Hidden Queer Shia Identities in Arabic Islamic Poetry
Research by Saif Ali
Prepared & Translated by Queer Shia Collective
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Introduction: Queerness and Shi'ism
Highlighting poetry that celebrates male love in Arab-Islamic history offers crucial insights into historical queerness in the region. This exploration helps to differentiate between local histories and Western narratives of queerness, which often overlook unique cultural intersections.
When researching Arab or Islamic queer history, most articles provide poems from famous poets but strip away their Shi’a identity, presenting them as generically Islamic, thus implying Sunni affiliation by default. Yet, many poets hailed from diverse Islamic sects, including Shi'a Islam.
Understanding Shi'a Islam
According to Ibn Manzur's Lisan al-Arab, Shi'a are those who “come together on a matter, following one another’s views.” Shi'a Islam originates with followers of Ali ibn Abi Talib, who they believe was the rightful successor to the Prophet Muhammad. As dissenters from Sunni authority, Shi'a communities have faced persecution, often concealing their beliefs for safety. In historical records, however, Shi’a identity is frequently erased, especially concerning figures known for their progressive views or queer-themed poetry, such as Al-Sunubari and Abu Tammam.
Shi'a Influence in Media and Poetry
In his book Asl al-Shi’a wa-Usuluha (The Origins and Principles of Shi’ism), Sheikh Kashif al-Ghita explores the question of Shi'a representation in media and poetry. He recounts how Shi'a figures of great fame and prestige were known across various fields, categorizing them according to their societal contributions and acknowledging poets as a unique group within Shi’a cultural history.
Kashif al-Ghita lists renowned Shi’a poets from the second Islamic century, including Di’bil al-Khuza’i, Abu Nuwas, Abu Tammam, Al-Buhturi, Diq al-Jinn Abdul-Salam, Abu al-Shayṣ, Husayn ibn al-Dahhak, Ibn al-Rumi, Mansur al-Namri, Al-Ashja’ al-Aslami, Muhammad ibn Wahb, and Ṣuray’ al-Ghawani. These poets, each with unique contributions, shaped the poetic landscape of their time with their vivid and often controversial expressions of love and social themes.
Sheikh Kashif al-Ghita concludes by noting that “nearly all poets of the Abbasid state in this century and the next were Shi’a, except Marwan ibn Abi Hafsa and his sons.” This insight reveals that much of the legacy of homoerotic poetry—reaching its height during the Abbasid era—was the work of Shi’a poets who dominated the literary scene. We now turn to explore the contributions of a few of these influential queer Shi’a poets.
Profiles of Shi'a Queer Poets
1. Safi al-Din al-Hilli (1276 AD)
Known for his distinctively Shi’a voice, Safi’s poetry uses Shi’a imagery in love poems about young men, combining reverence for Shi’a figures with expressions of queerness:
In another piece, al-Ḥillī uses the name Hussein for his lover:
2. Abu Tammam (188-231 AH)
Esteemed in Arabic literature, Abu Tammam was known for his love poems about young men, and his praise for Ali and the Prophet’s family, as seen in his famous Ghadiriya poem honoring Ali:
This Shi’a devotion lived alongside his romantic verses dedicated to men:
3. Al-Sunubari (284-334 AH)
As a librarian in Baghdad’s renowned library, Al-Sunubari’s poetry combined love of nature with admiration for young men.
His passion for both nature and male figures shows vividly in his poems:
In a famous ode to Imam Ali, he wrote about Ghadir Khumm:
Through poetry, al-Ṣunūbī expressed his unique Shi’a and queer identity, leaving a lasting impact on Arab literature.
4. Ibn Hani al-Andalusi (326-362 AH)
Ibn Hani’s work favors young men over women, unabashedly expressing queer desires. His Shi’a loyalty was evident and, likely because of it, he was killed:
He was known for his fierce loyalty to the Shi’a Imams, once declaring:
My sword, Shi’a as its bearer,
Strikes fiercely on the field of battle.
5. Abu Nuwas (145-198 AH)
Renowned as the pioneer of Arabic queer poetry, Abu Nuwas wrote countless verses about young men. Abū Nuwās challenged societal norms in both his romantic pursuits and Shi’a faith. His poetry often celebrated his beloved’s beauty, even when criticized:
“That which you despise in him,
Is what my heart desires most.
Each time you speak ill of him,
My joy in him only grows.”
Many people believed that Abu Nuwas was not a true Muslim because of his reputation for debauchery, his famous poems on young men, women, and wine. However, he was indeed a Muslim and expressed his faith in many verses. Al-Majlisi in Bihar al-Anwar recounts a story where Abu Nuwas met Imam al-Ridha, the eighth Shi’a Imam and a prominent Islamic scholar. One day, when al-Ridha rode past on a magnificent mule, Abu Nuwas approached him, greeted him, and said, “O son of the Messenger of God, I’ve written some verses in your honor—may I recite them to you?” Al-Ridha encouraged him to proceed, and Abu Nuwas recited:
These verses by Abu Nuwas are among his most sincere and beautiful, with the first line directly referencing the Qur'an: "Indeed, Allah desires to remove impurity from you, O People of the Household, and to purify you thoroughly" (Qur'an 33:33). Imam al-Ridha was so impressed that he told Abu Nuwas, "You have given us verses that no one else has composed before."
Abu Nuwas’s poetry not only affirmed his faith but also revealed his deep admiration for the Prophet’s family, reflecting a strong Alawi spirit with Shi’a leanings. On another occasion, when people asked him why he hadn’t praised Imam al-Ridha upon his appointment, he responded with these verses:
Why have I left the praise of the son of Musa,
And the noble qualities he possesses?
I said I cannot praise an Imam
When Gabriel was once his father’s servant.
Historical Erasure of Queer Shi'a Identities
These poets openly expressed both their queerness and Shi'a beliefs. Facing pressure from Sunni authority, they became symbols of resistance, rebelling against social norms while embodying a unique intersection of queer and Shi'a identities.
Today, even attempts to acknowledge these poets often ignore either their queerness or their Shi’a identity. Shi'a biographers may recognize their dedication to Ahl al-Bayt (Prophet’s family) but disregard their queer poetry, while general narratives subsume them under Sunni Islam, ignoring their Shi’a roots. This dual erasure continues, highlighting the ongoing struggle for recognition of complex, intersecting identities in the Arab world.