7 Muslim caliphs and homosexuality
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Fatima Rhorchi
Abstract
Islam’s stance on homosexuality is well defined in its jurisprudence, not least in the Qur’an. Sodomy is forbidden, and its punishment varies according to the hadiths acknowledged by each different school of jurisprudence. In Baghdad, government was totally incongruous with any non-heteronormative orientation. The Abbasid caliph, Harun al-Rashid (r. 786–809), was deeply concerned about the open homosexuality of his crown prince and designated successor al-Amin. His behaviour was scandalous because he openly chose males as sexual partners and kept catamites. In al-Andalus (Iberia), homosexual pleasures were much indulged in by the Umayyad intellectual and urban political elites. Evidence includes a flourishing of homoerotic poetry between the tenth and thirteenth centuries, particularly in the genre known as mujun (obscene) poetry. In Cordoba, al-Hakam II (r. 961–976) did not produce a suitable heir before the age of 46 which has been ascribed either to his pederasty (hub al-ghulam) or because he was too absorbed with his books to care for sensual pleasures. This chapter sheds light on the two caliphs’ homosexuality and its impact on both Abbasid and Umayyad caliphates. It seeks to demonstrate the paradoxical reality of historical homosexuality in a Muslim monarchy.
Abstract
Islam’s stance on homosexuality is well defined in its jurisprudence, not least in the Qur’an. Sodomy is forbidden, and its punishment varies according to the hadiths acknowledged by each different school of jurisprudence. In Baghdad, government was totally incongruous with any non-heteronormative orientation. The Abbasid caliph, Harun al-Rashid (r. 786–809), was deeply concerned about the open homosexuality of his crown prince and designated successor al-Amin. His behaviour was scandalous because he openly chose males as sexual partners and kept catamites. In al-Andalus (Iberia), homosexual pleasures were much indulged in by the Umayyad intellectual and urban political elites. Evidence includes a flourishing of homoerotic poetry between the tenth and thirteenth centuries, particularly in the genre known as mujun (obscene) poetry. In Cordoba, al-Hakam II (r. 961–976) did not produce a suitable heir before the age of 46 which has been ascribed either to his pederasty (hub al-ghulam) or because he was too absorbed with his books to care for sensual pleasures. This chapter sheds light on the two caliphs’ homosexuality and its impact on both Abbasid and Umayyad caliphates. It seeks to demonstrate the paradoxical reality of historical homosexuality in a Muslim monarchy.
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Dedication v
- Contents vii
- List of figures ix
- Note on the cover image xi
- Notes on contributors xii
- Acknowledgements xv
- Introduction 1
- I Scandal, perception, and representation 27
- 1 ‘And though she made use of three openings …’ 29
- 2 Eadwig’s coronation scandal 49
- 3 Scandal, romance, political affairs 71
- 4 Isabella of France and Roger Mortimer 89
- 5 Isabel of Castile and her images 105
- II Gender, morality, and desire 151
- 6 Gender, moral, and sexual warfare in the Roman de Silence 153
- 7 Muslim caliphs and homosexuality 173
- 8 The Tour de Nesle Affair 194
- 9 Chaste kings and unsuitable women 214
- 10 Sine communi favore 232
- Index 252
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Dedication v
- Contents vii
- List of figures ix
- Note on the cover image xi
- Notes on contributors xii
- Acknowledgements xv
- Introduction 1
- I Scandal, perception, and representation 27
- 1 ‘And though she made use of three openings …’ 29
- 2 Eadwig’s coronation scandal 49
- 3 Scandal, romance, political affairs 71
- 4 Isabella of France and Roger Mortimer 89
- 5 Isabel of Castile and her images 105
- II Gender, morality, and desire 151
- 6 Gender, moral, and sexual warfare in the Roman de Silence 153
- 7 Muslim caliphs and homosexuality 173
- 8 The Tour de Nesle Affair 194
- 9 Chaste kings and unsuitable women 214
- 10 Sine communi favore 232
- Index 252
