Why Islam Prescribed Circumcision: Modern Medicine Confirms the Sunnah
Circumcision: A Legislative and Medical Miracle in the Final Message
This article discusses circumcision as one of the legislative and medical miracles in the final message, with reference to the hadith of the Prophet ﷺ and modern medical discussion around the health benefits of male circumcision.
Table of Contents
- Circumcision in the Sunnah
- Modern Medical Discussion
- The Brian Morris Study
- Circumcision Compared to Vaccination
- The Study Found that Circumcision of Children Should Be Treated Equally with the Issue of Vaccinations and Immunizations that Children Receive, and Should Become a Routine Offer to Parents Regardless of Their Ethnic Origins
- Protection from Urinary Tract Infections
- Important Correction
- References
Circumcision in the Sunnah
Circumcision… is one of the legislative and medical miracles in the final message.
The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim.
Modern Medical Discussion
Professor Brian Morris, who conducted the academic study, said that the health benefits of male circumcision outweigh the risks by a hundredfold.
The study, conducted by a joint medical team from the United States and Australia, found that half of men who are not circumcised suffer from poor health conditions during their lives.
The percentage of male newborns who are circumcised in the United States was 83% in the 1960s, but this percentage has decreased to 77% today.
Morris, who works at the University of Sydney in Australia, said:
“There are two reasons for the decline in the rate of circumcision among newborns. The first is demographic changes and the increase in the percentage of ethnicities that do not practice circumcision in the United States. The other reason is the absence of medical assistance for the poor in 18 American states, as the rate of circumcision in these poor states is about 24%.”
The Brian Morris Study
Circumcision Rates in the United States: Rising or Falling? What Effect Might the New Affirmative Pediatric Policy Statement Have?
By Brian J. Morris, Stefan A. Bailis, and Thomas E. Wiswell.
The study argues that a risk-benefit analysis of conditions neonatal circumcision protects against shows that the benefits exceed the risks by at least 100 to 1, and that over their lifetime, many uncircumcised males may require treatment for a medical condition associated with retention of the foreskin.
Circumcision Compared to Vaccination
The Study Found that Circumcision of Children Should Be Treated Equally with the Issue of Vaccinations and Immunizations that Children Receive, and Should Become a Routine Offer to Parents Regardless of Their Ethnic Origins
Morris added that circumcision of children should be treated similarly to vaccinations and immunizations that children receive, and that it should become a routine offer to parents regardless of their ethnic origins.
He continued:
“Delaying this puts the health of children at risk.”
Protection from Urinary Tract Infections
Morris noted that the biggest and most important benefit of circumcision is:
“Protection from urinary tract infections that can cause damage to the kidneys.”
Modern medical sources commonly mention several possible health benefits of male circumcision, including easier hygiene, lower risk of urinary tract infections, lower risk of some sexually transmitted infections including HIV, prevention of some penile problems such as phimosis, and lower risk of penile cancer.
Important Correction
That is weak wording and medically imprecise.
The stronger and more accurate wording is:
“The Morris study argued that the overall health benefits of neonatal male circumcision exceed the risks by at least 100 to 1.”
Also, do not overstate the comparison with vaccination. Some medical sources and researchers support the comparison, especially in public-health contexts, but it is debated. The safest argument is that circumcision has documented medical benefits and is recommended or supported by some medical authorities in specific contexts, especially regarding HIV prevention and reduced urinary tract infection risk.
The Islamic legislation of circumcision is not an isolated ritual practice. It is connected to cleanliness, fitrah, and bodily health. Modern medical literature has repeatedly discussed circumcision in relation to reduced risks of urinary tract infections, some sexually transmitted infections, phimosis, penile cancer, and HIV transmission in high-risk regions.
References
https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(14)00036-6/fulltext