shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.'

The Apostle Paul—peace be from him—pointed to the clarification of what is intended by the Outward Law (Zahir al-Shari'a) and the rejection of its outward aspect in the second chapter of his Epistle to the Romans, saying: "Through breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you, as it is written. For circumcision verily profiteth if thou keep the Law; but if thou be a breaker of the Law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision (ghurla)! Therefore, if the uncircumcised keep the righteousness of the Law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?

And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfill the Law, judge thee, who by the letter (Al-Kitab) and circumcision dost transgress the Law? For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly (fi al-zahir); neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh. But