Prohibition of Lesbianism and Islamic Punishment.
1. Ibn Jawzi said:
الباب الرابع والخمسون في تَحْريمِ السُّحاق بينَ النساءعن واثلة بن الأسقع، وأنس بن مالك – رضي الله عنهما – قالا: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلّم «لا تذهب الدنيا حتى يستغني الرجال بالرجال، والنساء بالنساء، والسحاق زنى النساء بينهن». .
On the Prohibition of Lesbianism Between Women
It is narrated from Wathilah ibn al-Asqa‘ and Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
The world will not come to an end until men become satisfied with (having relations with) men, and women with women. Lesbianism is the zina (fornication) of women among themselves.
Ahkam al Nisa page 119, the hadith is weak see Silsilah Ahadeeth al Daeefa no. 1601 and 1602, but al Albani authenticated the following narration.
2. LGBTQ is one of the reason of destruction.
Anas reported:
إِذَا اسْتَعْمَلَتْ أُمَّتِي خَمْسًا فَعَلَيْهِمُ الدَّمَارُ إِذَا ظَهَرَ فِيهِمُ التَّلَاعُنُ وَلُبْسُ الْحَرِيرِ وَاتَّخَذُوا الْقَيْنَاتِ وَشَرِبُوا الْخُمُورَ وَاكْتَفَى الرِّجَالُ بِالرِّجَالِ وَالنِّسَاءُ بِالنِّسَاءِ
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “When my nation adopts five practices, their destruction is inevitable: when they curse each other openly, they wear silk, they take up musical instruments, they drink wine, and men are satisfied with men and women are satisfied with women.”
Source: Shu’ab al-Imān 5084,
Authentication.
A) Hasan li ghayrihi according to Al-Albani in Saheeh at-Targheeb no 2386 and 2054
B) al Bayhaqi quoted 4 ahadith talking about lesbians with different chains, and said:
إِسْنَادُهُ وَإِسْنَادُ مَا قَبْلَهُ غَيْرُ قَوِيٍّ، غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ إِذَا ضُمَّ بَعْضُهُ إِلَى بَعْضٍ أَخَذَ قُوَّةً،
Its chain of transmission (isnād) and the chain of what precedes it are not strong. However, when some of them are combined together, they gain strength.
Shu’ab al-Imān 5084
Even if you don’t accept this authentication still the text is 100% authentic and happening.
3. Lesbianism was alien to the Sahaba. The Prophet (peace be upon him) warned them about it, explained what it was, and foretold that this filth would happen.
A) Nuyeem bin Hammad attributed to Prophet peace be upon him that he said:
أتدرون ماالتساحق؟ قالوا: لا، قال: تركب المرأة المرأة ثم تسحقها
Do you know what ‘tasaḥuq’ (lesbianism) is?” They said, “No.” He replied: “It is when one woman mounts another and grinds against her.”
(Kitab al Fitan 1794, it is mentioned in majles alukah website that this narration is hasan and has various corroborating routs.)
B) Ibn Jawzi explained lesbianism like this:
وأكثر ما يدعو النساء إلى السحاق أنهن إذا ألزقن موضع مَحزِّ الختان، بموضع محزِّ الختان، وجدن هناك لذة عجيبة، وكلما كان ذلك منها أوفر كان ذلك السحق ألذّ، ولذلك صار حذّاق الرجال يضعون أطراف الكَمَر ويتعمدون بها محزّ الختان، لأن هناك مجتمع الشهوة
What most often leads women to engage in lesbian relations is that when they bring together the clitoris of one woman with that of another, they experience an extraordinary pleasure. The more prominent this area is, the more intense the pleasure derived from such acts becomes. This is why experienced men deliberately focus on stimulating the circumcision site during intimacy, as it represents the focal point of sexual pleasure.
Ahkam an-Nisa by Ibn Jawzi page 29.
C) Reported by Abu Hatim al-Razi in “al-Zuhd” (p.71):
حدثني نعيم بن حماد، قال: حدثنا عبد الله بن الحارث، عن حفصة بنت زيد، قالت: دخلت على سالم وكان عمي، فسألته عما أحدث النساء من مضاجعة بعضهن بعضاً، فقال: والذي نفسي بيده، إنهما لتأتيان يوم القيامة زانيتين أو لوطيتين، وإن لوطية النساء مثل لوطية الرجال.
Nu’aym ibn Hammad narrated to us, saying: Abdullah ibn al-Harith narrated to us from Hafsah bint Zayd, who said:
“I went to Salim – who was my uncle – and asked him about what women have newly introduced in terms of lying with one another. He said: ‘By the One in whose Hand is my soul, they will surely come on the Day of Judgment as fornicators.. and indeed the lesbianism of women is like the homosexuality of men.'”
Narration 2:
حدثنا وكيع قال: حدثنا عبد الله بن الحارث الحاطبي عن حفصة بنت زيد عن سالم بن عبد الله بن عمر في المرأة تركب المرأة قال: ليلقين الله وهما زانيتان.
Reported by Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah in “al-Musannaf” (Vol.16/p.52)
Waki’ narrated to us, saying: Abdullah ibn al-Harith al-Hatibi narrated to us from Hafsah bint Zayd from Salim ibn Abdullah ibn Umar concerning a woman mounting another woman. He said:
“They will surely meet Allah as two fornicators.”
4. The nation of Lut were gays and lesbians.
Hudhaifa radhiAllahanho said:
: إنما حق القول على قوم لوط حين استغنى النساء بالنساء والرجال بالرجال.
The divine command (of the destruction) over the Nation of Lut came about when women would satisfy themselves from women and men from men.
ذم الملاهي لابن أبي الدنيا no. 154 the muhaqqiq said the chain is very weak
5. The nation of Lut had lesbians.
al Bayhaqi and Ibn abi Dunia narrated:
عن أبي حمزة قال: قلت لمحمد بن علي: عذب الله نساء قوم لوط بعمل رجالهم؟ قال: الله أعدل من ذلك، استغنى الرجال بالرجال والنساء بالنساء.
Abu Hamza asked Muhammad bin Ali, Did Allah punish women of the nation of Lut due to the practice of men?
He replied: Allah is more just than that, men used to satisfy themselves with men and women with women.
ذم الملاهي لابن أبي الدنيا no. 150 the muhaqqiq said the chain is weak.
The text of above two narrations is accepted as well, see islamqa question no. 200216
6. The Prophet (peace be upon him) feared that this Ummah would commit the same sins as the people of Lut (peace be upon him).
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
‘There is nothing I fear for my ummah more than the deed of the people of Lut.’”
(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1457; Ibn Majah, 2563. This hadith was classed as sahih by Shaykh al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) in Sahih al-Jami’, no. 1552).
7. Punishment of lesbianism.
A) It says in Al-Mawsu`ah al-Fiqhiyyah (24/252):
اتَّفَقَ الْفُقَهَاءُ عَلَى أَنَّهُ لا حَدَّ فِي السِّحَاقِ ; لأَنَّهُ لَيْسَ زِنًى . وَإِنَّمَا يَجِبُ فِيهِ التَّعْزِيرُ ; لأَنَّهُ مَعْصِيَةٌ
“The jurists agreed that there is no hadd punishment for lesbianism , because it is not zina. Rather a ta’zir punishment must be imposed, because it is a sin.” (end quote)
B) Ibn Qudamah said
وَلا حَدَّ عَلَيْهِمَا لأَنَّهُ لا يَتَضَمَّنُ إيلاجًا ( يعني الجماع ) , فَأَشْبَهَ الْمُبَاشَرَةَ دُونَ الْفَرْجِ , وَعَلَيْهِمَا التَّعْزِيرُ
There is no hadd punishment for them because they did not have intercourse, rather it is likened to intimate relations that are less than intercourse, and they are to be subjected to a ta`zir punishment.” al Mughni (9/59)
C) Ibn ‘Aqil said:
إذا عرف في النساء حب السحاق منعن خلوة بعضهن ببعض، والسحاق زنى لكنه لا يوجب الحد، بل التعزير، لأنه من غير إيلاج، فهو كوطء الرجل الرجل دون الفرج»
“If women are known to have a love for lesbianism, then they should be prevented from being alone with each other. Lesbianism is a form of zina, but it does not necessitate the legal hadd punishment, rather it calls for ta‘zeer (a discretionary punishment), because it does not involve actual penetration. It is like a man having sexual contact with another man without anal penetration.
Ahkam al Nisa by Ibn Jawzi page 119
Conclusion.
Lesbianism is prohibited by scholarly consensus, but unlike male homosexuality, it does not carry a fixed hadd punishment in Islamic law. Rather, it is subject to discretionary taʿzīr punishment as determined by the Islamic judicial authorities. Various other evidences could be given but this is enough.