Commemorating Imam Muhsin Hendricks

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un. To Allah we belong and to Allah we return. We ask Allah swt to send mercy on the household of Imam Muhsin and bring peace and safety to his loved ones, to his community and to everyone impacted by his death. Text in the image above has been copied from the official statement on Al Ghurbaah Foundation’s Facebook page.

Imam Muhsin Hendricks was murdered in South Africa on Saturday 15^th February 2025. While he has completed his tasks in this realm, his death is a stark reminder of how unsafe it is for LGBT+ Muslims to be visible in their existence. At this time of grief and mourning, we call on all Muslims to condemn violence against LGBT+ Muslims and offer your du’as in remembrance of Imam Muhsin publicly and loudly.

The murder of a gay Imam has emboldened people who hold homophobic and/or Islamophobic views. From the reactions to his death we know that there may be increased vitriol and perhaps violence towards:

• LGBT+ groups who exist in solidarity with Muslims or solidarity with Palestinians
• Muslims who challenge homophobia in our own communities
• Queer Muslims who want to continue their faith practice and be part of Muslim communities.
• LGBT+ Muslim leaders and Muslims leaders who express solidarity with LGBT+ Muslims

These communities and individuals are not mutually exclusive and all deserve your support, especially now.

Violence like this can evoke feelings of despair and hopelessness, but here are some immediate actions you can take to disrupt the normalisation of homophobic violence:

• Use your voice and any platforms you have to offer a short du’a to commemorate the passing of Imam Muhsin and/or express your solidarity with LGBT+ Muslims. Here’s a suggestion:
  • Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un. To Allah we belong and to Allah we return. We ask Allah swt to send mercy on the household of Imam Muhsin and bring peace and safety to his loved ones, to his community and to everyone impacted by his tragic death.
  • May we all work towards a world free of transphobia, homophobia and Islamophobia, so that we can all live safely as one ummah, attuned to each other’s struggles and dedicated to each other’s safety. 
• Talk to the people around you (offline) about the murder of Imam Muhsin, express your solidarity with people everywhere who want to fight racist, homophobic violence.
• Remind yourselves and each other that Prophet Muhammed (saw) acknowledged the existence of people with diverse gender identities and diverse sexualities, and he never enacted violence on them or marginalised them for their gender or sexuality.
• Remind yourselves that the Qur’an only differentiates Muslims based on their character, never their sexuality or their gender.
• Remind yourselves and each other that the Qur’an urges us to stand firm against injustice and work towards justice and peace. 

We send our love and solidarity to all LGBT+ Muslims everywhere. To those who have passed, we think of you, we remember you and we continue our work in your memory. 

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