The killing of Imam Muhsin Hendricks and the need for introspection

Let this tragedy ignite reflection and humility, suspending judgement – learning without self-righteousness.

By DR BILAL HASSAM

Imam Muhsin Hendricks is dead, murdered in Gqeberha.

The news, delivered with brutal speed via WhatsApp, ripped through Cape Town’s Muslim community soon after the murder on Saturday 15 February.

Globally recognised as the first openly gay Imam, and a tireless advocate through organisations like The Inner Circle and the People’s Mosque, Imam Muhsin dedicated his life to LGBTQ+ Muslims. As police investigate, disturbing commentary erupts from within our ranks, forcing us to confront uncomfortable truths reflected in the aftermath of this tragedy.

What chilled the soul was not just the violence, but the insidious jubilation. ‘Alhamdulillah’ (Praise be to God) became a jarring refrain, alongside thinly veiled sentiments of relief. The Imam’s family recounted celebratory messages being shared online, some labelling it a ‘cleansing of corruption‘. One notable scholar took to social media to describe the murdered victim as a ‘Mini Dajjal’, another went as far as praising the murderer for doing ‘a good thing’. This rejoicing, be it brazen or under baited breath, this unseemly haste to judge the deceased rather than mourn a life violently extinguished, demands a profound reckoning.

How have we arrived at a place where condemning murder – one of Islam’s gravest sins – becomes hesitant, conditional, or conspicuously absent, simply because of judgements made about the victim? This unsettling silence, this glee that takes its justification in opposing Imam Muhsin’s advocacy, reveals a deep structural failure: a profound inability to engage with sensitive issues with basic decency, compassion and justice.

The irony is stark. Celebrations over Imam Muhsin’s death seem blissfully ignorant that this violence will backfire. Making headlines globally, it reinforces Islamophobic stereotypes, galvanises LGBTQ+ support, amplifies his legacy and risks alienating our youth. Is this what you are celebrating?

The unlawful verdict: takfir

The line is clear, inviolable: murder is haram. For over fourteen centuries, our tradition has been unequivocal: differing theological views never justify a layperson taking another’s life. The emerging and disturbing trend of using allegations against Imam Muhsin – that his lifestyle was ‘antithetical to Islam’ – to excuse his murder, coupled with reckless takfir pronouncements, is not only morally reprehensible but fundamentally dangerous. It directly contradicts the very foundations of Islamic jurisprudence and ethics.

To engage in takfir is among the most sensitive and precarious matters in Shariah. It demands rigorous validation, a process explicitly reserved for qualified scholars or judges deeply steeped in Islamic jurisprudence. At the very least, such a process necessitates in-depth conversation, thorough engagement, and careful deliberation; a far cry from the snap judgments and social media condemnations we have witnessed in recent days

Within mainstream Islamic discourse, the impermissibility of same-sex sexual relations is a matter of theological consensus. Indeed, our tradition teaches that striving against any forbidden desire, including same-sex attraction, is a path to spiritual reward. Therefore, theological critiques of Imam Muhsin’s advocacy, particularly his stance on same-sex marriage, are understandable within this established framework.

However, the manner of our critique now demands introspection. The growth of LGBTQ+ Muslim groups – at least 22 in South Africa, and expanding – indicts us. We have failed to articulate a compelling, compassionate counter-narrative, especially for the young. Why else seek solace outside our spaces? This movement underscores our responsibility to every Muslim: engage, understand, never write off those unmet by our current approaches. This failure of inclusive mercy is tragically highlighted by responses to Imam Muhsin’s murder. We would do well to remember the powerful hadith of the prostitute, granted Paradise for a single act of mercy – a testament to the Prophetic ethos of compassion, even for those on the margins.

Hypocrisy and the Prophetic ethos of mercy

As we grapple with this tragedy, let us remember that the clarity of our Divine Text should never blind us to the inherent complexities of the context in which we live. Imam Muhsin’s life work, born from a young Muslim woman’s suicide due to struggles with her sexuality (the daughter of an Imam no less) is a searing reminder of the human cost of our judgements, and silent suffering ignored. How many more lives must be lost before we truly listen with compassion?

This is not abandoning theology or our centuries of scholarship, but reclaiming its essence: justice, mercy and compassion. Inclusivity is not just Prophetic; it’s communal survival. Exclusion fractures our community, driving the marginalised away from our embrace, and potentially from Islam itself.

In mourning, let us first repent. Repent for every callous joke, dismissive comment, or silent approval of jeers. Remember the Prophet’s (SAWS) ﷺ warning of a single, ill-considered word that could plunge us into the terrifying abyss of Hellfire.

Let the outpouring of grief for Imam Muhsin – countless lives touched, guided, uplifted – be the voices resonating now, drowning out jubilation and hate.

Confront this stark truth: our silence facing such hatred, violence, despair, makes us complicit. For within our own families, within our own communities, there are undoubtedly individuals struggling in silence, watching and waiting with bated breath, wondering if there is any space for them within our mosques, within our hearts, within our ummah. Will they ultimately find solace and belonging, or yet more soul-destroying rejection? The answer, and the immense weight of responsibility, rests squarely with each and every one of us.

Let this tragedy ignite reflection and humility, suspending judgement – learning without self-righteousness. We have a long way to go and a lot to do, so let repentance be our start, and unwavering mercy be our guide to healing and true justice.

Dr Bilal Hassam is a writer, cultural commentator and consultant at TheMuslimAgency.com, specialising in the intersections of Muslim identity, politics and culture. A former medical doctor from the UK, he has been based in Cape Town since 2022, working to elevate Muslim storytelling, representation and advocacy on a global scale.