Critical Assessment of the Status of Female Circumcision within the Tradition of Islam

The practice of female circumcision started in ancient Egypt and spread to other parts of the world. It was imbued in the cultures of different communities long before the coming of Islam. Female circumcision is carried out for reasons bordering on religion, hygiene, sexuality, and mental health. This paper employs qualitative research design, and assessed scholars’ views on female circumcision. It tests the strength of scriptural evidence provided by scholars of Fiqh (Islamic law) on the religious status of female circumcision. Two major views were identified, one states that circumcision is not obligatory, and the other stating its obligation. However, there is no reference to circumcision in the Qur’an, the Hadith in which the practice is mentioned do not imply its obligation. Thus, verses of the Qur’an employed in proving the obligation of the practice are taken out of context, while Hadith implying its obligation are weak. Reliable Hadith on the subject list it among some Sunnah (commendable) practices. This shows that the Qur’an and Hadith did not prescribe the obligation of female circumcision, or make it an important requirement of the religion. There is no scriptural evidence proving that omitting female circumcision amounts to committing sinful act.