The status of Circumcision in Islam. Javed Ahmed Ghamidi
[Hasan Ilyas] An international documentary is in the making
and we have recieved these questions from them only.
And we would like to know your opinion on these questions.
Let us begin the session.
Their question has to do with
the status of circumcision in Islam and its history
What is the reason it is done?
Allah has continued the practice of circumcision through
the Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh).
What is the wisdom behind this practice?
[Javed Ahmed Ghamidi] I have stated multiple times that
if you study the content of Islam...
Islam, it is obvious, is an outlook.
It has a creed and a list of practices.
If you study the content that these practices give rise to,
they can be summarised under 4 headings only.
Acts of worship form one of the major heads
Purification of the body, purity of food and drink and
ethical purification follows subsequently.
You can explain the entire religion and Shariah with the help
of the aforementioned topics.
So, we have been given certain commandments
with respect to the purification of the body.
Since purification is the object of our religion.
We are well aware that ethical purification is the last stage of
sanctification, but where does it begin?
It starts with the pruification of the body.
We have been given a number of instructions for bodily purification.
A number of rituals have been instituted as well.
For example, women have to take an ablutionary bath after the completion
of the menstrual cycle.
We have to give an ablutionary bath to the dead body.
Muslims have to take a bath after coitus.
Muslims have to perform ablution before they present themselves before God.
Similarly, we have to trim our moustache.
We have to remove hair in the armpit and pubic region.
So, there are a number of instructions that relate
to the purification of the body.
So, it is also something under that head.
We fear that if we don't take these steps, this will lead to accumulation of dirt.
It would not be easy to get rid of that filth again and again.
And since we have to present ourselves before our lord five times a day,
we will be very sensitive about these things.
This is one of the most important parts of our religion.
You must have noticed that our books on Jurisprudence and Hadith
always begin with 'The book of Purification'
In those books, we are told that
to attain bodily purification and
to be able to present ourselves before our Lord,
we have to take care of these things.
Just as we are instructed to trim our moustache,
purification is both internal as well as external.
Similarly, we are instructed to remove armpit hair.
It is obvious that the intention behind this instruction
is bodily purification as well.
Just as I gave reference to some other things.
Circumcision has been introduced as a Sunnah
by keeping all those things in mind.
This is a sunnah of all the messengers.
Even before the advent of the Prophet, the Jews would perform circumcision.
In fact the Ismaelities used to perform circumcision as well.
The last messenger of the Prophet (pbuh) has continued this practice.
[Ilyas] Ghamidi saab, you said that we need to
remove our pubic hair and armpit hair among other things,
When we look at human physiology, we observe that
these things grow and we remove them and then they grow back again,
then why did God create such a thing which had to be cleansed
but you have to get rid of that entity at once after you are born.
So, it doesn't make any sense.
You have to maintain your hair, and your moustache.
You have to keep trimming your moustache
but in this case, God has created an extra foreskin.
So, we are not able to comprehend this issue because
if there was such a thing,
why didn't God put an end to it at the time of creation?
[Ghamidi] This is a scientific issue. Science should focus on hair growth.
We could have lived out our lives without hair.
There was no need for Armpit hair. Why do they grow?
Similar is the case with pubic hair.
So, this is not a religious issue.
Think about this issue scientifically that if Allah has created something
and if He has given it a temporary existence
or if we are obligated to shave and clean our armpit hair,
so one is its scientific aspect.
What is the reason for the growth of armpit hair?
What is the reason for the creation of foreskin?
Science should study these issues. Howsoever he has been created,
our argument is that the human being is obligated to cleanse himself.
And God's law which is operative in this world is that...
It is not as if we come to this world bathed and cleaned
and we remain like that forever.
It is not as if water suddenly gushes out from somewhere and we clean ourselves.
No, we strive towards purity at a conscious level.
It is conscious purity that we obtain by trimming our hair and our moustache,
my removing our pubic and armpit hair, by taking a shower.
All these things, as well as circumcision is performed
for our conscious purification only.
As far as the argument about God creating something
and then commanding us to circumcise it,
the conscious act of circumcising by itself instills a message of purity.
And we have to attain that purity.
As far as the significance of the foreskin is concerned,
science should look into it and try to find out its significance.
[Ilyas] Let's take the session forward.
Circumcision is obligatory for the Jews.
A person can't become part of the Jewish community if they are uncircumcised.
What is the nature of this commandment in Islam?
Is it obligatory or is it preferable?
Do we get a choice in this matter?
Or is it mandatory for us?
[Ghamidi] It is a sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh).
Things fall under the 'preferable' category,
if it is not clearly stated that they are obligatory,
and if it is not clarified that if you ignore those things
whether you will be acting unlawfully or not.
But sometimes, the preference is emphasized.
In my opinion, it is a preference which is emphasized.
The Prophet (pbuh) has stressed it upon us to perform these things.
You can offer Nafal whenever you like.
It is something that brings blessings and grace.
But there are certain extra prayers that
you offer before or after the main salah,
and the Prophet (pbuh) made those a necessity.
What do we mean when we say the words 'Sunnah e Muakada'?
'Sunnah e Muakada' are those prayers which the Prophet (pbuh) offered himself
and the Prophet (pbuh) stressed upon us to offer them as well.
In my opinion, circumcison falls under the same category.
[Ilyas] Christian tradition is a branch of the same divine revelation.
We see a lot of opposition among the Christians towards circumscision
and as a civilisation they have in a way repudiated circumcision.
If we have recieved the same divine revelation,
if we are different brances of the same tree,
it is the same religion, why has the Christian tradition
repudiated circumcision which was a mark of identification?
Kindly tell us why have they rejected this Sunnah?
[Ghamidi] The Christians have described the history of this
in a very excellent manner.
If you read the Book of Acts in the Bible,
you will come across the whole history of circumsicion.
During St. Paul's era, when people from other communities
were called upon to accept Christianity...
Since the followers of Christ belonged to the Jewish tradition,
they were well aware of the fact that Jesus was himself bound to that Law,
which was revealed in the Torah,
one which is in force among the Jews and the followers of Christ were
also obligated to follow that Shariah,.
But they made a mistake when they started calling other nations towards Christianity
The error was that instead of enforcing or advising future generations
to perform circumcision, several Christians forced the older adults
among the new communities to perform circumcision.
There was a reaction from those nations against forceful circumcision.
It even lead to argumentation and debates.
And from very early on, the Christians decided that
perhaps this commandment was for the Israelites exclusively.
And gradually, St. Paul caused everyone to agree
that this principle applied to the entire Law.
It is not as if the Christians have only repudiated circumcision.
They have rejected Shariah as the whole post-St. Paul.
The issue of circumcision is not a contemporary one.
St. Paul accomplished this task immediately after Jesus (pbuh).
And Christianity post-St. Paul struck off Shariah from the religion.
Shariah was totally separated from religion.
And we criticise them for it. And we also make their mistakes explicit.
[Ilyas] Please explain if there is any specific way for circumcision in Islam?
Can we adopt new scientific procedures in the medical sciences
for circumcision like surgical ones, for instance?
[Ghamidi] No! You can adopt any method you like.
People have come up with these methods earlier as well.
God has just commanded us regarding circumcision.
Nothing more than that...
Everything else depends on the circumstances.
These days doctors do the circumcision procedure, earlier there chiropractors.
In our village barbers used to circumcise as well.
The procedure to be adopt has to do with the common practice
that is prevalent in the society.
New methods of circumcision will be invented and they will be more proficient.
You are aware that major operations are done
while people are totally unconscious.
Therefore, while circumcising your kid you can surely take
the benefits of modern science. There is no harm in it.
[Ilyas] One last question, Ghamidi sb. Please explain if this command about
circumcision is only for men, or do women too have to get circumcised?
Because we have seen in some African countries that girls are made to
circumcise a portion of the labia in childhood.
Is this Sunnah and command only for man or it is for woman as well?
[Ghamidi] Circumcision is only for Man.
Allah continued this practice of circumcision
through the Prophet (pbuh) Sunnah.
In this practice of circumcision we can better understand the law of purification.
Cultural traditions have nothing to do with the religion as such,
they emerge as a result of customs and beliefs.
Translated by Faizan Rashid Edited by Danish Hamid
for Sophist Translations Solutions.