Q: What is the ruling on circumcision?
Circumcision is one of the SunanulFitrah (Islamic practices of personal hygiene) and it is one of the distinguishing features of Muslims. It is reported inthe Two Sahih (authentic) Books of Hadith (i.e. AlBukhari and Muslim)on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) stated, Five practices are characteristics of the Fitrah: circumcision, shaving the pubic hair, cutting the mustaches short, clipping the nails, and removing the hair of the armpits. So, the Prophet (peace be upon him) first mentioned circumcision and informed us that it is one of SunanulFitrah.
The legal Islamic Circumcision is defined as cutting the foreskin covering the tip of the male organ only. Those who remove the skin surrounding the male member or the entire organ as done in some primitive countries, and ignorantly claimed to be Islamic is but something prescribed by Satan and made fairseeming to the ignorant. It is a torment to the one who is circumcised and contradicts the Sunnah of Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Islamic Shari`ah (Law) that brings about easiness and urges preservation of life.
It is Haram (prohibited) for a number of reasons including the following:
1 The Sunnah prescribes cutting off the foreskin covering the male organ only.
2 It is a kind of torture and mutilation. The Messenger of Allah (peace and be upon him) forbade mayhem, torture even of dumb beasts, or cutting off their limbs. It is more appropriate that tormenting the children of Adam be more forbidden and a more serious sin.
3 This is contrary to humanness and kindness as encouraged by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) when he stated, "Verily Allah has enjoined goodness to everything..."
4 This may lead to disease or death of the one who is circumcised and this is not permissible. Allah (Exalted be He) states, and do not throw yourselves into destruction (by not spending your wealth in the Cause of Allâh) Allah (Glorified be He) also says: And do not kill yourselves (nor kill one another). Surely, Allâh is Most Merciful to you. Hence, the scholars state that it is not obligatory to circumcise an adult, if there is fear that his life may be endangered.
With regard to bringing men and women together on a certain day to attend the circumcision and displaying the child uncovered in front of them, this is Haram, because it involves uncovering the `Awrah (private parts of the body that must be covered in public) which Islam ordered to be covered, and forbade us to uncover it. Similarly, free intermixing of men and women on this occasion is not permitted because of the Fitnah (temptation) involved and because it goes against the Shari`ah.