Home
Discover Islam
Quran Recitations
Lectures
Fatwa
Articles
Fiqh
E-Books
Women
Boys & Girls 
Enter Question
View By Subject
Fatwa Of The Week
Selected Fatwa
Fatwa CenterThe proper time to circumcise a child
Question
Is it permissible to circumcise new born female child?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
There is no clear text in the Sharee’ah about the timing of circumcision, so this is left for the guardian of the child, whether the child is a male or a female, taking into consideration the condition and benefit of the child. An-Nawawi 
said after mentioning the different views of the jurists about the desirable time to circumcise the child: “Ibn Al-Munthir said: “There is no dislikability confirmed about circumcision, and there is neither a precise time to be considered nor a Sunnah that should be followed; the basis of a thing is permissibility and it is not permissible to prohibit any of them except with evidence.”
Therefore, in principle it is permissible to circumcise a new-born female child, like other male children, unless it is confirmed that doing this while she is still young is harmful to her, in which case harm should be considered as the Prophet said: "There should be neither harm nor reciprocal harm.” [Ahmad and Abu Daawood]
Of course, it is the doctors and specialists who should determine this harm, so if they say that circumcising a new-born female child is harmful to her, or that the benefit is not in circumcising her at this time, then she should not be circumcised until a proper time comes. For more benefit, please refer to Fataawa 82042, 89229 and 93047.
Allaah Knows best.
Search Fatwa
Fatwa Subject
