Question: What are the rulings on circumcision for males in the maliki madhhab? If an adult male was to become Muslim then is it wajib for him to get circumcised?
Answer:
If a person wants to become Muslim, they do not have to be circumcised first.
A person believing in Islam should pronounce his faith without any delay. According to the Maliki madhab, the circumcision of a male is a highly recommended act (sunna). It is not an obligation (wajib). The ruling is the same whether the male is a child or an adult. [Risala of Ibn Abi Zayd]
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What actually circumcision is?
Regarding male circumcision (khitan), our madhhab considers it a strongly recommended sunnah. However, Imam Shafi’i deems it obligatory. As for female circumcision (khifad), it is deemed recommended (mandub) but not stressed.
It’s important to clarify that the female circumcision discussed here does not involve the harmful practice termed as ‘mutilation’ found in some countries. This harmful practice, involving the removal of most or all external genitalia in young girls aged 7-11, has been outlawed in Sudan.
In our context, it refers to the removal of a small segment of skin from the female prepuce, covering the tip of the clitoris, provided it causes no harm. Due to its complexity, little emphasis is placed on this practice. Islam acknowledges that this practice existed before its arrival and its continuation indicates Islam’s tolerance towards certain pre-Islamic customs.