Praise be to Allah, the Creator and the Lord of the worlds. Peace and blessing of Allah be upon the noble Prophet Muhammad (SAW), the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family, companions and those who continue to follow his Sunnah until the Day of Judgement.

This piece focuses on circumcision of female babies, which is generating controversy among many young Muslims who want to know  whether it is lawful in Islam to circumcise a female child or not; whether there is any danger in circumcising a female child or not, and  whether it is a sin if a baby is not circumcised.

According to Islamic law, circumcising male and female  children is a beauty in Islam. It completes their al-fitra, acts that correspond to human nature.

It was related from Abu Hurayrah, a companion of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), that the Prophet (SAW) said: Five things are parts of fitrah: circumcision; shaving the pubic hairs; trimming the moustache; removal of armpit hair and clipping the finger-nails.

Circumcision is one of the signs by which a Muslim is distinguished from a non-Muslim. It was related by Imam Bukhari from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (SAW) said that Prophet Ibrahim (ASW) circumcised himself after the age of 80.

Great Muslim scholars unanimously agreed that circumcising male children is a lawful act in Islam and its legality is not challengeable. Even non-Muslims also have no doubt about the practice.

The leaders of the four schools of jurisprudence in Islam do not differ in the concept that circumcising a female child is Islamic, and they agreed that it is what every Muslim should practise when they have female children.

The difference among them is that: Imam Abu Hanifah  classified the  act of circumcising a female child as a commendable act (mustahabb), while Imam Shafi classified it under  compulsory act (fard). A statement from Imam Ahmad ibn Hambali also testifies to that.

Whether Muslim scholars say that it is a compulsory act or commendable act, there is no difference in that it is a lawful act in Islam.

Many ahadith have testified to the fact that circumcision of female children is a lawful practice in Islam. Some of them are as follows:

1. Imam Muslim related from the mother  of the faithful, Aisha (RA) who said that the Messenger of Allah said: “When a man lies over his wife, and the place of circumcision of both touches each other, ritual bath (al-ghusl) has become compulsory for them.”

2. Imam Ahmad and Imam Bayhaqiy also related one  hadith similar to the above, from the mother of the faithful Aisha again, and from Abdullahi ibn Amru, all mentioning the “place of circumcision of the wife and husband”

3. The Prophet (SAW) told a woman, Umm-Atiyyah, whose job was to carry out circumcision on female babies, that: “When you are cutting off the part of the external sex organ of a female  baby, do not cut deeply. Cutting a little part of it increases the beauty of the face of woman, and increases her husband’s enjoyment in her”. From another authority of Umm-Muhajiri, she said: “I was one of the victims of war in Rome. Khalifah Uthman invited us to the religion of Islam, and none except a slave girl and myself embraced Islam. Khalifah Uthman gave an order, saying: Circumcise them a little.”

On account of the above facts, it is clear that the Prophet (SAW) did not reject circumcision of female children but supported it and gave instructions on how to do it in accordance with Islamic law.

Advantages of circumcising female children

1. It shows that one is a follower of Prophet Ibrahim’s way of worship. Prophet Ibrahim (ASW)  is the father of faith.

2. It shows one as a follower of Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

3. It is a way of reducing sexual desire in the woman thus avoiding adultery and a way of curbing her from bad sexual habits. This is because an uncircumcised woman would always have unlimited sexual appetite, which may force her to commit adultery.