The Ruling on Female Circumcision and the Ministry of Health’s Prohibition of It

The questioner:
What is the ruling on the circumcision of a female newborn? They say that the Ministry of Health prohibits it.

The Shaykh:
What is the ruling on what?

The questioner:
The circumcision of the newborn.

The Shaykh:
The newborn. You can just say the newborn.

The questioner:
The one who is present with you.

The Shaykh:
For a newborn girl, female circumcision is a recommended practice (sunnah), not obligatory. Female circumcision is a sunnah, but it must be the circumcision prescribed by the Shari'ah, because nowadays there is circumcision that is not in accordance with the Shari'ah. In some institutions or some countries, they do things that are not from the Shari'ah; they exaggerate in the circumcision and add to it. As for the intended circumcision, it does no harm: cutting the foreskin of the male and cutting the skin that is in the female’s private area, or rather not cutting it all, meaning reducing it, because if it is cut entirely, she will have no desire, and if it is reduced, the desire that might lead her to corruption is diminished. For this reason, he said: The one who is called the "reducer," the one who circumcises is called the "reducer" , meaning do not cut it all. This is a sunnah, and if it is left and she is not circumcised, there is no harm. Yes.

The questioner:
He asks if there is a study by the Committee of Senior Scholars.

The Shaykh:
The Ministry of Health or anyone else has no authority to abrogate a Sharia ruling. They have no authority. They may be able to prohibit circumcision that involves harm; they have the right to do that. Circumcision that involves harm, or that is performed by someone who is not skilled, they have the right to prohibit it. But as for Sharia-compliant circumcision, no one on earth, not all of them together, has the right to abrogate it. Yes.

The presenter:
May Allah reward you, Your Eminence the Shaykh