has preferred some of the children of Adam over others in their provision, in the perfection of character and courtesy; He has likewise favored certain people above others in knowledge, physical strength, intellect, and so forth. Allah—exalted is He—bestows His bounty upon whom He wills.

This ḥadīth is proof that, after mankind emerges from their graves barefoot, naked, and uncircumcised, they will then be clothed. How will they be clothed? Allah alone knows. There will be no tailors and no garments cut and sewn; Allah knows best how it will take place. The One who created them is the One who will clothe them. God willing, the remainder of the commentary on this ḥadīth will come later.

The ḥadīth also hints at circumcision in the Prophet’s phrase “ghurlan” (uncircumcised). The term aghral refers to the person whose foreskin still covers the glans, that is, someone who has not been circumcised. Scholars have differed over whether circumcision is obligatory. Some have said that it is compulsory for both males and females, and that a girl should be circumcised just as a boy is.

Others have held that circumcision is not obligatory for either men or women; rather, it is one of the recommended elements of the fitrah (innate disposition), not one of its compulsory aspects.

A third group has adopted a middle course, stating that circumcision is obligatory for males and sunnah for females. This is the most balanced and just opinion, for circumcision is indeed mandatory for men: if the foreskin remains over the glans it will collect urine, causing impurity and possibly leading to inflammations between the foreskin and the glans, thereby harming the individual. The correct view, therefore, is that circumcision is obligatory for males and sunnah for females; this is the fairest position.