Fatwa ID: 21639
Title: Removing hair from the face and eyebrows
Category: Family and Personal Affairs
Scholar: Dr.Salah Al-Sawy
Date: 04/25/2008

Question
What is the Islamic ruling on removing unwanted hair from the face in general and the eyebrows in particular if that wouldn't change their thickness? I would appreciate if you could explain the answer clearly, because people play around with the obscure terms in this verdict a lot. Also, if there is any difference in juristic opinions, I hope you will clarify them. Is there any difference in the ruling when it comes to plucking, cutting or bleaching to lighten the hair so that it blends in with the color of the skin so that it doesn't show without actually removing it?

Answer

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful,

 

All praise is due to Allah and may peace and blessing be upon the Messenger of Allah.

 

To proceed: Plucking hair from the eyebrows by women is the "nams" about which the Messenger of Allah (saws) warned us and cursed those who do it. Imam Muslim (may Allah bestow mercy upon him) made a chapter on this, entitled: "Chapter: The prohibition of the act of the hair weaver [the hair stylist who weaves hair with hair] and the woman who gets a hair weave, the tattooer and the woman who gets tattooed, the plucker and the woman who gets her eyebrows plucked, and the women who have a [small] gap made between their teeth [before the incisors to make her look young], who change the creation of Allah."

 

It has been established from the hadith of Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (saws) said, "Cursed are the hair weaver [the hair stylist who weaves hair with hair] and the woman who gets a hair weave, the plucker and the woman who gets her eyebrows plucked, and the tattooer and the woman who gets tattooed without any illness."

 

Abu Dawud said, "The explanation of al-waasilah: she who weaves hair into the women's hair and the mustawsilah is the one who has it done. An-naamisah is: she who sculpts [plucks] the eyebrow so that it is thin and the mutanammisah is the one who has it done. Al-waashimah is: she who puts a black mark on her face with kohl or ink and the mustawshimah is the one who has it done."

 

It would appear that evening out the eyebrows with scissors would be acceptable, considering the basic principle of permissibility and due to the presence of what calls for it among women which is the natural desire to seek adornment and being brought up on beautification. An allowance in that has been related from Imam Ahmad, so there is nothing wrong with it, insha'Allah.

 

Hair which is abnormal for women, such as that which grows on the face, like a moustache or beard, could also be an exception to that, because in that there is deformation of a woman's appearance and it is not a normal thing for her.

 

Some of the people of knowledge (scholars) have likewise made an exception for women concerning that which is between the eyebrows, since it is not normal for her. The Standing Committee gave that ruling when asked about the Islamic verdict on plucking hair that grows between the eyebrows. They answered, "It is permissible to pluck it because it is not from the eyebrows." [The fatawa of the Standing Committee – 5/197]

 

It would appear that there is nothing wrong with bleaching because the prohibition is about removing the hair, not about dyeing or coloring it.

 

And Allah Almighty is more Exalted and more Knowledgeable.