Is it permissible for women not to observe hijab in front of a male by appearance, but whose chromosomal and hormonal analyses indicate that he is female and possesses a uterus, vagina, ovaries, and a wide pelvis, and who does not experience desire for women?
An intersex individual is someone who possesses both male and female genitalia, or neither. Intersex individuals are divided into two categories: mushkil (problematic or ambiguous), which refers to someone whose male or female characteristics are not clearly distinguishable, and ghair mushkil (non-problematic), which refers to someone who clearly exhibits one set of characteristics. If a person exhibits female characteristics, they are treated as a woman. If they exhibit male characteristics, they are treated as a man. As for someone who is completely devoid of desire for women, scholars have differed regarding the ruling on their looking at women. Some have held that they are like dhawi al-maharim (unmarriageable kin) in terms of looking, based on the verse: "Or those male attendants having no sexual inclination," and "those having no sexual inclination" was interpreted as the simple-minded person who neither cares for nor desires women. As for the mushkil intersex individual, they are treated with caution, meaning men treat them as female and women treat them as male.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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