Piercings, tatts, and scarifications.

[Encolpius]

I hope I've got the right forum for this question, if not, please feel free to move it to wherever's the right place...

...right then. Just out of curiosity, are piercings, tattoos, or scarifications permitted in Islam, and if not, on what grounds?

 

[- Qatada -]

Hey.


You posted in the right section, don't worry about it.

Is Body Piercing Permissible in Islam?


Question:

Dear Sheikh, As-Salaam `Alaykum wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuh. My 20-year-old son wants to know what is the Islamic ruling on body piercing, like ears, eyebrows, lips, etc., for both males and females?


Wa`alykum As-Salaam Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Dear brother in Islam, thanks a lot for asking this question, which shows how far you are interested in raising your children upon the teachings of Islam. May Allah help you lead a righteous marital life!

First of all, it should be made clear that it is permissible for women only to pierce their ears as a form of enhancing their beauty. The proof of this permission is based on the Hadith of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, when he prayed on the day of `Eid and came with Bilal, his Companion, he ordered the women to pay Zakah, and some of them took their earrings off and threw it (donated it) to the Prophet. (Reported in Bukhari)

As to the piercing of the nose, it isn't allowed for both sexes because it is a type of deformation to Allah’s creation.

Focusing more on the question in point, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and an Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:

“According to the teachings of Islam, our body - including all of our physical faculties - is a trust from Allah and we are required to protect and preserve it according to the best of our ability. Consequently, we are not allowed to alter or tamper with our physical faculties unnecessarily; we are only permitted to interfere with them in order to correct a natural deformity or repair or remedy an ailment. Any other form of interference or tampering with our body is akin to altering Allah’s creation which has been condemned in the Qur’an.

We read in the Qur’an that Satan, the accursed one, has pledged to Allah that he will be tirelessly working to lead humans unto ways of perdition and self-destruction: “… ‘And I will surely lead them astray, and arouse desires in them, and command them and they will cut the cattle’s ears, and I will surely command them and they will change Allah’s creation.’ Whoever chooses the Devil for a friend instead of Allah is assuredly a loser, and his loss is manifest.” (An-Nisa’: 119)

While reflecting on the above verse, we must also read the following statements of Allah in the Qur’an: “There is no altering Allah’s creation.” (Ar-Rum: 30); “And do not cast yourselves into destruction by your own hands.” (Al-Baqarah: 195).

In light of the above, body piercing, tattooing, branding, etc. all fall in the category of unnecessary interference, alteration and mutilation of Allah’s creation. Therefore, no Muslim, who is conscious of his religion, should ever contemplate such activities.

Neither are such procedures harmless, physical refinements as they are often imagined to be. Rather the truth is that these procedures have often been associated with numerous health hazards. For sensitive parts of the body such as tongues, lips, eyelids, etc. are more prone to be easily infected, and thus become infected with diseases, some of which may even be fatal. There is nothing at all surprising about all of these, for every unnecessary tampering with Allah’s creation is bound to produce adverse repercussions.

In Islam, all such acts that entail possible health hazards are considered totally forbidden even if they contain some imagined or presumed benefits; such presumed benefits are considered as being outweighed by the hazards. This fact alone warrants declaring body piercing as forbidden.

The only exception some scholars and jurists have made in this context is the case of ear piercing specifically for females. This is so because of the specific need of women to wear jewelry. Men, however, according to Islam, have no such need. In fact, Islam forbids men from copying styles that are distinctively feminine. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Allah has cursed men who copy women as well as women who copy men.” It should be remembered here both men and women have different roles in Islam.

It is also worth mentioning in this respect that ear piercing is somewhat different; for there are fewer hazards in ear piercing as compared to piercing of tongues, lips and eye-lids, etc.

Still another consideration strengthening the case for declaring body piercing as forbidden for males: Islam forbids us from copying other people in their specific customs and life-style without any tangible benefits. Such copying has been condemned by the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.

In conclusion: Body piercing for males is not at all permissible in Islam. Ear piercing has been permitted for females, according to some scholars. Such an exception, however, does not apply to males.”

Excerpted, with slight modifications, from: http://www.islam.ca


Source:
http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/...h-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaE&cid=1119503545496


And Allaah knows best.

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[- Qatada -]

What Islam Says on Tattoos

As-Salamu `alaykum. I just want to know if it is haram (prohibited) to tattoo our bodies.


Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.


All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Dear brother, we commend your eagerness to become well acquainted with Islam and its teachings, which is the way Allah has chosen for the welfare of His servants.


As for your question, you have to keep in mind the fact that body piercing, tattooing, branding, etc. all fall in the category of unnecessary interference, alteration and mutilation of Allah’s creation. Therefore, no Muslim, who is conscious of his religion, should ever contemplate such activities.


In his well-known book, The Lawful and the Prohibited in Islam, the prominent Muslim scholar, Sheik Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, states:

“Islam denounces excesses in beautifying oneself when it alters the physical features that Allah created him with. The Glorious Qur'an considers such alterations as inspired by Satan, who "...will command them (his devotees) to change what Allah has created...” (An-Nisa': 119)

Tattooing is one of those excesses. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have cursed the tattooer and the tattooed. (Reported by Muslim)

Tattooing permanently disfigures the face and other parts of the body with colored pigment and repulsive designs. Some Arabs, especially women, are in the habit of tattooing large areas of their bodies. People of certain religious sects tattoo pictures of their deities or religious rituals on their hands and chests. The pain and agony that the person experiences from the needles piercing skin add to these images. Because of all of this, both the tattooer and the one who is tattooed have been cursed.”


source:
http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/...h-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaE&cid=1119503544192



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[- Qatada -]

And just incase... this one also:



New Converts Having Tattoos and Tending to Perform Hajj


My question is regarding tattoos. My husband and I are both new Muslim converts. We are both Americans and lived a typical American lifestyle before reverting.

My problem is that my husband and I have extensive tattoo work done on our bodies. We would like one day to go to Hajj, in sha’ Allah. But, my husband is concerned that his extensive tattoos will cause him problems.

Due to the extensive nature of his tattoos, it would be so expensive to remove them that we don’t have removal as an option at this time. Also, that would maybe leave extensive scarring as well.

Shouldn’t we perform Hajj? As a female I do not have this worry since I am now covering, but my husband still has to worry about his arms and chest showing.



In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Dear questioner, thank you very much for having confidence in us, and we implore Allah-from the depth of our hearts- to guide you along the path of truth and righteousness.

It is really a chance to congratulate you and your husband for becoming Muslims, and we hope you understand the tolerant teachings of Islam, whom Allah chooses to guide the baffled humanity to the safe shore.

Before answering your question, we would like first to ascertain that Islam has a solution for every problem, and the scope of the Shari`ah is not that stern as some may claim. Although tattoos are unlawful or haram to apply at first place, there is nothing wrong for new Muslim converts, who have no means to remove them, in leaving them. The tolerant teachings of Islam and its peaceful spirit makes it easy for new converts to become easily adapted to its unique environment, and matchless life style.

In short, a new Muslim convert cannot be casted out of Islam, after recently embracing it, for having no means to remove tattoos applied during his pre-Islamic life.

In his response to the question, Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi, former president of the Islamic Society of North America, states the following:

“First of all, I would like to stress the fact that it is haram to have tattoos on the body. However, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said, “Islam takes away the sins done before it.”

Thus, if these tattoos cannot be removed easily or if you have to spend a lot of money to remove them, then you should not worry about them.

When Hajj becomes obligatory on you, you should perform it and do not neglect it because of tattoos on your body. No one should stop you from going to Hajj because of tattoos. I have seen hundreds of pilgrims, men and women, who come from some countries and they have all kinds of tattoos on their faces and bodies. It is forbidden in Islam, but among some tribes in Africa, unfortunately, it is still practiced, even among Muslims.”

You can also read:

What Islam Says on Tattoos

Is Body Piercing Permissible in Islam?

If you have any further comments, please don’t hesitate to write back!

May Allah guide you to the straight path, and guide you to that which pleases Him, Amen.


source:
http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/...nglish-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaEAskTheScholar
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[tomtomsmom]

What about temporary tattoos??

 

[- Qatada -]

:salamext:
Ruling on temporarytattoos

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Question:
What is the ruling on so-called temporary tattoos, which is a kind of picture that sticks to some part of the body and disappears after a few days?


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

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If it is a picture of an animal etc., then it is haraam [forbidden] and is not allowed. If it is a picture of trees or similar patterns, then it is OK, but in my view it is better not to do this, because it imposes an extra burden on women of spending and having to take care of these patterns. So it is better not to do it.

From the Fatwas of Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen for al-Da’wah magazine, no. 1741, 7/2/1421 AH, p. 36


ISLAMQA

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[tomtomsmom]

Thanks bro!