it is a strongly enjoined practice for Muslims, as the imams unanimously agree. It is obligatory according to al-Shāfiʿī and, according to the well-known position reported from him, Ahmad. Abraham, the close friend of Allah—peace be upon him—was circumcised after the age of eighty. Trustworthy physicians should be consulted to assess the risk of harm. If circumcision would harm him in summer, he should postpone it until autumn. And Allah knows best.

He was asked about women:
“Should a woman be circumcised or not?”

He replied:
Praise be to Allah. Yes, she should be circumcised. Her circumcision consists of cutting off the upper part of the skin that resembles a rooster’s comb. The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said to the woman who performed circumcision:

“Cut only a little, and do not cut excessively, for that makes the face more radiant and makes her more pleasing to her husband.”

This means: do not cut excessively. The purpose of male circumcision is to cleanse him of the impurity trapped beneath the foreskin, whereas the purpose of female circumcision is to moderate her sexual desire. For if she is uncircumcised, she is sexually excitable and has intense desire.

Hence the insult, “You son of an uncircumcised woman!” For an uncircumcised woman is more drawn to men. This is why forms of sexual immorality are found among Tatar and Frankish women that are not found among Muslim women. If the circumcision is excessive, sexual desire is weakened, and the man’s aim is not fully realized. When the cutting is done without excess, the intended purpose is achieved in moderation. And Allah knows best.