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What is the ruling of Islamic law on circumcision, and is it considered an innovation (bid'ah) if it is accompanied by a dinner banquet, a musical group, praises and remembrances (madaih and adhkar), or if its date is set to coincide with the Prophet's birthday (Mawlid al-Nabawi) or the beginning of the Hijri year?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Scholars have differed regarding the ruling on attending a circumcision feast, oscillating between permissibility and detestability. Some scholars have elaborated on the types of feasts: those for which attendance is obligatory (e.g., a wedding feast), those that are commendable (e.g., a banquet for neighbors), those that are permissible (e.g., for the 'aqiqah or a circumcision), those that are detestable (e.g., for showing off), and those that are forbidden (e.g., from someone whose gift it is unlawful to accept). Designating the date of the Prophet's birthday or the Hijri New Year for circumcision is an innovation (bid'ah). Furthermore, attending a gathering with singing accompanied by musical instruments, or unlawful speech, or the intermingling of men and women, is impermissible.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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