Why do Muslims circumcise?

Answer 1

Circumcision, though not mentioned in the Qur'an, is practiced among Islamic peoples and is most often considered to be a Sunnah (a holy tradition). The explanation for Muslim circumcision is that it is a sign of Abraham's covenant with God. This is the same explanation that is used in Judaism.

Some Muslim scholars believe circumcision is a requirement. Some others say it is not required. There is even a movement within Islam that opposes circumcision on the basis of the belief that it is a sin to alter the body in any way.

In Muslim countries where it is practiced circumcision usually pre-dates Islam. For instance, there are records of it being common in Egypt as far back as the Sixth Dynasty (2345 - 2181 BC).
Because Gods wanted all descendants of Abraham to be circumcised.

Answer 2

Male circumcision is among the rites of Islam and is part of the (in Arabic): fitrah, or the innate disposition and natural character and instinct of the human creation.

As-Shawkani said in his book Nayl al-Awtar (1/184):

"What the Prophet (s.A.w.) means by Fitrah is that if these characteristics are followed by a man, he would be described as a man of Fitrah, which Allah (s.w.t.) has gifted his servants with, and encouraged them to follow, so that they attain a high degree of respectability and dignity."

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "Five are the acts quite akin to fitrah:Circumcision, clipping or shaving the pubes, cutting the nails, plucking or shaving the hair under the armpits and clipping (or shaving) the moustache." (Reported in Bukhari & Muslim)

Allah ordered Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to follow the religion of Ibrahim (peace be upon him). When Allah says:

"Then We inspired you: 'Follow the religion of Ibrahim, the upright in Faith'."

(Qur'an 16:123)

And part of the religion of Ibrahim is circumcision

Circumcision of newborn boys (I.e., within the first month of life) brings numerous health benefits, including:

1 - Protection against local infection in the penis,which may result from the presence of the foreskin, causing tightening of the foreskin, which may lead to retention of urine or infections of the glans (tip) of the penis - which require circumcision in order to treat these problems. In chronic cases, the child may be exposed to numerous diseases in the future, the most serious of which is cancer of the penis.

2 - Infections of the urethra. Many studies have proven that uncircumcised boys are more exposed to infection of the urethra. In some studies the rate was 39 times more among uncircumcised boys. In other studies the rate was ten times more. Other studies showed that 95% of children who suffered from infections of the urethra were uncircumcised, whereas the rate among circumcised children did not exceed 5%.

In children, infection of the urethra is serious in some cases. In the study by Wisewell on 88 children who suffered infections of the urethra, in 36 % of them, the same bacteria was found in the blood also. Three of them contracted meningitis, and two suffered renal failure. Two others died as a result of the spread of the microorganisms throughout the body.

3 - Protection against cancer of the penis: the studies agree that cancer of the penis is almost non-existent among circumcised men, whereas the rate among uncircumcised men is not insignificant. In the US the rate of penile cancer among circumcised men is zero, whilst among uncircumcised men it is 2.2 in every 100,000 of the uncircumcised population. As most of the inhabitants of the US are circumcised, the cases of this cancer there are between 750 and 1000 per year. If the population were not circumcised, the number of cases would reach 3000. In countries where boys are not circumcised, such as China, Uganda and Puerto Rico, penile cancer represents between 12-22 % of all cancers found in men; this is a very high percentage.

4 - Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Researchers found that the STDs which are transmitted via sexual contact (usually because of fornication/adultery and homosexuality) spread more among those who are not circumcised, especially herpes, soft chancres, syphilis, candida, gonorrhea and genital warts.

There are numerous modern studies which confirm that circumcision reduces the possibility of contracting AIDS when compared to their uncircumcised counterparts. But that does not rule out the possibility of a circumcised man contracting AIDS as the result of sexual contact with a person who has AIDS. Circumcision is not a protection against it, and there is no real way of protecting oneself against the many sexually transmitted diseases apart from avoiding fornication/adultery, promiscuity, homosexuality and other repugnant practices. (From this we can see the wisdom of Islamic sharee'ah in forbidding fornication/adultery and homosexuality).

5 - Protection of wives against cervical cancer. Researchers have noted that the wives of circumcised men have less risk of getting Cervical cancer than the wives of uncircumcised men.

Health Benefits taken from: al-Khitaan, p. 76, by Dr. Muhammad al-Baar.

Answer 3

A non-Muslim view: Most likely, it is a tradition that pre-dates Islam in the Muslim countries and is incorporated in the culture. In hot environments with limited water it can be a hygienic measure.

There is no reason other then cultural for cicumsicion to be done in the case of Muslims. there is no mention of it in muslim religion. It was begun on the instruction of a muslim scholar and can not be shown to be a strict requirement it is no more required then female genital mutilation.

In the case of Christianity particular care is taken to explain why a cristian need not be cicumcised in the New Testament.

Answer 4

to worship allah