Female Genital Mutilation in Islamic Law: Difference between revisions

{{anchor|hadith}}FGM is mentioned (at least) [[Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars:Female Genital Mutilation|seven times in the Hadith]]. Four report Muhammad approving of FGM and two report [[Sahabah]] (Muhammad's companions) participating in FGM. The remaining hadith has little import doctrinally, but is of linguistic, historical and sociological interest.

===Hadith: Muhammad and FGM===

====The fitrah is five things, including circumcision====

Hadith methodology dictates that if it is not mentioned specifically or if the pronouns do not point to a certain gender, then the hadith is valid for both sexes (either directly or by analogy, or ''qiyas'', in the case of women). Hence, the following hadith is applicable for both men and women.{{Quote|{{Bukhari|7|72|777}}; See also {{Muslim|2|495}}|Abu Hurayrah said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “The fitrah is five things – or '''five things are part of the fitrah – circumcision''', shaving the pubes, trimming the moustache, cutting the nails and plucking the armpit hairs.”}}

{{Quote|Ahmad Ibn Hanbal 5:75; Abu Dawud, Adab 167.|Abu al- Malih ibn `Usama's father relates that the Prophet said: "'''Circumcision is a law for men and a preservation of honour for women'''."}}

====Do not cut "severely"====

Note that the judgement concerning what is severe is relative.{{Quote|{{Abu Dawud|41|5251}}|Narrated Umm Atiyyah al-Ansariyyah: A woman used to perform circumcision in Medina. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to her: '''Do not cut ''severely''''' as that is better for a woman and more desirable for a husband.}}

{{Quote|{{Muslim|3|684}}; see also {{Bukhari|1|5|289}}|Abu Musa reported: There cropped up a difference of opinion between a group of Muhajirs (Emigrants and a group of Ansar (Helpers) (and the point of dispute was) that the Ansar said: The bath (because of sexual intercourse) becomes obligatory only-when the semen spurts out or ejaculates. But the Muhajirs said: When a man has sexual intercourse (with the woman), a bath becomes obligatory (no matter whether or not there is seminal emission or ejaculation). Abu Musa said: Well, I satisfy you on this (issue). He (Abu Musa, the narrator) said: I got up (and went) to 'A'isha and sought her permission and it was granted, and I said to her: 0 Mother, or Mother of the Faithful, I want to ask you about a matter on which I feel shy. She said: Don't feel shy of asking me about a thing which you can ask your mother, who gave you birth, for I am too your mother. Upon this I said: What makes a bath obligatory for a person? She replied: You have come across one well informed! The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: When anyone sits amidst four parts (of the woman) '''and the ''circumcised parts'' touch each other''' a bath becomes obligatory.}}'''''To ''<nowiki/>'sit amidst four parts of a woman''' is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

===Other Evidence in the Hadith===

The following three hadith touch on FGM, but do not involve Muhammad. Because of this they have less doctrinal authority than the hadith in the previous section.

{{anchor|other ladies}}This hadith includes an exchange of insults between Meccan warriors and Muhammad's companions prior to the [[Battle of Uhud|battle of Uhud]]. {{Quote|{{Bukhari|5|59|399}}|“[…] I went out with the people for the battle. When the army aligned for the fight, Siba’ came out and said, ‘Is there any (Muslim) to accept my challenge to a duel?’ Hamza bin `Abdul Muttalib came out and said, ‘O Siba’. O Ibn Um Anmar, '''the one who circumcises other ladies!''' Do you challenge Allah and His Apostle?’ […]”}}

{{Quote|[http://archive.today/2016.08.04-024338/http://sunnah.com/urn/2212030 Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 53:1247]|“Umm ‘Alqama related that when '''the daughters of ‘A’isha’s brother were circumcised''', ‘A’isha was asked, “Shall we call someone to amuse them?” “Yes,” she replied. ‘Adi was sent for and he came to them. ‘A’isha passed by the room and saw him singing and shaking his head in rapture – and he had a large head of hair. ‘Uff!’ she exclaimed, ‘A shaytan! Get him out! Get him out!'””}}

{{Quote|[http://archive.today/2021.04.09-044937/https://sunnah.com/urn/2212010 Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 53:1245]|An old woman from Kufa, the grandmother of 'Ali ibn Ghurab, reported that Umm al-Muhajir said, "I was captured with some girls from Byzantium. 'Uthman offered us Islam, but only myself and one other girl accepted Islam. 'Uthman said, ''''Go and circumcise them and purify them'''.'"}}

''<nowiki/><nowiki/>''{{Quote|{{Quran|30|30}}|So direct your face toward the religion, inclining to truth. '''[Adhere to] the fitrah''' (فطرة or فطرت) of Allah upon which He has created (فطر) [all] people. No change should there be in the creation of Allah . That is the correct religion, but most of the people do not know.}}The word ''<nowiki/>'fitrah''' appears only this once in the Qur'an, and is left undefined and unexplained. To know what 'fitrah means, traditional scholars turn to hadith which make use of the word. The hadith which offers the clearest explanation is one already mentioned in the previous section.{{Quote|{{Bukhari|7|72|777}}; See also {{Muslim|2|495}}|Abu Hurayrah said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “The fitrah is five things – or '''five things are part of the fitrah – circumcision''', shaving the pubes, trimming the moustache, cutting the nails and plucking the armpit hairs.”}}This hadith uses the Arabic word ''khitan'' (ختان) for 'circumcision'.