Note: Just as the circumcision of boys is an accepted matter in Islamic jurisprudence, the circumcision of girls is a locus of dispute and debate. Some consider it obligatory, some recommended, some permissible, and some also dislike or forbidden. Perhaps it can be said that fewer issues are found in Islamic jurisprudence wherein all five taklifi rulings are held. Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen Hossein Bostan, a professor of Dars-e Kharij on Gender Jurisprudence who has engaged in research and teaching in the field of women for years, has analyzed the jurisprudential ruling of female circumcision in this exclusive note. By combining narrations with the social and real dimensions of female circumcision, he attempts to present a middle-ground theory. The detailed exclusive note of this member of the Scientific Council of the Department of Women and Family Jurisprudence at the Research Institute for Contemporary Jurisprudence Studies follows:

Circumcision of children is among the subjects wherein there exists a strong suspicion of it being violent, particularly female circumcision, which has faced a serious challenge from feminists as evident violence.

Nevertheless, with an impartial view free from prejudice, it appears that in the subject of the circumcision of children, one must distinguish between two forms. The first form is that circumcision is performed using unsanitary methods and incorrect tools; in this case, it is an instance of the general titles of harm (dirar) and injury (idha), and consequently, counts as illegitimate violence. If physical injury is inflicted upon the child, it will entail liability (daman).

However, the second form, which according to the forthcoming evidence is considered obligatory, recommended, or permissible, should fundamentally not be interpreted as maltreatment so as to be an instance of violence; rather, it requires a different interpretation. With this explanation, we shall review some narrations:

Imam Sadiq (‘a) states in the reliable narration (riwayah mu’tabarah) of Mas’adah b. Sadaqah: “Circumcise your (male) children at seven days old…”[1] and in the authentic narration (sahihah) of Hisham b. Salim, he has deemed circumcision to be of the Hanifite tradition,[2] while in the forthcoming narrations, the circumcision of boys is counted as part of the religious Sunnah, meaning the obligatory Sunnah, for jurists have a consensus on its obligation.[3]

In any case, disregarding the devotional wisdoms of this religious obligation, it seems that a hygienic aspect can also be considered for the circumcision of boys, and in any event, it finds no connection to the issue of violence.

However, regarding female circumcision, not only has its non-obligation been explicitly stated in the narrations, but its status as Sunnah has also been negated.[4] Nevertheless, in some of these very narrations concerning it, the expression “makrumah” (a mark of nobility/honor) and the expression “What is more excellent than a makrumah?” have been used, which in a way indicate desirability. What appears [correct] in reconciling these seemingly conflicting expressions is to say: In the Sunnah of the Prophet (s), female circumcision specifically does not have a recommendation (istihbab), and its primary ruling is merely permissibility (ibahah); nonetheless, one can hold to its desirability by virtue of its inclusion under a general recommended title (such as attracting the affection of the future husband).[5] The allusion of some narrations to certain positive sexual and aesthetic effects of female circumcision[6] can be a confirmation of this understanding.

Based on this, contrary to misandrist feminist interpretations, it is not unlikely that the nature of female circumcision can be considered an aesthetic measure that ranks alongside certain cosmetic surgeries such as vaginoplasty and labiaplasty which have become customary today, with the difference that circumcision, because it was typically performed in early childhood, did not possess the issues of forbidden touch and gaze present in today’s cosmetic surgeries.

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[1]. عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ هَارُونَ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ مَسْعَدَةَ بْنِ صَدَقَةَ عَنْ أَبِي­عَبْدِاللَّهِ ع قَالَ: اخْتِنُوا أَوْلَادَكُمْ لِسَبْعَةِ أَيَّامٍ فَإِنَّهُ أَطْهَرُ وَ أَسْرَعُ لِنَبَاتِ اللَّحْمِ وَ إِنَّ الْأَرْضَ لَتَكْرَهُ بَوْلَ الْأَغْلَفِ. Kulayni, al-Kafi, Vol. 6, p. 33.

[2]. عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ سَالِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي­عَبْدِاللَّهِ ع قَالَ: مِنَ الْحَنِيفِيَّةِ الْخِتَانُ. Ibid, p. 34.

[3]. Qummi, Jami’ al-Shatat fi Ajwibat al-Su’alat, Vol. 4, p. 607.

[4]. مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنِ ابْنِ رِئَابٍ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع عَنِ الْجَارِيَةِ تُسْبَى مِنْ أَرْضِ الشِّرْكِ فَتُسْلِمُ فَتُطْلَبُ لَهَا مَنْ يَخْفِضُهَا فَلَا نَقْدِرُ عَلَى امْرَأَةٍ فَقَالَ أَمَّا السُّنَّةُ فِي الْخِتَانِ عَلَى الرِّجَالِ وَ لَيْسَ عَلَى النِّسَاءِ. Kulayni, al-Kafi, Vol. 6, p. 37.

مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ: خِتَانُ الْغُلَامِ مِنَ السُّنَّةِ وَ خَفْضُ الْجَوَارِي لَيْسَ مِنَ السُّنَّةِ. Ibid.

عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ هَارُونَ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ مَسْعَدَةَ بْنِ صَدَقَةَ عَنْ أَبِي­عَبْدِاللَّهِ ع قَالَ: خَفْضُ الْجَارِيَةِ مَكْرُمَةٌ وَ لَيْسَتْ مِنَ السُّنَّةِ وَ لَا شَيْئاً وَاجِباً وَ أَيُّ شَيْ‌ءٍ أَفْضَلُ مِنَ الْمَكْرُمَةِ. Ibid.

عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ أَبِي­عَبْدِاللَّهِ ع قَالَ: الْخِتَانُ فِي الرَّجُلِ سُنَّةٌ وَ مَكْرُمَةٌ فِي النِّسَاءِ. Ibid.

[5]. Proving desirability in the assumption of the non-existence of specific evidence and by virtue of inclusion under a general recommended title has abundant analogues and parallels in jurisprudence; a famous example of which is proving the recommendation of [wearing] black clothes during the days of mourning for the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) by virtue of its inclusion under the general title of exalting the rites (ta’zim al-sha’a’ir).

[6]. عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَسْبَاطٍ عَنْ خَلَفِ بْنِ حَمَّادٍ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ ثَابِتٍ عَنْ أَبِي­عَبْدِاللَّهِ ع قَالَ: كَانَتِ امْرَأَةٌ يُقَالُ لَهَا أُمُّ طَيْبَةَ تَخْفِضُ الْجَوَارِيَ فَدَعَاهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص فَقَالَ لَهَا يَا أُمَّ طَيْبَةَ إِذَا أَنْتِ خَفَضْتِ امْرَأَةً فَأَشِمِّي وَ لَا تُجْحِفِي فَإِنَّهُ أَصْفَى لِلَّوْنِ وَ أَحْظَى عِنْدَ الْبَعْلِ. Kulayni, al-Kafi, Vol. 6, p. 38.

عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي نَصْرٍ عَنْ هَارُونَ بْنِ الْجَهْمِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ: لَمَّا هَاجَرْنَ النِّسَاءُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص هَاجَرَتْ فِيهِنَّ امْرَأَةٌ يُقَالُ لَهَا أُمُّ حَبِيبٍ وَ كَانَتْ خَافِضَةً تَخْفِضُ الْجَوَارِيَ فَلَمَّا رَآهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص قَالَ لَهَا يَا أُمَّ حَبِيبٍ الْعَمَلُ الَّذِي كَانَ فِي يَدِكِ هُوَ فِي يَدِكِ الْيَوْمَ قَالَتْ نَعَمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ حَرَاماً فَتَنْهَانِي عَنْهُ قَالَ لَا بَلْ حَلَالٌ فَادْنِي مِنِّي حَتَّى أُعَلِّمَكِ قَالَتْ فَدَنَوْتُ مِنْهُ فَقَالَ يَا أُمَّ حَبِيبٍ إِذَا أَنْتِ فَعَلْتِ فَلَا تَنْهَكِي أَيْ لَا تَسْتَأْصِلِي وَ أَشِمِّي فَإِنَّهُ أَشْرَقُ لِلْوَجْهِ وَ أَحْظَى عِنْدَ الزَّوْجِ. Ibid.