Respected Shaykh, assalamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. What is the ruling on a woman bleaching her eyebrows for beautification for her husband? تشقير الحواجب
Respected Shaykh, assalamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. What is the ruling on a woman bleaching her eyebrows for beautification for her husband? تشقير الحواجب
الجواب
Praise be to Allah, and may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family and his companions. There are two opinions on this matter according to the scholars: The first opinion is of prohibition. Among the scholars are those who prohibit it based on its resembling plucking of eyebrows, so they include it in it [its ruling as prohibited]. The second opinion is of permissibility. Among the scholars are those who allow it based on the principle ruling of being permissible, as there is no evidence to prohibit it. The correct opinion: What is apparent to me is that there is nothing wrong with bleaching, and that it is permissible. There is no evidence of it being prohibited. As for those who say it resembles plucking, then their opinion is invalid, because plucking differs from bleaching. Plucking is removing hair, whereas bleaching is colouring the eyebrows, and this is not prohibited. And the principle ruling for all things is permissibility. So whoever says it is prohibited must bring forth evidence. This is the opinion of our Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymin (may Allah have mercy on him). I have personally heard it from him on a number of occasions. But I would like to point out that we should not be excessive in our pursuit of beauty, because there is no end to it. Not ignoring the fact that my sisters, the women, follow up with what they see and hear in programs [commercials and advertisements] and the such. But we should realize that the picture shown is not the true reality, and if a person went looking for it in reality, he will not find it. Rather, it is a form of enhancer just as in the case of sound enhancers [sound effects] that make an ugly voice sound beautiful. In the same way there are picture enhancers [such as using Photoshop] that show a picture in other than its true reality. So I advise them with what Allah has advised: “…And the garment of taqwa, that is best…” [Al-A`raf 7:26] And Allah knows best.
Your brother,
Dr. Khalid al-Muslih
5 / 3 / 1434 AH