Is it permissible for a woman to remain in her marriage if her husband has Klinefelter syndrome and is considered "not fully masculine"?
Klinefelter syndrome is a genetic condition in males caused by the presence of an extra X chromosome (XXY), which affects hormonal balance and keeps the affected individual genetically male.
Its symptoms include: tall stature and limbs, weak or underdeveloped muscles, sparse facial and body hair, small penis and testicles, enlarged breasts, infertility, low libido, and it may cause intellectual disability and learning difficulties.
If this disease leads to infertility, the wife has the right to seek divorce or khulʿ. If it results in erectile dysfunction that prevents intercourse, it is considered impotence (ʿinnat), and the woman has the right to annul the marriage after giving the husband a year's deferment, unless doctors confirm that it will not return. If the wife chooses to stay with her husband, that is permissible, as marriage has many objectives other than intercourse and procreation.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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- Original fatwa ID
- 5324
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- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy