Is the hadith about female circumcision authentic?
Answered by Sh. Mustafa Umar1 min read
Short answer
This hadith is not authentic due to its weak chain of narrators.
The Text
It was claimed that Umm ʿAṭiyyah said: “A woman used to perform circumcision in Medina. The Prophet said to her: ‘Do not cut a lot since that is better for a woman and more desirable for a husband.’” (Abu Dawud #5271) Abu Dawud said the narration is weak.
What the Scholars Said
Imam An-Nawawī says in Al-Khulāṣah that it is weak.
Imam Al-Aẓīmābādī says in ʿAwn Al-Maʿbūd that it is weak.
Shaykh Al-Albani, contrary to all other scholars of hadith, labelled this narration as authentic in Ṣaḥīḥ Abū Dāwūd. His conclusion is weak.