The Ruling on Female Circumcision
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Fatwa No. ( 17740 )
Q: What is the ruling on female circumcision ? And what is the age at which it is obligatory to perform it, if it is permissible? And what is the Shari'ah method for performing it? Knowing that I have a daughter who is 8 years old, and I want to circumcise her, is it permissible to circumcise her at this age?
A: Circumcision is among the Sunnahs of fitrah; due to the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) in (the two Sahihs) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sunan Abi Dawud 4198Sahih (Al-Albani) . It is obligatory for men; due to his (peace and blessings be upon him) command regarding it, for it is authentically narrated from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said to one who embraced Islam: Sunan Abi Dawud 356Hasan (Al-Albani) , and because the retention of the foreskin of a man without circumcision holds back impurity and prevents the validity of prayer, so its removal is obligatory. As for women, it is recommended for them and not obligatory; due to the hadith of al-Dahhak ibn Qays (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: It was narrated by al-Hakim in (al-Mustadrak), and al-Hafiz al-Dhahabi in (al-Talkhis) with a good chain. So this recommendation is taken from this. As for its time: it is recommended in early childhood up to the age of discernment; because it is more comfortable for the one being circumcised and heals faster, and it becomes obligatory for men after reaching puberty. The circumcision of the male is by cutting the skin that covers the glans, called the foreskin and the fralah, such that the entire glans is exposed. The circumcision of the female is by cutting a part of the skin that is like the comb of a rooster above the exit of the urine, called the clitoris, and it is not permissible to cut it all due to the prohibition of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) of that, as in the hadith of Umm Atiyyah mentioned earlier. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and his Companions.
Q: What is the ruling on female circumcision ? And what is the age at which it is obligatory to perform it, if it is permissible? And what is the Shari'ah method for performing it? Knowing that I have a daughter who is 8 years old, and I want to circumcise her, is it permissible to circumcise her at this age?
A: Circumcision is among the Sunnahs of fitrah; due to the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) in (the two Sahihs) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Five things are of the inborn characteristics of man: circumcision, shaving the pubes, plucking out hair under the armpit, paring the nails and clipping the moustaches.
خمس من الفطرة: الختان، والاستحداد، ونتف الإبط، وتقليم الأظفار، وقص الشاربRemove from yourself the hair that grew during the period of unbelief and get yourself circumcised
ألقِ عنك شعر الكفر ثم اختتنThere was a woman in Madinah who performed circumcision on women (i.e., circumcised them) who was called Umm Atiyyah, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to her: "Cut lightly and do not cut deeply, for it is more attractive for the face and more pleasing to the husband"
كان بالمدينة امرأة تخفض النساء ( أي: تختنهن ) يقال لها أم عطية ، فقال لها النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: اخفضي ولا تنهكي، فإنه أنظر للوجه وأحظى عند الزوج
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.