Circumcision of Women

The following question was posed to Mufti Naseem Ashraf Habibi (South Africa) who in turned requested Allama Mufti Mohammad Akhtar Raza Azhari to provide the answer. Hadrat was at the moment in Johannesburg, South Africa. 

QUESTION: 

What is the Islamic ruling concerning the following question: Is the circumcision of women permissible in Islam?

Mahomed Yunus Abdul Karrim

Durban. South Africa 

THE ANSWER 

The circumcision of women in not Sunnah and neither has it been an emphasized command in Shari'at. It is a tradition in certain of the Arab countries. 

It is stated in the Hadith Shareef that:

"Circumcision is Sunnah for men, and for women it is only better."

It is in "Dur're Mukhtar" that:

"The circumcision of women is not Sunnah, but for the sake of the men, it is something which is better and this statement that it is Sunnah is Da'eef (weak)."

Where the tradition of circumcision for women is not present, it should not be started since this will cause people to laugh at and make a mockery of Shari'at. For further reference, refer to "Fatawa Afriqa" of A'la Hadrat (radi Allahu anhu). 

Almighty Allah knows best. 

Mohammad Akhtar Raza Khan Qadiri Azhari