Lowering for Girls

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع عَنِ الْجَارِيَةِ تُسْبَى مِنْ أَرْضِ الشِّرْكِ‌[1] فَتُسْلِمُ فَتُطْلَبُ لَهَا مَنْ يَخْفِضُهَا فَلَا نَقْدِرُ عَلَى امْرَأَةٍ فَقَالَ أَمَّا السُّنَّةُ فِي الْخِتَانِ عَلَى الرِّجَالِ وَ لَيْسَ عَلَى النِّسَاءِ.

“I once asked abu Ja’far (a.s.), about the case of a girl who is taken as captive from the pagan’s land then she becomes Muslim and she is asked for Khafd but we are not able against a woman. He (the Imam) said, ’Circumcision is for men and not for women.”’ (It a is reference to lowering or reducing female clitoris )

خِتَانُ الْغُلَامِ مِنَ السُّنَّةِ وَ خَفْضُ الْجَوَارِي لَيْسَ مِنَ السُّنَّةِ.

“Abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Circumcision for boys is because of Sunnah but circumcision for girls is not because of Sunnah.”’

خَفْضُ الْجَارِيَةِ مَكْرُمَةٌ[2] وَ لَيْسَتْ مِنَ السُّنَّةِ وَ لَا شَيْئاً وَاجِباً وَ أَيُّ شَيْ‌ءٍ أَفْضَلُ مِنَ الْمَكْرُمَةِ[3].

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Reducing for girls is a noble trait but it is not of the Sunnah or obligatory; however, a noble trait is a very preferred matter.’”

الْخِتَانُ فِي الرَّجُلِ سُنَّةٌ وَ مَكْرُمَةٌ فِي النِّسَاءِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Circumcision for man is of Sunnah and it is a noble trait for women.’”

كَانَتِ امْرَأَةٌ يُقَالُ لَهَا أُمُّ طَيْبَةَ تَخْفِضُ الْجَوَارِيَ فَدَعَاهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص فَقَالَ لَهَا يَا أُمَّ طَيْبَةَ إِذَا أَنْتِ خَفَضْتِ امْرَأَةً فَأَشِمِّي وَ لَا تُجْحِفِي فَإِنَّهُ أَصْفَى لِلَّوْنِ وَ أَحْظَى عِنْدَ الْبَعْلِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that there was a woman called ‘Umm Taybah and she lowered girls. The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, called her and said, ‘O ’Umm Taybah, when you lower a woman make it (as little as) a scratch but do not

لَمَّا هَاجَرْنَ النِّسَاءُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص هَاجَرَتْ فِيهِنَّ امْرَأَةٌ يُقَالُ لَهَا أُمُّ حَبِيبٍ وَ كَانَتْ خَافِضَةً تَخْفِضُ الْجَوَارِيَ فَلَمَّا رَآهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص قَالَ لَهَا يَا أُمَّ حَبِيبٍ الْعَمَلُ الَّذِي كَانَ فِي يَدِكِ هُوَ فِي يَدِكِ الْيَوْمَ قَالَتْ نَعَمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ حَرَاماً فَتَنْهَانِي عَنْهُ قَالَ لَا بَلْ حَلَالٌ فَادْنِي مِنِّي حَتَّى أُعَلِّمَكِ ق

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that when women migrated to the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, among them was a woman called ‘Umm Habib who lowered girls. When the Messenger of Allah saw her, he (the Messenger of Allah) asked her, ‘O ‘