, tajweed, tafseer, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her master’s in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She recently moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.
