What is the ruling on looking at a boy with desire, and what is the punishment for sodomy, and is it more severe than unlawful sexual intercourse?

Question : Yes.

Answer : Yes, indeed. Looking at a boy with desire is more sinful than looking at a woman, just as sodomy is more sinful than unlawful sexual intercourse. For this reason, the stronger position regarding sodomy is that its prescribed punishment is greater than the prescribed punishment for unlawful sexual intercourse, and that the active party and the passive party are killed in every case, even if they are not married. This is because it is a great abomination, and guarding against it is difficult.
The active party and the passive party are killed. The Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) reported the consensus of the Companions on this, meaning on killing the active party and the passive party even if they are not married. However, he said they differed on how they are killed. Some said they are burned with fire, others said they are stoned with stones, and others said they are thrown from the highest place in the city and followed by stones. The important point is that the Companions agreed on killing the active party and the passive party because the corruption of this is great. The man, or rather all men, becomes like women. Know that the passive party’s spirit is broken until he looks at men as a woman looks at a man. At that point, the men of the community become like its women. Therefore, its crime is great, greater than unlawful sexual intercourse. So, whoever looks at a boy with desire, may Allah protect us and you, is like one who looks at women, or even worse. For this reason, some scholars of knowledge said: “Fear the boys, for they are a greater trial than the virgins,” meaning the virgin women. But this is the case with some people. As for some people, praise be to Allah, they look at these boys as they look at any ordinary person.