Circumcision: Origins and Its Place in the Quran
Biblical Reference
The Bible states:
"Every male child among you shall be circumcised... it shall be a sign of the covenant." (Genesis 17:10-11)
Circumcision in the Quran
The Quran does not mention circumcision as a covenant or obligation. It is neither prescribed nor prohibited for believers. Instead, Quranic covenants emphasize worship, moral conduct, and spiritual accountability.
Quranic Covenants
All covenants in the Quran relate to worshipping God alone and living righteously. Examples include:
Covenant of Monotheism
Covenant of Monotheism
أَلَمْ أَعْهَدْ إِلَيْكُمْ يَا بَنِي آدَمَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا الشَّيْطَانَ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ
Alam aʿhad ilaykum yā banī ādama allā taʿbudū ash-shayṭāna innahu lakum ʿaduwwun mubīn
Did I not enjoin upon you, O Children of Adam, that you not worship Satan, for he is to you a clear enemy?
(36:60)
Covenant Against Bloodshed
وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ
Wa lā taqtulū anfusakum
Do not kill yourselves.
(4:29)
Covenant of Accountability
وَإِذْ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِن بَنِي آدَمَ مِن ظُهُورِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ
Wa idh akhadha rabbuka min banī ādama min ẓuhūrihim dhurriyyatahum
And when your Lord brought forth from the Children of Adam, from their backs, their descendants
(7:172)
Covenants with the Children of Israel
In addition to the universal covenants, the Quran mentions specific covenants taken from the Children of Israel:
Worship and Moral Conduct
وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ لَا تَعْبُدُونَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا وَذِي الْقُرْبَى وَالْيَتَامَى وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَقُولُوا لِلنَّاسِ حُسْنًا وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ
Wa idh akhadhnā mīthāqa banī isrāīla lā taʿbudūna illā allāha wa bil-wālidayni iḥsānan wa dhī al-qurbā wa al-yatāmā wa al-masākīna wa qūlū lil-nāsi ḥusnan wa aqīmū al-ṣalāta wa ātū al-zakāta
And when We took the covenant from the Children of Israel: "Worship none but God, and treat your parents kindly, as well as the relatives, the orphans and the needy, and speak kindly to the people, and observe the Salat and give the Zakat."
(2:83)
Transparency with Scripture
وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَاقَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ لَتُبَيِّنُنَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ وَلَا تَكْتُمُونَهُ
Wa idh akhadhā allāhu mīthāqa alladhīna ʾūtū al-kitāba la tubayyinunnahu lil-nāsi wa lā taktumūnahu
(3:187)
Faith and Support for Prophets
وَلَقَدْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَاقَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَبَعَثْنَا مِنْهُمُ اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ نَقِيبًا وَقَالَ اللَّهُ إِنِّي مَعَكُمْ لَئِنْ أَقَمْتُمُ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَيْتُمُ الزَّكَاةَ وَآمَنْتُمْ بِرُسُلِي وَعَزَّرْتُمُوهُمْ وَأَقْرَضْتُمُ اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا
Walaqad akhadhā allāhu mīthāqa banī isrāīla wa baʿathnā minhum ithnay ʿashara naqīban wa qāla allāhu innī maʿakum la in aqamtumu al-ṣalāta wa ātaytumu al-zakāta wa āmantum birusulī wa ʿazzartumūhum wa aqraḍtum allāha qarḍan ḥasanan
(5:12)
While these covenants emphasize worship and righteousness, circumcision is not included.
The Quran also mentions covenants unique to the Children of Israel:
وَرَفَعْنَا فَوْقَهُمُ الطُّورَ بِمِيثَاقِهِمْ وَقُلْنَا لَهُمُ ادْخُلُوا الْبَابَ سُجَّدًا وَقُلْنَا لَهُمْ لَا تَعْدُوا فِي السَّبْتِ
Wa rafaʿnā fawqahumu al-ṭūra bi mīthāqihim wa qulna lahumu idkhulū al-bāba sujjadan wa qulna lahum lā taʿdū fī al-sabti
(4:154)
Key Insights:
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The Bible claims this covenant applies to all descendants of Abraham, including the Arabs. Yet, the Quran, which is fully detailed (6:114), does not mention it.
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"The uncircumcised male child... shall be cut off from his people." This punishment of a child, incapable of making decisions, contradicts divine justice.
"No bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another." (53:39)
- How does removing part of the body signify piety or worship? The Quran emphasizes:
"He who purifies it has indeed succeeded, [the soul]." (91:9)
Historical Context
Circumcision predates Abraham and originates in ancient Egyptian pagan practices. Carvings depict its use in religious rites, linked to ideas of immortality and rebirth through symbolic shedding of skin.
Conclusion
Circumcision is not mentioned in the Quran as a divine covenant. Its origins suggest it is a cultural or religious practice unrelated to Quranic teachings. Muslims are guided by the Quran.
"We did not leave anything out of the Book" (6:38)