FEMALE CIRCUMCISION ALLOWED in islam? Options

[Kat]

Question: Alot of people use the practice of female circumcision common in North African Muslim countries in order to attack Islam, what is the correct view regarding the issue?

Answer:

According to my knowledge, there is difference of opinion amongst the scholars regarding the issue of female circumcision ranging from some who believe it is obligatory, some say it is recommended, others say it is mubah (permissible) but the strongest view in my opinion is that it is mubah. After some research, there are certain points which are necessary to clarify regarding this:

1. It is important to understand the reality of female circumcision and its various types and then to understand the type that Islam permits.

Types of circumcision:

a) Removal of the hood (or prepuce) of the clitoris. This procedure is, to some degree, analgous to male circumcision since in both cases, no part of the sexual organ is cut off. In both cases also, it is only the foreskin, or outer fold of the skin, which is cut off. Properly done, it is not likely to cause any "matrimonial" problem. This is the type the scholars mentioned is permitted according to the Islamic evidences.

Removal of the entire clitoris (clitorectomy) along with part of the labia minora, which is satured together leaving an opening. This is a form of mutilation and is haram (forbidden).

c) Removal of the entire clitoris, labia minora and medial part of the labia majora, with both sides of the female organ stitched together leaving a small opening. This procedure requires tying together the child's legs of nearly three weeks. It is called the Pharaonic procedure and also haram.

2. “For most of the Shafi'i school, circumcision is obligatory upon the women. While the Hanbali school and few scholars of the Shafi'i school hold that circumcision of women is not obligatory but Sunnah, while the Hanafi and the Maliki consider it a mere courtesy to the husband. And according to some scholars, female circumcision is customarily done in a hot climate.” [Fiqh al-Islam wa Adillatihi 3/741]

3. Some people quote the following hadith to argue that it is recommended: "Circumcision is a commedable act for men (Sunnah) and is an honorable thing for women (Makromah)." However this hadith is considered da’if (weak) according to the hadith scholars. [Al-Shawkani, Nayl Al-awtar, Dar Al-Jeel, Beirut, 1973, vol. 1, p. 139]

Da’if (weak) hadith cannot be used as evidence in ahkam shariah.

4. There is the following hadith on the subject:

"Cut off only the foreskin (outer fold of skin over the clitoris; the prepuce) but do not cut off deeply (i.e. the clitoris itself), for this is brighter for the face (of the girl) and more favourable with the husband." [Al-Tabarani, quoted in Al-albani, Muhammad N., Silsilat al-Ahadeeth Al-Sahihah, Al Maktab Al-Islami, Beirut, Lebanon, 1983, vol. 2, Hadeeth no. 722, pp. 353-358 espeically pp. 356-257. See also N. keller (translator/editor), The Reliance of the Traveller by Ahmad al-Masri, Modern Printing Press, Dubai, 1991, e 4.3, p. 59.]

5. There is also a Hadith narrated in Ahmad, also in Malik with similar wordings to the effect that if the two areas of circumcision (for a male and female) touch one another, than Ghusl (bathing) is required. This expression simply signified that after the intimate matrimonial relationship, both husband and wife must take a complete bath before they perform their daily prayers. The relevant part of this Hadeeth, however, is its reference to the two circumcised parts. Imam Ahmad uses this Hadeeth as an evidence that women (in Madinah) used to be circumcised. However this does not indicate that it is recommended, simply that it is permitted.

6. It is true that in some Muslim countries some of the people in Egypt and Somalia undertake the form of circumcision that Islam forbids i.e. the cutting off of the entire clitoris (clitorectomy) – however this is due to following traditions rather than Islam.

While the exact origin of female circumcision is not known, "it preceded Christianity and Islam." [Stewart, Rosemary, "Female Circumcision: Implicaitons for North American Nurses, " in Journal of Psychosocial Nursing, vol. 35, no.4, 1997, p. 35] The most radical form of female circumcision (infibulation) is known as the Pharaonic Procedure. This may signify that it may have been practiced long before the rise of Islam, Christianity and possibly Judaism. It is not clear, however, whether this practice originated in Egypt or in some other African countries then spread to Egypt. [Haqa'iq Ilmiyya Hawla Khitan Al-Inaath (in Arabic), Jam'iyyat Tanzeem Al-Usrah, Cairo, 1983, p.7.]

Abu Ismael
http://abuismael.blogspot.com/2007/03/q-fe...rcumcision.html

Comment

SubhanAllah, I always thought it was a cultural practice and haram, just goes to show that not all cultural practices necessarily contradict Islam and that many things are misapplied by Muslims and used by the west to attack Islam.

We as Muslims sometimes fall into the trap of believing the lies and media propaganda and should always research things for ourselves and look into them deeply.

Please feel free to add your views inshAllah and any guests please consider joining the fatest growing and most active Islamic youth forum on the net.

[khilafahreturns]

whaoahhhhh. wait on a minute
so islam completely allows this?!

[Kat]

Yes Islam allows this within a certain context and not the way people are mutilating girls nowadays to prevent them from being promiscuous and in the words of a Christian Nigerian friend " To stop them from sleeping around like bitches on heat ".

Quite funny that he has no alternative for men who sleep around like dogs on heat

[khan]

bit of a uneasy subject this one.

but after reading that, it makes sense.

if done correctly it is exactly the same as a male circumcision.

probably best to start another topic on this, but a break down of the term 'mubah' would be useful, when is something mubah, why should one perform mubah actions?

[Mazin]

Assalamu Alaykum,

haha...all I have to say is that everyone read the WHOLE original post before replying. It is easy to misunderstand what Kat is saying.

Some Muslims have said that even circumcising the hood is Haram, but obviously the Ahadith and the opinions of the classical scholars contradict that.

As you said, it is important to always double check the line between tradition and Islamic legislation.

Jazak Allah Khair for that post.

assalamu alaykum.

[Umm Lilo]

was jsut told to check this by the dude in the next room and WHOAH! subhan allah i cant believe it..
i always thought it was a cultural thing!
jazak allah bro... learn somethign new everyday!

[Aamina]

Please do not make the mistake of confusing female circumcision with female mutilation; they are very different!

[Bint Abdullah]

Yeah, as far as i know, it is allowed but only to an extent (as mentioned ^^) There was a woman in madinah who used to perfom the circumcission and the prophet told her to cut only to foreskin. Will try to find the hadith inshallah.

[Abu Haneefah]

I read that some Scholars ruled it was not allowed at all nowadays as it was proven that it is not good for the girl.

Allah knows best, I read this Fatwa on-line:


http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satelli...d=1119503545826

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Dear questioner thanks a lot for your interesting and important question, and we hope our efforts, which are purely for Allah’s Sake, meet your expectations.

In his response to the question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and an Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, issues the following Fatwa:

“Circumcision for males is considered an important rite of initiation in Islam. It is a part of the legacy of the Prophet Ibrahim, peace and blessings be upon him, whose role model we have been ordered to follow in the Qur’an. It is, therefore, a highly significant rite in Islam, which distinguishes Muslim males from others.

When we come to the issue of “Female circumcision”, however, the mater is quite different. There is nothing in the sources, either the Qur’an or the Sunnah, to suggest that it is a PRESCRIBED ritual of initiation for women in Islam.

While one finds a number of traditions from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, which clearly indicates that he ordered pagan males who converted to undergo circumcision, it is not stated anywhere that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered any woman who entered Islam to undergo this practice.

Because there is no absolute proof from the sources of Islam prescribing female circumcision, the vast majority of scholars do not include it in the OBLIGATORY rituals of Islam.

It is common knowledge in Islam that if the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, had wanted female circumcision to be an integral aspect of religious practice in Islam the same way that male circumcision is, he would have said so clearly. Since he did not do so, we can safely assume it is not a prescribed ritual of Islam."

You can also read:

Islamic Ruling on Female Circumcision

If you have any further comments, please don't hesitate to write back!

May Allah guide you to the straight path, and guide you to that which pleases Him, Amen.

[fazza]

subhan allah!
more thoughts later, but quite an amazing topics. need to help bro kat spread the word insha allah...
should be good

wasalam
faraz

[Low Rider]

Jazaks to all those who did research.

[fazza]

2. “For most of the Shafi'i school, circumcision is obligatory upon the women. While the Hanbali school and few scholars of the Shafi'i school hold that circumcision of women is not obligatory but Sunnah, while the Hanafi and the Maliki consider it a mere courtesy to the husband. And according to some scholars, female circumcision is customarily done in a hot climate.” [Fiqh al-Islam wa Adillatihi 3/741]

WHAOH-OH!!!
some schools consider it FARDH!? this is BIG NEWS TO ME! SUBHAN ALLAH.

jzk brother kat. a MOST INTERESTING AND ENLIGHTENING READ!

one question -

are sisters finding this uncomfortable as a topic? please let us know if u are

wasalam

[Concept Gun]

Not a topic for me. I am dumb in these matters (not yet married) and I just feel

So Kat, I am outa here.

[Adnan Jalaal]

^^^
Yeah I feel the same way.

Although I'll admit that I was totally oblivious about this matter. Something I didn't even think about, truthfully.
But I'm not sure the significance on female. Then again, its labeled as permissable by this scholar. Hence, doen't really mean necessary, right?

This post has been edited by Adnan Jalaal: Mar 9 2007, 11:13 PM

[*Prisoner650*]

Salam brother Kat, jazakhAllah khair for bringing up this topic, its something that should be looked into

Its quite common in Sudan, I dont know of anyone at the moment who had it done but i used to know of a sister who had it done back in school. I dont think its really necessary to get it done at all what so ever, islam serves its own purpose, if we have faith in Allah then we will try and avoid ourselves from committing any forbidden acts, nobody needs to go thru this circumsition, i dont know why it should be allowed also whats up with the awrah issues?