Issuing Date: 07/11/2016
Mufti: Shiekh Ali Gomaa
Issuing Authority: Al-Azhar
Question: There has been a lot of discussion in various media outlets about a condition known as Gender Identity Disorder. Many individuals have come forward, claiming to suffer greatly and lead unhappy lives due to this condition. They argue that the ultimate solution to their problem is to undergo sex change surgery. They assert that their minds and souls are aligned with the opposite gender, but their physical bodies do not match. They describe the surgery as a correction of their sex, rather than a change, in order to avoid accusations of absurdity or interfering with Allah’s creation. They reference statements made by certain doctors, who suggest that this condition does not respond to hormonal or psychiatric treatments. Currently, the only known cure for this condition is to change one’s sex. Does this condition provide a legitimate justification for undergoing gender reassignment?
Fiqh Rule: Surgeries are only permitted in cases diagnosed as Khuntha (Intersex) and are not allowed in cases of mental illness such as gender identity disorder.Fiqh Rule: Surgeries are only permitted in cases diagnosed as Khuntha (Intersex) and are not allowed in cases of mental illness such as gender identity disorder.