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Ubna (a desire for a forbidden act)

الأُبْنَة

In the jurists' usage, ubna is a condition in the inner rectum that makes a person desire the forbidden act of the people of Lot. The afflicted person is asked to struggle against the desire and to refrain from its causes. If he commits the forbidden act, the rules of sodomy apply to him; if another accuses him of it, the rules of slander apply to the accuser, as a fixed punishment or a discretionary one. 1 2

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At a glance

Era
The Prophetic Era
Region
Global / Diaspora
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Sexuality and gender diversity

Summary

Ubna is, in the jurists' usage, a condition in the inner rectum that makes a person desire the forbidden act of the people of Lot. 1

General ruling

The afflicted person is asked to struggle against the desire and to refrain from its causes. If he commits the forbidden act, the rules of sodomy apply to him; if another accuses him of it, the rules of slander apply to the accuser, as a fixed punishment or a discretionary one. 2

Places of discussion

Jurists treat ubna in the context of following an imam in congregational prayer (where it can invalidate the following), in the option of defect in a sale, in slander, and in the rules of sodomy in the chapter on fixed punishments. 2

People and things also explored

Tashbib (amatory verse about women or boys)· Aligarh· The Yacoubian Building· A Jihad for Love· Joyland· A Sinner in Mecca

Sources

  1. al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.1466
  2. al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.1467
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “Ubna (a desire for a forbidden act)”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/concept/ubna/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-23.

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Ideas

Beliefs, concepts, sciences and schools, explained in plain words. Related

Tashbib (amatory verse about women or boys)

Tashbib is the opening of a poem with amatory lines about women; the words nasib and ghazal mean the same. It is forbidden to write verse about a named woman who is unlawful to the poet, or about a beardless boy; describing the lascivious features of an unlawful non-mahram woman is forbidden. Verse about one's own wife or slave-girl is lawful unless it describes her private parts or what should stay hidden. Verse about an unnamed woman is lawful unless it is obscene or gives clues to identify her; names such as Layla and Su'ad do not identify anyone, as Ka'b ibn Zuhayr recited his poem before the Prophet.