By Zubaida Ali
When my daughters were born, I made the decision not to have them circumcised. Female circumcision is one of the most puzzling birth rituals in Muslim society. It has no health or aesthetic value whatsoever.
Circumcision was usually performed by a traditional midwife but now it is performed by a medical doctor at the clinic for a fee. Typically, parents will have it done on their baby one month after birth and like all surgical procedures, it endangers the infant to the risk of infection, pain and trauma.
Before I made the decision to cut or not to cut, I asked my friends and searched the internet for legitimacy. Why, where and how was this done, I couldn’t find any valid answers. Then I turned to the one place where Muslims go to for answers, the Holy Qur’an. To my surprise there are no verses supporting it in the Qur’an. There’s only a vague hadith about male circumcision.
Yet female circumcision is accepted and performed by all Muslim families I know like a sacred duty. It is even suprising for me to discover that it varies with different sects of Muslims all over the world, and with different degrees of severity. From a pinprick to show blood to removal of the clitoral hood (which is what is done in Singapore) to having major parts of the labia removed like in some parts of Africa and Middle East.
I will require more validity from theological and medical sources before I hand over my child for such a procedure.
As a Muslim and a mother, my reason for not allowing my child to undergo the procedure is why would Allah create an imperfect human body? Why would Allah create a body that requires the tampering and removal of anything so natural?
My two girls now live freely and uncut, and I have never regretted my decision to not violate their bodies for a cultural practice that has no place or validity in a our rational society. Just say no to female circumcision.
Photo credit: Zubaida Ali
Read the other posts here: Sunat Perempuan blog series
Beyond The Hijab 
What about infant male circumcision…..couldn’t the exact same thing be said? Nature didn’t make any mistakes putting one on every male infant………
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Do your research more sis…..
Do not follow your mind on logically.
Even in medical reports shows that women who does not do a circumstances had 7x more lust that a man who had not done a circumstances.
It’s not about how can Allah create a human unperfect, if u think like that than how come there is human with no hands or no legs or etc.
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Show us those “medical reports” please.
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Yes please… lets see that report.. are you saying that our fellow non muslims ladies are more hornier than us? And if so, is that a wrong thing? To have lust? Arent we the one producing kids like a factory? Just saying..
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Everyone—male, female, or intersex—is entitled to equal protection from genital mutilation. The forced genital cutting of anyone, regardless of the sex of the victim, violates their human right to bodily integrity.
In the age of information, ignorance is a choice. Today’s parents have no excuse for failing to protect their children from genital mutilation.
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Good text. But the very same cultural bias is existing towards boys. Like you said: Only a vague Hadith about male circumcision – but clearly no age limit set. It can easily wait until the boy is an adult.
It does the same harm to boys than to girls 😦
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Hi I do not agree wen u say all Muslims do it. I’m a religious Muslim n I did not do this.
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I do not agree wen u say all Muslims do it. That’s a generalization. We are Muslims from India. N we don’t do it for females.
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Thank you for your comment. The author writes that FGM is “performed by all Muslim families I know like a sacred duty.” She only referred to the Muslim families she knew and she was not referring to Muslims from India. However, the author mentioned that FGM is practiced by “different sects of Muslims all over the world” and in India, for example, the Dawoodi Bohra Muslim community practices FGM (http://sahiyo.com/2016/01/19/the-practice-of-khatna-or-female-genital-mutilation-amongst-the-dawoodi-daudi-bohra-shia-muslim-community-part-1/). There is a petition to ban the practice in India and we highly encourage you to sign the petition too (https://www.change.org/p/end-female-genital-mutilation-in-india).
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This is why circumcised is a sunnah in islam be it for the male or female. No sin or punishment for the ones who do not wish for their children to be circumsized. Islam is easy & wonderful. Dont make it sound so complicated. Its a choice. Your choice. Beside scientifically its proven to be for hygiene purposed. so dont need to go against it. Just your choice and other muslim brother and sisters would respect that. And maybe you shouldnt seek answers from internet but instead seek ans from our fellow ceritified ustads and ustazah from the mosque or islamic centres.
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Thank you for your comment. As you mentioned, it is the author’s choice not to circumcise her daughters. You are free to disagree. We would also like to thank you for your unsolicited advice.
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Reblogged this on CROSSROADS – innocence in warzones.
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Assalamualikum Sis…
My advice to you, to ask your Ustadz or Ustazah instead of doing your own research.Cause I don’t thinked you are knowledgable enough to seek the answer when you claimed,you only found A vague hadith about male circumcision?Seriously?Fact is,there are plenty of hadith sahih regarding male circumcision.Our Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) did it.Prophet Ibrahim (pbuh) did it when he was 8 yrs old.Even in the bible,it stated,Jesus/Isa (pbuh) did it on the 8th day.Hoped you get your answer…
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Thank you for your comment. We believe that everyone should seek knowledge – not only from religious scholars, but from historical sources and medical and health professionals as well. Amongst health professionals, the consensus is that FGM has no benefits whatsoever.
Please bear in mind that this is a safe space for women to share their thoughts and experiences. You are free to disagree and we encourage you to share your alternative views, but we ask that you do so respectfully and refrain from rushing to judgement about the writer.
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You shouldn’t do your research solely on the Internet. Ask people of knowledge and from different sources and then make a judgement for yourself. The Holy Quran has many secrets, reading it once, won’t give you the answers that’s why it’s being supported by other books to explain the verses in details. Whatever your beliefs, it’s being respected but don’t try to convince others of your opinion as it may be used against you.
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Thank you for your comment. We would like to reiterate that the author is in no way trying to convince others of her opinion, she is only sharing her experience and stating her opinion. You are free to disagree.
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I was born a female muslim, my sisters and I were not circumcised. I have several female cousins that I know were circumcised when they were young . The thing is, some of my circumcised female cousins were sexually active when they were in high school…had many boyfriends and married young. Me and my sisters the non circumcised sisters never had boyfriends till after we finished uni and remained virgins till we got married. So dear religious fucking stupid muslim men, on what basis do you guys are so damn sure about this uncontrollable lust about uncircumcised female ??? Retarded arab camel mentality!!!!!
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Thank you for your comment. We agree that some people come up with the most ridiculous reasons to condone female circumcision.
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What is required from us today is to examine the evidence in front of us regarding the ruling on FGM, be it explicit or not.
The most important source of course for the scholars and scientists is the Holy Qur’an and then the Sunnah, (which contain no disputes), after which comes consensus and analogy. Now, I’d like to examine these two sources, in addition to consensus and analogy, in light of female circumcision to learn whether or not there is proper evidence. What are the positions of the scholars?
First: Evidence found in the Holy Qur’an
In the Qur’an, there is no direct opposition to circumcision in either the Meccan surahs or the Medinan surahs.
However, Shafi’i scholars, who claim the necessity of circumcision for both males and females often quote the Almighty, in Surah Al-Nahl: So We have taught thee the inspired (Message), “Follow the ways of Abraham the True in Faith, and he joined not gods with God.” [Qur’an, 16:123]
They said: The circumcision of Abraham has been proven correct – that Abraham circumcised himself when he was eighty years old [1]. Indeed, the verse of the Qur’an cannot identify manner, whereas it is followed in the religion of Abraham; it is bigger and deeper than just the process of circumcision that following the approach in the establishment of uniformity for avoiding the idol, calling to the oneness of Allah with wisdom and testimony as we have seen in the call of Abraham to his father and his people. All of his debates with his own people had to do with God’s oneness. The debates were never about rulings. Secondary issues, such as these, were never mentioned in the Qur’an. Say: “Verily, my Lord hath guided me to a way that is straight,- a religion of right,- the path (trod) by Abraham the true in Faith, and he (certainly) joined not gods with Allah.” (Qur’an, 6: 161)
There is for you an excellent example (to follow) in Abraham and those with him, when they said to their people: “We are clear of you and of whatever ye worship besides Allah. We have rejected you, and there has arisen, between us and you, enmity and hatred for ever, – unless ye believe in Allah and Him alone.”” (Qur’an, 6:4)
Those who follow the religion of Abraham (pbuh), circumcision is obligatory for them, but only for males as there is nothing concerning women in regards to circumcision.
[1]-Agreed: It was narrated by Bukhari in “The Prophets” (3356), and Muslim in “The Virtues”(2370), and Ahmad in his “Musnad”(9408), from Abu Hurayra.
Second: Evidence found in the Hadith
As we have seen, the ruling on FGM is not found in the Qur’an. In the hadith, reference might have been made; however, there is room for dispute since we are dealing with various interpretations. The reality of it is that there are some scholars of jurisprudence who show evidence in the hadiths, and this seems to be common.
The most important hadiths that take this the topic of FGM into account are the following three:
1. “If the two circumcised parts meet, then ghusl (ritual bathing) is obligatory.” This hadith refers to a position in intercourse between a man and a woman. This is only mentioned because it was assumed that women were circumcised [as they were in ancient cultures, pre-Islam]. (Narrated by Aisha).
2. The following hadith narrated by Umm ‘Atiyyah says that the Prophet (p.b.u.h.), said to a “circumciser”: “Do not make the operation too invasive; do not harm the woman or do anything that would not allow her to feel pleasure. Because some elements are lost in translation, it is important to stress the fact that the original Arabic literally says “minimum amount” in regards to the actual operation.’
3. “Circumcision is Sunnah for men, and an honor for women.”
Later on, the hadiths will be discussed further, including the limitations on the verdict of this judgement. Firstly, I would like to say that nowhere in the contents of the hadiths or Sunnah of the blessed Prophet is female circumcision valid – not even in one.
The consensus among scholars of fiqh and hadith is that hadiths which include the topic of FGM are considered weak and are not to be taken into consideration. Some hadiths are manipulated, abused, and taken advantage of. There is actually one reliable hadith available, however it does not give the desired outcome for such individuals whose intentions are to misuse it.
Discussions of hadiths that are considered proper evidence:
It is worthwhile to discuss the hadiths that are used as sources by scholars of Jurisprudence (Fiqh), one at a time.
1. Regarding the hadith that states, “If the two circumcised parts meet, then ghusl (ritual bathing) is obligatory,” [2] it indicates that women were circumcised, which indicates the presence of circumcision among Arabs, which we do not deny the existence of, for it was a custom of ancient cultures. The argument here is its position in Islam, and how it is deemed virtuous or obligatory. Since it is not found in the Holy Qur’an or the hadiths, we believe that FGM has no place in Islam.
2. The hadith of Umm ‘Attiyah, which came from Abu Dawood, “The Prophet of Islam (pbuh) said about a woman who was circumcised in the city,: ‘Do not exaggerate; this is better for women,” It was also reported that four thousand hadiths were created to mislead the Muslims.
The methods used to determine this hadith’s authenticity were all deemed weak. Thus, there is no evidence that supports any claims that it is obligatory or even virtuous.
Even if we are to assume that any of these hadiths are accurate, how could they benefit us now? Will we learn that it is obligatory or a virtuous act? I think that what matters here is that we understand its significance among ancient cultures as a means to bring pleasure to the woman during intercourse, mainly concerned with the mundane world and thus having no presence in religiosity. Perhaps because of this, it is not explicitly forbidden.
3. As for the hadith: “Circumcision is sunnah for men, and an honor for women,” this was narrated by Ahmad (20 719) from Abu Maleh bin Osama and from his father. It is said that the source of this hadith is weak, however. “Huccac, the son Artab, the imposter, has narrated this, so it has been confused. Also narrated by al-Bayhaqi in al-Sunan al-Kubra (8 / 325) by the method of Hafs ibn Ghiyath, for this attribution, and Tabaraani in the Great (7 / 273). Which he had another method apart from narration of Huccac, he narrated in al-Kabeer (11/233), and al-Bayhaqi in al-Kubra (8 / 324), from Akrama, from Ibn Abbas, and said: “This source is weak and unsecure so Al-albani would consider it weak (1935) .
Even if this hadith is accurate, what does it refer to? It indicates that circumcision is honorable for women, and something advisable, not obligatory or virtuous. What does this “honor” refer to? At one point in time, it may have been considered a norm. What is considered an honor depends on perhaps cultural practices and time. With this in mind, it is important to note that there are not many Muslim countries that practice execute FGM. This applies to the countries in the Persian Gulf and many countries in North Africa.
We have seen many doctors launching a raid on female circumcision, and consider it an aggression against the female body. Cultural practices change in time and obviously pertaining to our era, as a result of scientific progress, global convergence, the information revolution, etc.
[1]- The conclusion of A Strange Hadith (2 / 1223) edition in the scientific bookstore in Beirut.
[2]- Narrated by Ahmad in his Musnad (26 025)
[3]-Narrated by Muslim inMenstruation(349); also narrated by AbuMusa.
[4]-Narrated by Abu DawoodinLiterature(5271), andal-Bayhaqiin The Peopleinthe section explaining the rights of children and parents(6 / 396), and inThe Great Book of Drinks and Limitations(8 / 324), from Umm Attia, and Al-albani confirmed in The Whole(498 ).
Third: Evidence of Analogy
Can the basis of analogy be enough evidence to prove whether female circumcision is obligatory or a virtuous action?
Some scholars claim that by comparing the act of male circumcision, which is sunnah, is enough evidence to prove the validity of female circumcision, drawing on verses of the Qur’an that address both sexes, if God said: {O people or {O ye who believe!}, then, the Qur’an as a whole addresses both men and women. Both sexes share in the Islamic rulings in regards to acts of worship and relations in social life, except for what is exempted, which is very little, and does not violate the original ruling.
Some concerns arise in the comparison of men and women, especially in regards to female circumcision. The Prophet (pbuh) said: “Women are the sisters of men” [1], and Allah said: {Never will I allow to be lost the work of [any] worker among you, whether male or female; you are of one another } [Qur’an, 3: 195].
The meaning of this verse is that the woman completes the man and the man completes the woman. Both are indispensable, so why to compare one over the other?
The conditions and the basis for what is being compared must be taken into account.
There is a common cause that connects between comparison and the cause of comparison, so where is the common cause here?
There is no significant difference between the original comparison to the secondary comparison, whereas there should not be any dispute over such a comparison. There is no doubt that there is a big difference in this particular case, between males and females; circumcision is beneficial for the male, but it is harmful for the female.
Further, the fundamental principle is to prohibit the alteration of God’s creation, with the exception of male circumcision. Apart from this, everything else to be left in its original state. Fundamentalist view must be taken into account.
[1]Narrated by Ahmad in his Musnad (26 195), and Abu Dawood (236), and al-Tirmidhi (113), both in Purity, and Abu Ali in al-Musnad (8 / 149), and al-Bayhaqi in The Great Book / Purity (1 / 168), from Aisha, and confirmed by Al-Albani, Abi Dawood in Saheeh (234).
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