Answered by Shaykh Yūsuf Badāt
Question:
Who makes ghusl (ritual bathing) for a person that is top half she (female) and bottom half he (male)?
Answer:
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم
In the name of Allāh, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Jazāk Allāh Khayr/ Thank you for contacting Mathābah Institute.
Intersexes are people having reproductive organs or external sexual characteristics of both male and female. The Islamic rulings regarding them is to determine their gender as best as possible. If there are more masculine traits and signs, then they are to be treated and dealt with as males. If there are more signs of femininity, then the rules of females will apply. That being said, islamicaly, males will wash the deceased intersex that has been deemed a male, while females will wash the deceased intersex that had been determined a female. If it was absolutely impossible to place a gender on the person based on the Islamic guidelines, then such a deceased will be washed by the tayammum (dry ablution) method. – (See: Rad Al-Muḥtār, Vol 6, Page 728[1] and 729[2], Dār Al-Fikr)
Signs of masculinity and maleness:
- To urine from the penis
- Semen discharge from penis
- Beard growth
- Is able to impregnate
- Possesses general male habits, actions and demeanours
Signs of femininity:
- To urinate from vaginal urethra
- To experience menses
- Breasts growth
- Having breast-milk
- Pregnancy and or childbirth.
Only Allāh knows best
[1] فَإِنْ بَالَ مِنْ الذَّكَرِ فَغُلَامٌ وَإِنْ بَالَ مِنْ الْفَرْجِ فَأُنْثَى وَإِنْ بَالَ مِنْهُمَا فَالْحُكْمُ لِلْأَسْبَقِ وَإِنْ اسْتَوَيَا فَمُشْكِلٌ وَلَا تُعْتَبَرُ الْكَثْرَةُ خِلَافًا لَهُمَا هَذَا قَبْلَ الْبُلُوغِ فَإِنْ بَلَغَ وَخَرَجَتْ لِحْيَتُهُ أَوْ وَصَلَ إلَى امْرَأَةٍ أَوْ احْتَلَمَ كَمَا يَحْتَلِمُ الرَّجُلُ فَرَجُلٌ وَإِنْ ظَهَرَ لَهُ ثَدْيٌ أَوْ لَبَنٌ أَوْ حَاضَ أَوْ حَبِلَ أَوْ أَمْكَنَ وَطْؤُهُ فَامْرَأَةٌ وَإِنْ لَمْ تَظْهَرْ لَهُ عَلَامَةٌ أَصْلًا أَوْ تَعَارَضَتْ الْعَلَامَاتُ فَمُشْكِلٌ لِعَدَمِ الْمُرَجِّحِ وَعَنْ الْحَسَنِ أَنَّهُ تُعَدُّ أَضْلَاعُهُ فَإِنَّ ضِلْعَ الرَّجُلِ يَزِيدُ عَلَى ضِلْعِ الْمَرْأَةِ بِوَاحِدٍ ذَكَرَهُ الزَّيْلَعِيُّ وَحِينَئِذٍ فَيُؤْخَذُ فِي أَمْرِهِ بِمَا هُوَ الْأَحْوَطُ فِي كُلِّ الْأَحْكَامِ – كتاب الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين رد المحتار ج٦/ ص ٧٢٨ دار الفكر
[2] وَلَوْ مَاتَ قَبْلَ ظُهُورِ حَالِهِ لَمْ يُغَسَّلْ وَيُمِّمَ بِالصَّعِيدِ لِتَعَذُّرِ الْغُسْلِ – كتاب الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين رد المحتار ج٦/ ص ٧٢٩ دار الفكر
