Male circumcision is one of the important rites in Islam. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said, “There are five things that are of the nature (i.e., of the natural hygiene): removing the pubic hair, circumcision, trimming the mustache, removing the underarm hair, and cutting of the nails” (reported in all the six authentic collections of Hadith).
It is not an absolute requirement for the one intending to embrace Islam to get circumcised. It is up to him to decide when to do it.
The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore states the following: Circumcision is compulsory for all male Muslims. However it is not a condition for conversion to Islam. A non-Muslim can embrace Islam without going through circumcision. After the conversion, he should build up his iman first with prayers and other religious duties. He should also strengthen his knowledge in Islam by reading the Qur’an and books on Islam. Only after he feels comfortable with circumcision will he be able to go through the process without any reservation.
Circumcision enables one to easily clean his private part. The foreskin of the penis usually gathers some urine in its sac. Thus, if one has embraced Islam and has not undergone circumcision, he must ensure that his penis is clean before performing any prayers, by pulling back the foreskin to clean its internal part.
Circumcision nowadays is a fast and almost painless affair. The initial injection of painkiller is the only pain that one will feel. If one goes through laser surgery, the healing will be very fast, less than a week, since there will be no stitches, just cutting of the skin with laser.