The Health and Religious Benefits of Circumcision - islamqa.com

The Health and Religious Benefits of Circumcision

Question: I do not follow any religion, but I am curious why Jews and Muslims consider circumcision mandatory. It seems to me that Muslims view every human as a perfect creation of God. So why question this perfection by altering God’s creation? I am aware of the hygiene considerations, of course, but I sincerely hope to receive a detailed response to my question. Thank you for your kind consideration in answering.

Answer: Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:

A Muslim carries out the commands of Allah, which is the essence and requirement of Islam—complete submission and obedience to Allah’s orders, whether the wisdom behind them is apparent or not. This is because the One who commands, Allah Almighty, is the All-Knowing, All-Aware Creator who created humanity and knows what benefits and suits them. Circumcision is among the religious rulings that a Muslim follows willingly, with submission, love for Allah, and in pursuit of His reward. A Muslim firmly believes that Allah does not command anything except that it contains wisdom and benefits the servant, whether the servant understands that wisdom or not. Since you, the earnest inquirer, have asked about the health benefits of circumcision, we will outline some of its religious and health benefits in response to your request. This is to strengthen the faith of believers in this ruling and to demonstrate to non-Muslims an aspect of the greatness of this Islamic law, which seeks to promote benefits and prevent harm.

First: Religious Benefits

Circumcision is among the noble practices legislated by Allah, glorified and exalted, for His servants, enhancing both their outward and inward virtues. It perfects the natural disposition (fitrah) upon which Allah created them. This is why it is an integral part of the upright religion of Abraham (Hanifiyyah). The origin of circumcision’s legitimacy lies in completing this upright religion. When Allah made a covenant with Abraham, He promised to make him a leader for humanity, a father of many nations, with prophets and kings descending from him, and to multiply his progeny. Allah informed him that the sign of this covenant would be that every male born among them should be circumcised, making it a distinguishing mark on their bodies. Thus, circumcision is a sign of entering the religion of Abraham. This aligns with the interpretation of some scholars who understand the verse: “The baptism of Allah, and who is better than Allah in baptizing? And we are His worshippers” (Al-Baqarah 2:138) to refer to circumcision. For the followers of the upright religion, circumcision is akin to the baptism or christening practiced by the followers of the cross, who claim to purify their children by baptizing them in water, declaring them Christians. Allah, glorified and exalted, has legislated for the followers of the upright religion the “baptism” of Hanifiyyah, with circumcision as its distinguishing mark, as stated in the verse: “The baptism of Allah, and who is better than Allah in baptizing? And we are His worshippers” (Al-Baqarah 2:138).

Thus, Allah made circumcision a sign for those affiliated with His religion and way, linked to servitude and the upright religion.

In essence, the “baptism of Allah” is the Hanifiyyah that colors hearts with knowledge, love, and sincerity to Allah, worshipping Him alone without partners. It also adorns bodies with the characteristics of the natural disposition (fitrah), including circumcision, shaving pubic hair, trimming the mustache, clipping nails, plucking underarm hair, rinsing the mouth, cleaning the nose, using the siwak (tooth-stick), and cleansing after relieving oneself. Thus, Allah’s natural disposition is reflected in the hearts and bodies of the followers of the upright religion.

(Tuhfat al-Mawdud bi-Ahkam al-Mawlud by Ibn al-Qayyim, p. 351)

It is not a condition that an infant remain unchanged from the state at birth if what is done to them is in their best interest and aligns with the commands of the upright religion. This includes shaving the infant’s head after birth, as it benefits them. The Prophet of Islam (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Remove harm from him.” Similarly, washing the newborn to remove blood, cutting the umbilical cord that connected them to their mother, and other beneficial procedures are performed.

Second: Health Benefits

Dr. Muhammad Ali Al-Bar (Member of the Royal Colleges of Physicians, UK, and Consultant at the Islamic Medicine Department, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah) states in his book Circumcision:

“Circumcision of newborns (within the first month of life) provides numerous health benefits, including:

1. Prevention of Local Penile Infections: These result from the presence of the foreskin, known as phimosis, which can cause urinary retention and infections of the glans penis. These conditions often necessitate circumcision for treatment. If left untreated, they can expose the child to various diseases in the future, the most serious being penile cancer.

2. Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs): Numerous studies have shown that uncircumcised children face a significantly higher risk of UTIs. Some studies report a 39-fold increase compared to circumcised children, while others indicate a tenfold increase. Additional research shows that 95% of children with UTIs are uncircumcised, while only 5% are circumcised. UTIs in children can be dangerous; in a study by Wiswell on 88 children with UTIs, 36% had the same pathogenic bacteria in their bloodstream, three developed meningitis, two suffered kidney failure, and two died due to the spread of pathogenic microbes.

3. Prevention of Penile Cancer: Studies unanimously agree that penile cancer is virtually nonexistent among circumcised individuals, while its incidence among the uncircumcised is not negligible. In the United States, the rate of penile cancer among circumcised individuals is zero, compared to 2.2 per 100,000 among the uncircumcised. Since most of the U.S. population is circumcised, penile cancer cases range from 750 to 1,000 annually. If the population were uncircumcised, this number could triple to 3,000 cases. In countries where circumcision is not practiced, such as China, Uganda, and Puerto Rico, penile cancer accounts for 12–22% of all cancers affecting men—a significantly high rate.

4. Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs): Researchers have found that STDs, often contracted through illicit sexual activities (e.g., adultery or sodomy), are more prevalent and severe among the uncircumcised, including herpes, chancroid, syphilis, candidiasis, gonorrhea, and genital warts. Recent studies also confirm that circumcision significantly reduces the likelihood of HIV infection compared to uncircumcised individuals. However, circumcision does not provide complete protection against HIV if an individual engages in sexual contact with an infected person. The only effective way to prevent these numerous STDs is to avoid illicit behaviors such as adultery, homosexuality, and other immoral acts. This highlights the wisdom of Islamic law in prohibiting such practices.

5. Protection Against Cervical Cancer in Women: Researchers have noted that the wives of circumcised men are less likely to develop cervical cancer compared to the wives of uncircumcised men.”

(Excerpted from Circumcision by Dr. Muhammad Al-Bar, p. 76)

For further reference, see the article by Professor Wiswell, published in *The American Family Physician Journal*, Issue 41, 1991.

And Allah knows best.