Is it permissible to shape and neaten the eyebrows?

· 11 Dhuʻl-Qiʻdah 1434 AH1 min readFatwa 26143English
Misc. Fiqh

Question

Previously I had been shaping my eyebrows. However, I now want to stop this as I know it is a massive sin. is it possible to clean the eyebrows? especially if someone has a lot of hair? only clean? to make the eyebrows look neat. And is it possible to use scissors just to neaten and balance the eyebrows? could you please let me know what is persmissible?

Answer

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

As-salāmu ‘alaykumwa-rahmatullāhiwa-barakātuh.

It is not permissible for one to pluck one’s eyebrows. Consider the following Hadeeth:

Rasullullah (SallallahuAlayhiWaSallam) said:

“Allah hascursed those women who practice tattooing, request tattooing be done for them, those who shave the eye-brows, those who request that they eyebrows be shaved and those who create spaces between their teeth artificially to look beautiful, such ladies have changed what Allāh has created.” (Saheeh Muslim, Hadeeth #3973)

However, the Fuqaha (Jurists) have stated that it is permissible for one to remove the stray strands in order to neaten the eyebrows.[1]

Mufti Ismail Desai,
Darul Iftaa
Durban, South Africa

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

References (Arabic / Urdu sources)

حدثنا شَيْبَانُ بْنُ فَرُّوخَ ، حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ يَعْنِي ابْنَ حَازِمٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ، عن النبي صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قال لَعَنَ اللَّهُ الْوَاشِمَاتِ وَالْمُسْتَوْشِمَاتِ ، وَالنَّامِصَاتِ وَالْمُتَنَمِّصَاتِ ، وَالْمُتَفَلِّجَاتِ لِلْحُسْنِ الْمُغَيِّرَاتِ خَلْقَ اللَّهِ

1احسن الفتاوي، ج 8، ص 75-76

و في تبيين المحارم ازالة الشعر من الوجه حرام الا اذا نبت للمرأة لحية او شوارب فلا تحرم ازالته بل يستحب (رد المحتار، ص 239، ج 5)

Answered by
Mufti Ismail Desai
Checked & approved by
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
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