Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars:Female Genital Mutilation: Difference between revisions

Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars:Female Genital Mutilation (view source)

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 {{QuranHadithScholarsIndex}}
-Female Genital Mutilation or the circumcision of women (Arabic: ختان المرأة) is the practice of cutting off part or parts of the outer labia and vulva, including parts or all of the clitoris, of women. The practice is found amongst many cultures in the Middle East and Africa and is more prominent in Africa than in the Arab world or other parts of the Islamic world. The aim and affect of the practice is to lessen the pleasure women get from various sex acts, thus in theory tamping down on their libido and making them more faithful wives. Popular discourse on the matter often paints it as purely a cultural artifact of traditional cultures, with no connection to religion. In point of fact, though, many [[Sahih]] [[Hadith]] exist supporting and even commanding the practice, and numerous fatwas have been issued both supporting and commanding the practice within the Islamic community.
+Female Genital Mutilation or the circumcision of women (Arabic: ختان المرأة) is the practice of cutting off part (or parts) of the outer labia and vulva, including part or all of the clitoris, of women. Female Genital Mutilation also includes the practice of Infibulation, in which the outer labia are pared back and the cut edges stitched together. When this heals it forms a seal that covers both the openings of the vagina and the urethra.
-==Hadith==
+Female Genital Mutilation is found amongst many cultures in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. The aim and effect of the practice is to lessen the pleasure women get from various sex acts, thus in theory tamping down on their libido and making them more faithful wives. Popular discourse on the matter often paints it as purely a cultural artifact of traditional cultures, with no connection to religion. In point of fact, though, many [[Sahih]] [[Hadith]] exist supporting and even commanding the practice, and numerous fatwas have been issued both supporting and commanding the practice within the Islamic community.
+==Hadith: Muhammad==
+This section contains the hadith in which Muhammad pronounces on FGM. All but two use the word ''khitan'' (or variants of it) for 'circumcision'. It is often claimed that ''khitan'' refers only to (male) circumcision. But several of the following hadith refer unambiguously to women or girls undergoing ''khitan''.
 ===The fitrah is five things, including circumcision===
 Note that the rule of hadith dictate that if it is not mentioned specifically or if the pronouns do not point to a certain gender, then the hadith is valid for both sexes. Hence, the following hadiths are applicable for both men and women.
 {{Quote|Bukhari 5891; Muslim 527|Abu Hurayrah said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “The fitrah is five things – or '''five things are part of the fitrah – circumcision''', shaving the pubes, trimming the moustache, cutting the nails and plucking the armpit hairs.”}}
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 {{Quote|{{Muslim|3|684}}|Abu Musa reported: There cropped up a difference of opinion between a group of Muhajirs (Emigrants and a group of Ansar (Helpers) (and the point of dispute was) that the Ansar said: The bath (because of sexual intercourse) becomes obligatory only-when the semen spurts out or ejaculates. But the Muhajirs said: When a man has sexual intercourse (with the woman), a bath becomes obligatory (no matter whether or not there is seminal emission or ejaculation). Abu Musa said: Well, I satisfy you on this (issue). He (Abu Musa, the narrator) said: I got up (and went) to 'A'isha and sought her permission and it was granted, and I said to her: 0 Mother, or Mother of the Faithful, I want to ask you about a matter on which I feel shy. She said: Don't feel shy of asking me about a thing which you can ask your mother, who gave you birth, for I am too your mother. Upon this I said: What makes a bath obligatory for a person? She replied: You have come across one well informed! The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: When anyone sits amidst four parts (of the woman) '''and the ''circumcised parts'' touch each other''' a bath becomes obligatory.}}
+==Other Evidence in the Hadith==
+The following three hadith touch on FGM. However they do not involve Muhammad and therefore have less doctrinal authority than the hadith in the previous section. However, they offer useful historical, anthropolical and linguistic evidence.
+===One Who Circumcises Other Ladies===
+{{Quote|Bukhari 64:17|“[…] I went out with the people for the battle. When the army aligned for the fight, Siba’ came out and said, ‘Is there any (Muslim) to accept my challenge to a duel?’ Hamza bin `Abdul Muttalib came out and said, ‘O Siba’. O Ibn Um Anmar, '''the one who circumcises other ladies!''' Do you challenge Allah and His Apostle?’ […]”}}
+This hadith includes an exchange of insults prior to the [[Battle of Uhud|battle of Uhud]]. Hamza, a companion of Muhammad, taunts Siba', a warrior from Muhammad's native tribe - the Meccan Banu Quraysh. Hamza compares Siba' to a notorious 'circumciser' of girls - Ibn Um Anmar. Hamza uses the phrase '''muqteh al-basr‘'' – ‘one who cuts clitorises' - rather than the usual ''khitan''.
+From this we can deduce that clitoridectomy was practiced by the Banu Qaraysh. The fact that a ''<nowiki/>'circumciser of [...] ladies''' could be famous (or notorious) also suggests that it was an established practice with the Meccan Quraysh. Furthermore, the taunt could only be effective if it humiliated Siba' in the eyes of both his fellow Meccan warriors and his Muslim foe. This implies that members of both camps had knowledge of the practice and a shared culture of clitoridectomy.
+The following two hadiths come from Al-Adab Al-Mufrad. This is a collection of hadith about the manners of Muhammad and his companions, compiled by the Islamic scholar [[al-Bukhari]]. It contains 1,322 hadiths, most of which focus on Muhammad's companions rather than Muhammad himself. Al-Bukhari's evaluation of the hadiths within ''al-Adab al-Mufrad'' was not as rigorous as for his best-known collection - ''[[Al-Jami' al-Sahih|al-Jami' al-Sahih]]''. However, scholars have ruled most of the hadith in the collection s as being ''sahih'' (authentic) or ''hasan'' (sound).
+===Someone to Amuse Them===
+{{Quote|Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 53:1247|“Umm ‘Alqama related that when '''the daughters of ‘A’isha’s brother were circumcised''', ‘A’isha was asked, “Shall we call someone to amuse them?” “Yes,” she replied. ‘Adi was sent for and he came to them. ‘A’isha passed by the room and saw him singing and shaking his head in rapture – and he had a large head of hair. ‘Uff!’ she exclaimed, ‘A shaytan! Get him out! Get him out!'””}}The word used for 'circumcised' uses the root ''khitan.''
+===Go and Circumcise Them and Purify Them===
+{{Quote|Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 53:1245|An old woman from Kufa, the grandmother of 'Ali ibn Ghurab, reported that Umm al-Muhajir said, "I was captured with some girls from Byzantium. 'Uthman offered us Islam, but only myself and one other girl accepted Islam. 'Uthman said, ''''Go and circumcise them and purify them'''.'"}}
+Note that in this hadith [[Uthman ibn Affan|Uthman]], one of Muhammad's closest companions, appears to be treating 'circumcision' as part of the initiation ritual for females newly-converted to Islam. The word used for 'circumcise' in this hadith is ''khaffad'', not ''khitan''. ''Khaffad'' translates as 'trim them' or 'reduce them'.
+The 'circumcision' in the above two hadiths is being performed openly and in an unembarrassed manner - and by Muhammad's favourite wife (Aisha) and by one of his closest companions (Uthman). It seems unlikely that Muhammad's closest companions would engage in 'circumcision' against Muhammad's wishes.
+==Qur'an==
+There is no explicit reference to Female Genital Mutilation in the Qur'an.
+However, the following Quranic verse requires Muslims to ''<nowiki/>'adhere to the fitrah'''. This is the word's only appearance in the Qur'an, and it is left unexplained. To know what ''fitrah'' means we must turn to the hadith.
+{{Quote|{{Quran|30|30}}|So direct your face toward the religion, inclining to truth. '''[Adhere to] the fitrah''' (فطرة or فطرت) of Allah upon which He has created (فطر) [all] people. No change should there be in the creation of Allah . That is the correct religion, but most of the people do not know.}}Several hadith use the word 'fitrah'. The hadith which gives the clearest explanation is the one mentioned above ('The fitrah is five things, including circumcision'), which uses the Arabic word ''khitan'' for 'circumcision'. The other hadith above demonstrate that '<nowiki/>''khitan''' originally referred to Female Genital Mutilation as well as (male) circumcision.
+Thus, in requiring Muslims to ''<nowiki/>'adhere to the fitrah''' the Qur'an indirectly advocates FGM.
 ==Scholars==
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 *[[Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars:Violence Against Women|Violence Against Women]]
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