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In a world, which has been illuminated by the light of technology, we find our everyday environment speeding up in the race to keep up with the times. But amidst this cloak of modernism, can be found the ancient traits of the age of Jaahiliyyah (ignorance) that have been cleverly disguised into society. The essence of which affects all, especially our sisters in the Islamic world.
Allah SWT, the All-knowing, has given the Muslim nation a guide to which they can refer to and has also provided an exegesis (Tafseer) to this guide. The guidebook is the Qur'aan and the exegesis to this is the Ahaadeeth of the final Messenger Muhammad SAW.
Allah SWT has mentioned in the Glorious Qur' aan: "(Shaytaan had said).. .And indeed I will order them to change the nature created by Allah. (Allah _ says) And whoever takes Shaytaan as a Protector (or helper) instead of Allah, has surely suffered a manifest lost." (4:119)
Women of the modem age are accustomed to wearing make-up and other cosmetics. Beautifying themselves with methods that change the very nature of their creation has become the norm of the day even for Muslim females. The above verse states that those people who change the Creation of Allah SWT are, as it were, helping Shaytaan to fulfil what he had promised Allah SWT of his evil intentions. It is them who are making Shaytaan a protector other than Allah SWT.
Muslim sisters are in the strange habit of shaping out their eyebrows. This is done by various means, such as shaving, trimming or even plucking out. Other means are also used which result in the removal of eyebrows until a thin 'designer' line above the eye remains. This habit of designing the eyebrows is totally forbidden in Islaam. The aforementioned verse refers to this fact that we are not to change the nature of Allah's Creation.
In a Hadeeth narrated by ‘Abdullah lbne Mas'ood’ the Prophet SAW has stated: "Allah has cursed the ladies who tattoo others and those who have themselves tattooed and the women who remove the eye brows and the women who have the eyebrows removed. And the women who artificially partition between their teeth for the sake of beautification are the ones who change the Creation of Allah." (Muslim)
Imaam Nawawi rahmatullahi alayh has written in his commentary to the compilation of 'Muslim' that to remove the hair of the face is haraam except for a lady wishing to remove facial hair besides her eyebrows, for that is permissible. 'Fataawaa Raheemiyyah' states that it is mustahab (desirable) for a lady to remove the facial hair other than those of the eyebrows.
This Hadeeth refers to the Arabian women at the time of the Prophet SWT who used to trim their eyebrows in order to look more attractive. The ladies of those times also used to have a small gap artificially placed between their two front teeth, which was also regarded as an attractive feature for a lady at the time.
The Prophet SAW, saw this habit in the women of Arabia and forbade the Muslim ladies from doing the same. He mentioned that such practices invited the Anger and Wrath of Allah SWT. Our Muslim sisters too should take heed from such advices and warnings. But alas, it is all too sad to see this evil habit prevailing even in the Muslim societies today. From University students to housewives and mothers, we see numerous Muslim females spending vast amounts of time and money in making themselves up to look more beautiful However if the woman wishes to beautify herself (remaining within the boundaries) for the sake of her husband (and totally conceals herself from non-mahram males) then it would be permissible, or rather desirable.
It is also worth mentioning that for a lady to cut or remove the hair of the head is also haraam. And that for men to remove or trim their beards or eyebrows is haraam as well. The only time when it is permissible for a lady to remove the hair of her head is in Hajj or 'umrah the limit of which has been prescribed as well. May Allah SWT give us all the ability to abstain from such evil habits and follow the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet SAW. Aameen.
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