Changing sex from male to female or vice versa
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Changing sex from male to female or vice versa
Fatwa number ( 2688 )
Q: Is it permissible for me in Islam to undergo a sex change operation to transform from a man into a woman? I was born male, and to this day I am male physiologically. I grew up in a Western society with values that I completely hate and loathe. About four years ago, I began asking Allah in my daily prayers, and only now have I reached the stage where I can ask a scholar like you about this matter, hoping that Allah will guide me to an answer through your wisdom and knowledge. My question stems from the strange feelings I have experienced since childhood, where I hated playing the role of a male and considered myself a female. Now, my feelings are more complex. Although I am naturally a man and can perform the role of a male with full efficiency, physiologically I possess feminine traits. I find in myself an emotional and sexual inclination and attraction toward boys, despite the fact that I have not engaged in sexual intercourse with any person. In a way, I feel that I should be a girl, but I cannot express my femininity because my body is that of a male. For this reason, I believe that undergoing a sex change operation would help treat my condition. However, I will not undergo this operation
if it is not permissible in Islam. Therefore, I am asking you to answer me. I do not think anyone has asked you such a question before, but I hope you will answer and guide me despite the complexity of the issue. I am a Muslim whether I am male or female, and I hope that Allah will keep me a Muslim forever. I conclude my letter with the hope of receiving your reply, and I ask Allah to reward you for the work you provide. Peace be upon you.
A: First: Allah the Exalted said:[Ash-Shuraa 42:49-50] Therefore, the Muslim must be content with Allah’s creation and His decree. If your condition is as you described, that you are certain of your manhood, and that you can perform the role of a male with full efficiency, even if you have not actually engaged in sexual intercourse with any person, then you must retain your manhood, be content with the distinction and excellence that Allah has chosen for you, and thank Him for creating you as a man. The man is better than the woman, holds a higher rank, and is more capable of serving religion and humanity than the woman, as indicated by the saying of the Exalted: [An-Nisa 4:34] the verse,
and what the Exalted mentioned in the story of the wife of Imran regarding her vow to dedicate what was in her womb to Allah, to be freed for the service of His religion and the management of the affairs of the House of Allah, among other texts. And the reality of life in countries whose fitrah (innate natural disposition) has not been distorted provides practical evidence alongside the evidence from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the preference of men over women. Second: If your manhood is established and confirmed, then undergoing an operation to transform into a female—as you suppose—would be a change of Allah’s creation and dissatisfaction with what Allah has chosen for you. Assuming the operation succeeds and leads to the femininity you desire, how unlikely it is that this will happen! For each of male and female has its innate, created systems that no one but Allah the Exalted can create and endow with their properties. It is not merely a penis for the man and a vaginal opening for the woman, but rather the man has a complete, harmonious, and interconnected system composed of the testicles and others, with each part having a function and specific property of sensation, secretion, and the like. Likewise, the woman has a uterus and associated parts that harmonize with it, with each property having a specific sensation, secretion, and the like. There is interconnection and response between all of them. Determining, creating, managing, and preserving any of this is not within the power of any of the creation, but rather it belongs to Allah, the All-Knowing, the Wise, the Most High, the All-Powerful, the Subtle, the Expert. Therefore, the operation you wish to undergo is a form of futility and a pursuit of what has no benefit. In fact, it may pose a danger; if it does not lead to the destruction of your life, it will at least take away what Allah has given you without gaining what you desire, and you will remain afflicted with the psychological complexes you mentioned, which you sought to escape from through this failed operation. Third: If your manhood is not confirmed, and you merely suppose that you are a man because of the signs of masculinity you see in your body, alongside the fact that you find in yourself that you possess feminine traits and are inclined toward males emotionally and sexually attracted to them, then be patient in your matter and do not proceed with the operation you mentioned. Present yourself to the experts, the specialist doctors. If they confirm that you are male in appearance but female in reality, then entrust yourself to them to reveal the truth of your femininity by performing the operation. This is not a transformation from male to female, for that is not within their power, but rather it is the manifestation of the truth of your condition and the removal of the confusion and ambiguity that was in your body and the depths of your soul. If the experts do not find anything, do not risk undergoing the operation. Be content with Allah’s decree, be patient with what has befallen you to please your Lord, and avoid the feared consequences of an operation performed without guidance or insight into the truth of your condition. Turn to Allah
And directing it and preserving it for any of His creation; rather, that belongs to Allah, the All-Knowing, the Wise, the Most High, the All-Powerful, the Subtle, the All-Aware. Therefore, the procedure you wish to undergo is a form of futility, and a pursuit of that which has no benefit behind it; rather, it may even pose a danger. If it does not lead to the destruction of your life, it will at least take away what Allah has given you without gaining what you desire, and the psychological knots you mentioned, from which you sought relief through this failed procedure, will remain attached to you. Thirdly: If your maleness is not established, and you merely suspect that you are a man because of the signs of maleness you see in your body, alongside the fact that you find within yourself that you possess feminine traits and are emotionally inclined toward males and sexually attracted to them, then be patient in your matter and do not proceed with the procedure you mentioned. Present yourself to the experts among the specialist doctors. If they confirm that you are male in appearance but female in the reality of your condition, then entrust yourself to them to reveal the truth of your femininity by performing the procedure. This is not a transformation from male to female, for that is not within their power; rather, it is a manifestation of the truth of your condition and the removal of the confusion and ambiguity that was in your body and the depths of your soul. If nothing becomes clear to the experts, do not risk undergoing the procedure. Be content with the decree of Allah, and be patient with what has befallen you in order to please your Lord and to avoid what is feared from the consequences of a procedure undertaken without guidance or insight into the reality of your condition. And seek refuge in Allah
and supplicate to Him to reveal what is wrong with you and to untie your psychological knots; for He, Exalted is He, holds the dominion of all things in His hand, and He is All-Powerful over all things. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Fatwa number ( 2688 )
Q: Is it permissible for me in Islam to undergo a sex change operation to transform from a man into a woman? I was born male, and to this day I am male physiologically. I grew up in a Western society with values that I completely hate and loathe. About four years ago, I began asking Allah in my daily prayers, and only now have I reached the stage where I can ask a scholar like you about this matter, hoping that Allah will guide me to an answer through your wisdom and knowledge. My question stems from the strange feelings I have experienced since childhood, where I hated playing the role of a male and considered myself a female. Now, my feelings are more complex. Although I am naturally a man and can perform the role of a male with full efficiency, physiologically I possess feminine traits. I find in myself an emotional and sexual inclination and attraction toward boys, despite the fact that I have not engaged in sexual intercourse with any person. In a way, I feel that I should be a girl, but I cannot express my femininity because my body is that of a male. For this reason, I believe that undergoing a sex change operation would help treat my condition. However, I will not undergo this operation
if it is not permissible in Islam. Therefore, I am asking you to answer me. I do not think anyone has asked you such a question before, but I hope you will answer and guide me despite the complexity of the issue. I am a Muslim whether I am male or female, and I hope that Allah will keep me a Muslim forever. I conclude my letter with the hope of receiving your reply, and I ask Allah to reward you for the work you provide. Peace be upon you.
A: First: Allah the Exalted said:
(49) To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth; He creates what he wills. He gives to whom He wills female [children], and He gives to whom He wills males. (50) Or He makes them [both] males and females, and He renders whom He wills barren. Indeed, He is Knowing and Competent.
لِلَّهِ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَاءُ يَهَبُ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ إِنَاثًا وَيَهَبُ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ الذُّكُورَ (49) أَوْ يُزَوِّجُهُمْ ذُكْرَانًا وَإِنَاثًا وَيَجْعَلُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ عَقِيمًا إِنَّهُ عَلِيمٌ قَدِيرٌMen are in charge of women by [right of] what Allah has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth.
الرِّجَالُ قَوَّامُونَ عَلَى النِّسَاءِ بِمَا فَضَّلَ اللَّهُ بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ وَبِمَا أَنْفَقُوا مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْand what the Exalted mentioned in the story of the wife of Imran regarding her vow to dedicate what was in her womb to Allah, to be freed for the service of His religion and the management of the affairs of the House of Allah, among other texts. And the reality of life in countries whose fitrah (innate natural disposition) has not been distorted provides practical evidence alongside the evidence from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the preference of men over women. Second: If your manhood is established and confirmed, then undergoing an operation to transform into a female—as you suppose—would be a change of Allah’s creation and dissatisfaction with what Allah has chosen for you. Assuming the operation succeeds and leads to the femininity you desire, how unlikely it is that this will happen! For each of male and female has its innate, created systems that no one but Allah the Exalted can create and endow with their properties. It is not merely a penis for the man and a vaginal opening for the woman, but rather the man has a complete, harmonious, and interconnected system composed of the testicles and others, with each part having a function and specific property of sensation, secretion, and the like. Likewise, the woman has a uterus and associated parts that harmonize with it, with each property having a specific sensation, secretion, and the like. There is interconnection and response between all of them. Determining, creating, managing, and preserving any of this is not within the power of any of the creation, but rather it belongs to Allah, the All-Knowing, the Wise, the Most High, the All-Powerful, the Subtle, the Expert. Therefore, the operation you wish to undergo is a form of futility and a pursuit of what has no benefit. In fact, it may pose a danger; if it does not lead to the destruction of your life, it will at least take away what Allah has given you without gaining what you desire, and you will remain afflicted with the psychological complexes you mentioned, which you sought to escape from through this failed operation. Third: If your manhood is not confirmed, and you merely suppose that you are a man because of the signs of masculinity you see in your body, alongside the fact that you find in yourself that you possess feminine traits and are inclined toward males emotionally and sexually attracted to them, then be patient in your matter and do not proceed with the operation you mentioned. Present yourself to the experts, the specialist doctors. If they confirm that you are male in appearance but female in reality, then entrust yourself to them to reveal the truth of your femininity by performing the operation. This is not a transformation from male to female, for that is not within their power, but rather it is the manifestation of the truth of your condition and the removal of the confusion and ambiguity that was in your body and the depths of your soul. If the experts do not find anything, do not risk undergoing the operation. Be content with Allah’s decree, be patient with what has befallen you to please your Lord, and avoid the feared consequences of an operation performed without guidance or insight into the truth of your condition. Turn to Allah
And directing it and preserving it for any of His creation; rather, that belongs to Allah, the All-Knowing, the Wise, the Most High, the All-Powerful, the Subtle, the All-Aware. Therefore, the procedure you wish to undergo is a form of futility, and a pursuit of that which has no benefit behind it; rather, it may even pose a danger. If it does not lead to the destruction of your life, it will at least take away what Allah has given you without gaining what you desire, and the psychological knots you mentioned, from which you sought relief through this failed procedure, will remain attached to you. Thirdly: If your maleness is not established, and you merely suspect that you are a man because of the signs of maleness you see in your body, alongside the fact that you find within yourself that you possess feminine traits and are emotionally inclined toward males and sexually attracted to them, then be patient in your matter and do not proceed with the procedure you mentioned. Present yourself to the experts among the specialist doctors. If they confirm that you are male in appearance but female in the reality of your condition, then entrust yourself to them to reveal the truth of your femininity by performing the procedure. This is not a transformation from male to female, for that is not within their power; rather, it is a manifestation of the truth of your condition and the removal of the confusion and ambiguity that was in your body and the depths of your soul. If nothing becomes clear to the experts, do not risk undergoing the procedure. Be content with the decree of Allah, and be patient with what has befallen you in order to please your Lord and to avoid what is feared from the consequences of a procedure undertaken without guidance or insight into the reality of your condition. And seek refuge in Allah
and supplicate to Him to reveal what is wrong with you and to untie your psychological knots; for He, Exalted is He, holds the dominion of all things in His hand, and He is All-Powerful over all things. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.