At what age should a child be circumcised?

Circumcision is a ritual in Islam and in Kazakh tradition, performed by removing the foreskin covering the male child's genitalia. In Arabic, it is called «әл-хитан», and in medical terms, "circumcision".

Medical professionals point out that this procedure is beneficial for health and helps prevent many diseases that can be transmitted through the genitals. In our Sharia, circumcising a boy is a Sunnah of our Prophet (ﷺ).

In a hadith, circumcision is mentioned as one of the five acts of fitrah (natural disposition). Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

“Five things are part of the natural disposition: circumcision, removing pubic and underarm hair, cutting the nails, and trimming the mustache.” (Bukhari, Muslim).

In our culture, boys are usually circumcised at odd ages, such as three, five, or seven. However, Sharia does not specify an exact age for circumcision. Some scholars, based on the hadith that the Prophet (ﷺ) circumcised his grandsons Hasan and Husayn on the seventh day after their birth, consider it mustahabb (recommended) to circumcise at this time. This is because it is easier for the child and the wound heals faster.

The prominent Hanafi scholar Ibn Abidin, in his work “Hashiyah”, wrote: “Imam Abu Hanifa did not specify a particular time for circumcision in Sharia, since there is no explicit evidence. Some later Hanafi scholars considered it appropriate to circumcise between the ages of seven and twelve. By the age of seven, a child can eat and dress independently. Also, it is mustahabb to encourage a child of this age to pray.”

Many Hanafi scholars, in the book “Bahr ar-Raiq”, stated that there is no fixed time for circumcision; it can be performed any time from when the child is able to tolerate it until puberty. If the child is weak and cannot handle circumcision, it can be postponed. If a child is born already circumcised, there is no need to circumcise again. If, for any reason, circumcision was not done before puberty, it should be done as soon as possible.

In summary, it is best not to delay circumcision beyond puberty. Since Sharia does not specify an exact time, the child's ability to tolerate the procedure should be considered. As circumcision is also a health-related matter, parents should consult medical professionals to determine the best time for their child.

Medet Kurmashuly,

“Iman” magazine, No.3, 2023