Question: Does Islam Approve Of Female Circumcision (Also Known As Female Genital Mutilation)?

Answer:

No, Islam does not approve of or mandate Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) or any harmful, non-medical procedures performed on women.

When discussing this sensitive topic, it is crucial to step back and look at the basic principles of Islam as it relates to our bodies and our health. The core principles of Islamic law as supported by authentic religious texts make it absolutely clear that cutting or mutilating healthy female tissue directly contradicts the very spirit and rules of Islam.

The Core Benchmark: Islam Prohibits All Harm

To understand the Islamic position on any custom or medical procedure, one must first look at the foundational rules of Islam. One of the most famous and universal principles taught by the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) is:

"There should be neither harm nor reciprocating harm." (Sunan Ibn Majah Hadith 2340).

Islam considers our bodies not to be our own property, but rather a sacred trust given to us by God. It is therefore not allowed to alter or harm our bodies, and any practice that inflicts unnecessary pain, physical trauma, long-term health complications, or psychological suffering is strictly forbidden.

Exceptions can be made in cases where there is a clear medical necessity, such as to save a life or cure a disease. Such cases are evaluated on an individual basis and under the advice of trained doctors.

Modern medical science universally confirms that female circumcision offers no health benefits and leads to severe physical harm, chronic pain, and reproductive complications. Therefore, such a practice is prohibited under this fundamental Islamic principle of avoiding harm and protecting our bodies and our health.

Furthermore, the Quran explicitly warns against altering God's healthy creation out of superstition or misguided traditions:

"And I will command them so they will change the creation of Allah." (Surah An-Nisa 4:119).

Does the Quran or Authentic Hadith Support Female Circumcision?

Islam only recognizes two sources for its teachings, the Quran and the Sunnah. All opinions and perspectives offered by religious scholars must conform to these two sources. No religious scholar can overrule the teachings of the Quran and Sunnah, regardless of their level of knowledge, status, politics, race or any other characteristic.

Islam was taught to us by God, and was revealed to Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) in two ways. The Quran represents the literal word of God. While the Sunnah is the actions and sayings of Prophet Mohammad (pbuh).

Furthermore, when citing the Quran and the Sunnah, the authenticity of the texts is crucial. The Quran is agreed upon among all Muslims as it was transmitted by memorization and writing through the generations with uncut chains of narration. Therefore, it is easy to confirm the authenticity of the Quran.

The Sunnah was also transmitted through continuous chains of narrations. Muslim scholars through the ages have invested incredible efforts to classify each narration based on the chain of narrators. The teachings of Islam can only be derived from narrations that have been deemed to be authentic and can truly be attributed to Prophet Mohammad (pbuh). Any narration that does not rise to this level of authenticity cannot be viewed as a source of Islam.

What Does the Quran Say?

The Quran contains absolutely no mention of female circumcision. The Quran repeatedly commands believers to treat women with honor, equity, and compassion, and to protect human life and health.

What Did Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) Teach and Practice in relation to Female Circumcision?

There is no authentic narration that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) ever had his daughters or wives subjected to female circumcision, nor did he ever make it a requirement for new Muslim women. There are also no authentic narrations that mention or teach female circumcision as being a religious practice of Islam.

Male circumcision, on the other hand, is an established practice going back to Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham). It is supported by authentic narrations, and is also supported by medical opinions that male circumcision can reduce infections and disease.

Some scholars have attempted to justify female circumcision. But when looking more closely at their justifications and arguments, it is clear that they rely on a handful of narrations that classical and modern Hadith scholars such as Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Al-Bayhaqi, and Al-Albani have evaluated as weak due to defects in their chain of narration. Therefore, these narrations are not considered authentic and cannot be used to establish a religious practice, particularly when they contradict clearly established foundational principles of the Quran and Sunnah.

Cultural Tradition vs. Religious Mandate

If Islam doesn't endorse female circumcision, why is it practiced in some Muslim communities?

It is vital to distinguish between culture and religion. Female circumcision is an ancient, pre-Islamic cultural custom that predates Islam, Christianity, and Judaism by centuries. It persists in specific geographical regions (predominantly parts of North and East Africa) across diverse religious beliefs, including among Muslims, Christians, and non-religious communities.

On the other hand, in the vast majority of the Muslim world such as Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkey, Central Asia, and Muslim communities across the West, female circumcision is either completely unknown or explicitly rejected as an un-Islamic cultural superstition.

Leading global Islamic authorities, including Al-Azhar University in Cairo, the International Islamic Fiqh Academy, and Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta, have issued clear religious rulings (fatwas) declaring female circumcision to be a harmful cultural artifact that has no place in Islam, calling for its prohibition and criminalization.

Nonetheless, traditions can be powerful motivating forces, particularly in communities that lack education. This explains why the practice of female circumcision persists, and why even some Muslim scholars have attempted to justify it to avoid going against the powerful forces of tradition.

Islam was revealed to save humanity from superstitions and harmful traditions. It is our duty as Muslims to educate any remaining communities where female circumcision is still practiced to ensure that no harm comes to any girls and to end this practice once and for all!