Circumcision in the Muslim Community
1. Introduction:
New-born Circumcision, called Khitan or Khatna in Islam, is a commonly accepted practice greatly influenced by cultural and religious customs. It is the most frequent operation on males.
Prophet Sunnah:
This practice is recognised by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
Therefore, circumcision acquired the status of Sunnah (Prophet’s tradition), although the tradition is recognised by the Prophet Abraham. Allah ordered Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to follow the religion of Abraham (pbuh). Allah says, “Then we inspired you: ‘Follow the religion of your father Abraham, the upright in Faith.’ (Qur’an 16:123)”; and, thus, part of the religion of Abraham is circumcision.
The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) reported in validated books—Bukhari and Muslim—that “the Prophet Abraham circumcised himself when he was eighty years old.”
2. Male circumcision is part of the cleanliness called fitRah (in Arabic).
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: “Five are the acts to fulfil cleanliness called fitrah: Circumcision (Khatna, Khitan), shaving or clipping the hair at the pubes, cutting off the nails, shaving the hair under the armpits, and clipping (or cutting) the moustache.” cited in books of Muslim and Bukhari.
In Arabic, the act of circumcision is referred to as Taharah, which translates to righteousness, purity, or cleanliness.
Furthermore, the performance of circumcision as recommended in Islam is medically beneficial and reflects the insight of the Islamic accounts.
3. Age of circumcision:
The Prophet Muhammad recommended performing circumcision at an early age. During the time of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), circumcision was done for male children at the time of their Aqiqah (conventional celebration for the birth of a child, which involves the sacrifice of an animal in greatness to Allah). The Prophet (pbuh) performed the Aqiqah of al-Hasan and al-Hussein (the prophet’s grand-sons) and circumcised them on the seventh day, as narrated in al-Bayhaqi and Tabarani. If it is essential, circumcision can be delayed due to medical reasons. Our annual audits showed that the ideal age of newborn circumcision is under 4 weeks age.
The widespread practice in modern-day Egypt and Saudi Arabia, as well as the majority of the Muslim world, is that male children born in hospitals are circumcised before discharge from the hospital. In Saudi Arabia, well male babies are circumcised on day 3 of their life.
4. Male Circumcision in the Islamic community in the UK
Sunnah of circumcision represents an accepted basis for the origin of religious law.
We recommend we should circumcise all males healthy newborns within 4 weeks of life to get the best results and minimum complications unless there are medical reasons not to have circumcision
5. Medical benefits of circumcision
The higher prevalence of Urinary tract infections in uncircumcised boys under 1-year old boys has been well-documented in many studies.
A study on sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV that examined 26 research articles (from the USA, UK, Australia, Africa, India, and Peru) found circumcision safeguarded against these diseases, and the incidence is lower in circumcised men. Medical reports have proven that lack of circumcision increases the risk of inflammation of the glans (balanitis) and foreskin (posthitis) due to tight foreskin (phimosis). In boys, the incidence of balanitis in the uncircumcised is twice as high as in those who are circumcised in the early stage.
In summary, circumcision was recommended by the last Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in Islam and also had clear medical advantages.
Clinic Location:
Leyton Healthcare, 4th Floor,
Oliver Raod Polyclinic,
Leyton, London E10 5LG
Modified Dates 25/01/2025
Ref: Surgical guide for circumcision 2012: DOI 10.1007/978-1-4471-2858-8
