Muhammad on Forced circumcision

“Thus all infidels, apostates and polytheists once again became Musulman. No person was left without circumcision or reciting the kelima. Infidels in villages and rural areas were also converted in the same manner. Only a very small group did not convert. Their fathers and forefathers had fled to Nagarkot during the reign of Sultan Sikandar, the Iconoclast. Some of them had settled in Kishtwar and others had fled to Jammu. As they had not converted to Islam, their descendants were spared the compulsion of conversion and were left in whatever condition they were”

“Some of the prominent personalities of this land, who wielded power and authority, had reservations about getting circumcised together with common people. They requested that barbers and circumcision operators be brought to their homes to get hem circumcisioned. They would stay in their homes for some days (to recover). Their request was not granted (by Araki). It was feared that barbers and operators could be bribed and that they would avoid circumcision on one pretext or the other. Thus aristocrats were also subjected to circumcision along with commoners and none of their arguments was accepted. The intention was that religion, community and Islamic law (shariat) should prosper, leaving no scope for any kind of corruption.”

“I heard the following story from my father. There was an aristocrat, much respected (in his community). He enjoyed great credibility with the people. He was a middle class trader but people gave him great respect. His name was Ladar Mantji (Rudraman Ji?). He was summoned for circumcision, but he made humble supplication and feigned poverty. He requested that his head be tonsured in public, and a dependable witness be sent along with him to his house to verify that he had undergone circumcision. I did not accept his statement that he was a destitute. I opened his belt with my own hands and down came on the floor five golden coins concealed in his loincloth. I picked up the coins and asked him how these had come into his possession? He said he had brought these as a gift to be presented to me so that I allowed him to get circumcised in his own home. I tied the coins in one corner of his belt and made him sit with others in a special room to be called on his turn for circumcision.”