Fatwa #2896220 April 2014India
Calling she by he
Question
in our custom we denote womens by he not by she as to give them respect is it permisible?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
A male should be addressed and referred to as a male and a female should be addressed or referred to as a female. It is incorrect to refer to a female as a male.
The custom you refer to is against nature[1] and should be corrected.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Arshad Ali
Student Darul Iftaa
Trinidad
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
[1] عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم لَعَنَ الْمُخَنَّثِينَ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ وَالْمُتَرَجِّلاَتِ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ
Ibn ‘Abbas (Radhiallahu Anhu) said:
The Prophet (May peace be upon him) cursed effeminate men (mukhannatheen) and women who imitated men. (Sunan Abi Dawud 4930)