Western medicine has succeeded in developing surgical procedures to change men into women and women into men.

In cases of hermaphrodites who possess male and female organs, surgery and hormonal treatment to stabilize the dominant gender would be considered corrective surgery, and from an Islamic perspective permissible.

Men who merely prefer to be women or vice versa would not be permitted to make the change. Such change would fall under the heading of Satan's challenge mentioned in the Qur'an: "Indeed, I will take my share of Your servants by leading them astray and filling them with vain desires. I will instruct them and they will cut pieces out of the ears of cattle and they will change Allah's creation." The operations do not really turn them into the opposite sex. They are unable to bear children or ejaculate sperm. They remain men pretending to be women and vice versa.