What is the ruling on circumcision, and when should it be done?
Short answer
Circumcision is among the practices of fitrah and is especially emphasized for males. The cited answer notes that doing it in childhood is easier and also mentions the scholarly disagreement over whether it is obligatory.
Evidence and explanation
The source cites the hadith describing five practices of fitrah and explains the emphasized nature of circumcision and the benefit of doing it at a young age.
Scholar referenced
This editorial summary is based on the original source linked below and is not presented as a verbatim quotation from the scholar.
From the text of the answer (Arabic, with an English translation)
Original answer — Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Baz
كيفية الختان وحكمه — فتوى ١٢٥٤٤- Question
«رسالة وصلت إلى البرنامج من الإخوة المستمعين: حمزة وحسين عبودة وحسن موسى الكميلة من قبائل عرب محافظة مرسى مطروح جمهورية مصر العربية، الإخوة يسألون في رسالتهم عن ختان الأولاد كيف يكون؟ وجهوا الناس حول هذا الموضوع لو تكرمتم شيخ عبد العزيز .»
English translation (unreviewed): A letter reached the programme from the listener brothers Hamzah, Husayn 'Abudah and Hasan Musa al-Kumaylah from the Arab tribes of Marsa Matruh governorate, Arab Republic of Egypt. The brothers ask in their letter about the circumcision of boys, how it is done. Please guide people on this topic, Shaykh 'Abd al-'Aziz.
- From the text of the answer
«الختان سنة مؤكدة، وذهب بعض أهل العلم إلى وجوبه كما قال ابن عباس وجماعة من أهل العلم أنه واجب في حق الرجال؛ لقول النبي ﷺ: الفطرة خمس يعني: السنة خمس: الختان، والاستحداد، وقص الشارب، وقلم الظفر، ونتف الإبط .»
English translation (unreviewed): Circumcision is a confirmed sunnah, and some scholars held that it is obligatory, as Ibn 'Abbas and a group of scholars said that it is obligatory for men, because of the Prophet's ﷺ saying: “The fitrah is five” — that is, the sunnah is five: circumcision, shaving the pubic hair, trimming the moustache, clipping the nails and plucking the armpit hair.
The Arabic excerpts matched the original page word for word by an automated check and have not had human scholarly review. The English translations are unreviewed translations made for this site; they are not an approved Shari‘ah translation. Rely on the Arabic original.
Source
How circumcision is done and its ruling
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Baz, may Allah have mercy on him