Circumcision of women

Question

Question: Zayd says that before Islam women used to be circumcised. Was this a general custom or only in some places? Is this correct?

Answer

Mention of the circumcision (khitan) of women is found in the books of hadith and fiqh. See “Tahtawi ‘ala Maraqi al-Falah”, p. 78, Kitab al-Tahara, Fasl ma yujib al-ightisal. It is not merely that this was a custom before Islam. As for where this custom existed and until when it continued, that is not known.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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