There are various reports about the circumcision of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Some narrations state that he ﷺ was circumcised on the seventh day, some state that he was born circumcised, and some say that Jibril (peace be upon him) circumcised him ﷺ. In this article we will examine these views and narrations in the light of the statements of the muhaddithun so that the correct conclusion becomes clear.
✦ Mention of the Narration
➊ According to Ibn Hisham and others: “After the birth of the Prophet ﷺ, Abdul Muttalib expressed joy, took him to the Kaaba, made supplication, named him Muhammad, and on the seventh day circumcised him according to the custom of the Arabs.”
➋ The narration of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him): “ان عبد المطلب ختن النبی ﷺ یوم سابعه، وجعل له مأدبة، وسماه محمداً” (Abdul Muttalib circumcised the Prophet ﷺ on the seventh day, held a feast, and named him Muhammad).
✦ Research and Analysis
✔️ This narration is weak in its chain.
▣ Defects of the Chain
• Muhammad ibn Abi as-Sari → truthful (saduq), but prone to frequent errors (kathrat al-awham).
• Walid ibn Muslim → a committer of tadlis al-taswiyah.
• Ata al-Khurasani → truthful (saduq), but very prone to error, and practised tadlis and irsal.
✧ Therefore the narration has three major defects, due to which it is weak.
▣ Other Views
- Being born circumcised: Some narrations (Ibn Abbas, Ibn Umar) state that the Prophet ﷺ was born circumcised and with the umbilical cord cut. → However, these narrations are not authentic in their chain.
- Circumcision by Jibril (peace be upon him): Some narrations state that Jibril circumcised him at the time of the splitting of the chest (shaqq al-sadr). → However, this narration is also weak in its chain and is not established through any authentic chain.
- Circumcision by his grandfather Abdul Muttalib: The narration of Ibn Abbas indicates this view, that Abdul Muttalib circumcised him on the seventh day. → Although the narration is weak, historically this view appears to be the closest to the truth.
Reference: (Ibn al-Adim, Ibn Abd al-Barr, Albani, may Allah have mercy on him)
▣ Summary of Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) (Tuhfat al-Mawdud)
• Regarding the circumcision of the Prophet ﷺ there are three views: ① being born circumcised; ② circumcision through Jibril (peace be upon him); ③ circumcision by his grandfather Abdul Muttalib.
• None of these narrations is authentic in its chain. • Even if it is assumed that he was born circumcised, this is not a special miracle, since it is also reported about some ordinary people. • The closest and historically most weighty view is that Abdul Muttalib circumcised him on the seventh day.
✦ Conclusion
① The narration that the Prophet ﷺ was circumcised on the seventh day is weak in its chain. ② The narrations that he was born circumcised and that Jibril circumcised him are also weak and not fit to be used as evidence. ③ According to the researchers (Ibn al-Adim, Ibn Abd al-Barr, Albani), the view most consistent with reason is that his grandfather Abdul Muttalib circumcised him ﷺ on the seventh day; although the chain is weak, it appears historically to be the closest.
✅ Therefore, the correct position is that there is no authentic hadith about the circumcision of the Prophet ﷺ; however, as a historical report, the view of the seventh day is preferred.
