How soon can circumcision be done after birth?

Published as When Circumcision Must Be Done

· 15 Safar 1446 AH1 min readEnglish

Question

How soon can circumcision be done after birth?

Answer

There are various views in regards to when should circumcision be precisely carried out. Some jurists have stated when a child reaches the age of 7, whilst others have stated that on reaching maturity. There are those that have said that it should be carried out at the age of 12 whilst others have stipulated the age of 9 and 10, etc.

However, the view closest to Fiqh is that when a child is able to endure the pain of circumcision then he may be circumcised otherwise not. In our time, the procedure is quite straight forward and can be endured by infants thus it is best to have it done as quick as possible.

References (Arabic / Urdu sources)

قال رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ ( وَوَقْتُهُ سَبْعُ سِنِينَ ) أَيْ وَقْتُ الْخِتَانِ سَبْعُ سِنِينَ وَقِيلَ لَا يُخْتَنُ حتى يَبْلُغَ لِأَنَّ الْخِتَانَ لِلطَّهَارَةِ وَلَا طَهَارَةَ عَليهِ قَبْلَهُ فَكَانَ ايلاما قَبْلَهُ مِن غَيْرِ حَاجَةٍ وَقِيلَ أَقْصَاهُ اثْنَا عَشَرَ سَنَةً وَقِيلَ تِسْعُ سِنِينَ وَقِيلَ وَقْتُهُ عَشْرُ سِنِينَ لِأَنَّهُ يُؤْمَرُ بِالصَّلَاةِ إِذَا بَلَغَ عَشْرًا اعْتِيَادًا أو ( ( ( وتخلقا ) ) ) تخلفا فَيَحْتَاجُ إِلَى الْخِتَانِ لِأَنَّهُ شُرِعَ لِلطَّهَارَةِ وَقِيلَ إِنْ كَان قَوِيًّا يُطِيقُ أَلَمَ الْخِتَانِ يُخْتَنُ وَإِلَّا فَلَا وهو

أَشْبَهُ بِالْفِقْهِ وقال أبو حَنِيفَةَ لَا عِلْمَ لي بِوَقْتِهِ ولم يُرْوَ عن أبي يُوسُفَ وَمُحَمَّدٍ فيه شَيْءٌ وأَن الْمَشَايِخَ اخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ

البحر الرائق شرح کنز الدقائق ج:8، ص:553، ط: دار الکتاب الإسلامی

Approved by
Mufti Muhammed Saeed Motara Saheb D.B.
Questions about this ruling, answered only from the archive with sources.

Where scholars differ, it’s safer to take the more cautious view.

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