Islam
Allah tells us that he has created human beings perfectly.
In numerous verses of the Qur’an, Allah tells us that he has created everything, including human beings in the most perfect form. In the following verse, Allah explicitly states this with regards to the human creation. “We have indeed created man in the best of moulds.” (Qur’an 95:4) This means when a baby leaves the mother’s womb, he or she is in the most perfect shape down to the finest detail. Nothing needs alteration.
Prophet Ibrahim – The Qur’an deals extensively with Prophet Ibrahim, yet it says nothing of him being circumcised or being commanded to do so. Rather it was his faith in Allah and devotion to him which is stressed throughout the Qur’an and which is to be followed. The Qur’an deals with Prophet Ibrahim’s construction of the Kaba and other matters, but does not say he was told to cut off a part of his genitals.1 Nowhere in the Qur’an does it mention a requirement of circumcision.
The main reason given for Islamic circumcision is (ritual) cleanliness, however there is no more reason for the male genitalia to be ritually unclean than the female.
Male circumcision is not compulsory:
According to the Maliki madhab, the circumcision of a male is a highly recommended act (sunna), but it is not an obligation (wajib), the ruling is the same whether the male is a child or an adult. There is ample evidence provided that male circumcision itself (not just the way it is done) is harmful to the health of the male child. It is painful, risky, often deforming, sexually diminishing and confers no health benefits.
Another reason given is “to be like Muhammad, who was born circumcised.” This can easily be refuted: if the Prophet was born without a foreskin (aposthetic), he was not circumcised, and that is the way to be like him.
Like Judaism, Islam forbids disfiguring the body. “A body, be it dead or alive, should be respected, it cannot be disfigured at any stage”, as stated by the Jamiatul Ulama, a council of Muslim theologians. It is hard to reconcile this respect with deliberately cutting any part off a baby’s genitals.
Reverts are not required to be circumcised – Some interesting fatawa which explain the matter distinctly and wisely – masha’Allah:
“While circumcision is an incumbent religious duty in Islam, it is not a condition for being a Muslim, given that it doesn’t affect the validity of his prayer or your marriage.”
“In any case, it (circumcision) is not a condition for the validity of a person’s profession of accepting the Islamic faith or the performance of his religious duties.
Sunni Forum – From Suhaib Jobst:
We believe there can be open debate on this subject, there can be a flow of knowledge and debate which may originate in the Islamic communities in the West but ultimately lead to positive results in the Islamic world.
There is a growing movement that opposes Female Genital Mutilation, based on a re-evaluation of Islamic religious evidences. This is because they recognize it was a cultural practice which was falsely justified under the guise of religion, so why not open up the dialogue on circumcision across the board.
Muslims are agreed that it is not obligatory to circumcise even though it is deeply ingrained in most Islamic cultures. Verses of the Qur’an indicate that there is no compulsion in the Deen. So how can the practice of coercive circumcision be justified? As it is not compulsory, should it not be left up to the individual when they reach the age of consent? Even recommended or Sunna practices are not forced upon the individual, but rather left for them to choose whether to implement them or not. Faith must be sincere and voluntary, otherwise it is coercive and therefore false. It is a well-known fact that circumcision is not even mentioned in the Qur’an, which is a divine book from which nothing has been left out, so why do so many make it an issue.
Muslim advocates of circumcision refer to the hadith:
Five practices are characteristics of the Fitra; Circumcision, shaving the pubic region, cutting moustaches short, clipping the nails and depilating the hair of the armpits. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Book#72, Hadith#779)
These acts are recommended but not necessarily obligatory of the role of Fitra under Islamic law. In other versions of acts of the Fitra, circumcision is not even mentioned. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Adab al-Mufrad) and (Sahih Muslim, Book#2, hadith#502. Also reported by Ahmad, al-Nasa’I, and at-Tirmidhi)2
Is circumcision necessary for cleanliness and preventing disease?
One of the arguments put forward is that circumcision is done for cleanliness; however it is simple, basic hygiene practice in the shower for men to keep clean. It takes no extra time or effort to clean a penis with foreskin than it does to clean a circumcised penis. Hygiene is part of living and amputation is not a solution.
Many think that circumcision is necessary to prevent or reduce the incidence of diseases. This is not true, 80% of the world’s male population is intact and there is no outbreak of disease in these areas. Circumcised men are just as at risk of STDs/HIV if they have unsafe sexual practices.
Satan’s firm pledge to change Allah’s creation:
Satan pledges to make mankind remove body parts that Allah has created, as quoted in the following verse of the Qur’an.
“(Satan said) ‘I will lead them (mankind) astray and fill them with false hopes. I will command them and they will cut off cattle’s ears. I will command them and they will change Allah’s creation”. (Qur’an 4:119-120)
Satan’s goal is to make people change what Allah originally creates, it is not limited to cutting off cattle’s ears but includes all things Allah creates, including a baby’s penis.
Circumcision harms both men and women:
The intact penis is specifically designed in mind to function with an intact vagina by Allah – like two halves of a perfect whole. As soon as it is altered, it is incapable of performing its job to its designed performance. Circumcision, contrary to the belief that it is a “small snip”, is a significant anatomical alteration to the penis and is a sexual disability, depriving people of pure pleasures and comfort of natural sex Allah gifted believers to enjoy. We already deduced from our understanding of the Qur’an, that Allah created human beings in the best form and that only Satan inspires people to alter it, inspiring in them false hopes.3
References
1, 3 http://www.quranicpath.com/misconceptions/circumcision.html