Did the issue of the hermaphrodite appear in the time of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, or in the times preceding it?

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was not sent to change creation, but rather to purify people and improve their morals, in accordance with the Almighty's saying: (It is He who has sent among the unlettered a messenger from themselves reciting to them His verses and purifying them and teaching them the Book and wisdom—although they were before in clear error).

What has been narrated concerning the intersex (khuntha) in the Sunnah is guidance on how to deal with them to prevent corruption. An example of this is the Prophet's prohibition of effeminate men (mukhannathun) entering upon women after he heard one of them describe a woman.

The existence of intersex individuals has been known throughout history and among various nations, including the Arabs during the pre-Islamic era (Jahiliyyah). From them, the term "khuntha" was derived. Amir ibn al-Dharib ruled in the Jahiliyyah regarding the inheritance of an intersex person based on the location of urination.