Husband wants his wife to undergo circumcision

31-1-2006 | IslamWeb

Question:

If a husband wants his wife to have a circumcision does she have to obey him? Or does she have the right to refuse because it should be her choice to decide what she does to her body?

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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. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

 

The Hanbali jurists stated that the husband has the right to oblige his wife to carry out a circumcision. Therefore, the wife is obliged to obey her husband if he orders her to carry out a circumcision provided she is not harmed by doing so, as he may achieve some benefits in her undergoing a circumcision.  However, if she is harmed, she is not obliged to obey him in this. If she undergoes a circumcision, this may lead to good marital relationships between the spouses; hence the wife would gain his love and affection. Nonetheless, it should be noted that you are only obliged to obey him if he orders you to carry out a permissible circumcision which the Prophet ordered Um 'Atiyyah to carry out as he told her: "Carry out a reasonable circumcision without harming yourself, as this makes a woman tender and enjoyable and more desired by the husband." [Abu Daawood] As regards the circumcision in which the clitoris could be eradicated, it is an illegal circumcision and it is not permissible for the wife to obey her husband in this.

Allaah Knows best.