Reconciling various commands and opinions on face hair of women
Much debate has already been done by scholars from different schools of thought on this topic. Unfortunately, instead of making common believers comprehend the rulings, it added to the existed confusions. It’s due to ignoring various aspects of this issue. In this short article I would like to highlight all the necessary aspects of this issue to explore the way towards rational reconciliation among them, within the parameters prescribed by Quran and Sunnah, in sha Allah.
Two basic Divine Rules:
1- لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا اكْتَسَبَتْ ۗ رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِن نَّسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَا إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِ ۖ وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا ۚ أَنتَ مَوْلَانَا فَانصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ - 2:286
“Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned. "Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred. Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people."Baqarah 2:286
This rule explicitly tells us that Allah never Commands what is beyond human capacity. Therefore, man is responsible for his actions; good or bad. When facing any trouble in doing something good or from abstaining from any bad, man can seek help of Allah; the words of Dua are already given in this verse.
2- فَأَقِمْ وَجْهَكَ لِلدِّينِ حَنِيفًا ۚ فِطْرَتَ اللَّهِ الَّتِي فَطَرَ النَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا ۚ لَا تَبْدِيلَ لِخَلْقِ اللَّهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ - 30:30
“So direct your face toward the religion, inclining to truth. [Adhere to] the fitrah of Allah upon which He has created [all] people. No change should there be in the creation of Allah. That is the correct religion, but most of the people do not know.” Rum 30:30
This is the second rule which alludes towards this principle that nothing in Faith is against the nature of mankind; whether it’s faith, worship, dealings, relationships or any actions, etc.
Comprehension of these two rules is of prime importance to resolve the intricacies of rulings pertaining to various issues in Islamic jurisprudence. Keeping in mind these two rules will help greatly to comprehend the analysis. Now, coming on the actual topic I would like to share the Hadith which provides the base to those who consider the act of removing hair from the face, pluck or shape eyebrows, waxing from the body, tattoos, etc. by women.
Hadith Abdullah (bin Masud):
بَابُ: {وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ}
(4) CHAPTER. “And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad ) gives you take it...” (V.59:7)
حدیث نمبر: 4886
حدثنا محمد بن يوسف، حدثنا سفيان، عن منصور، عن إبراهيم، عن علقمة، عن عبد الله، قال: "لعن الله الواشمات، والموتشمات، والمتنمصات، والمتفلجات للحسن المغيرات خلق الله"، فبلغ ذلك امراة من بني اسد، يقال لها ام يعقوب، فجاءت، فقالت: إنه بلغني عنك انك لعنت كيت وكيت، فقال: "وما لي العن من لعن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ومن هو في كتاب الله"، فقالت: لقد قرات ما بين اللوحين فما وجدت فيه ما تقول، قال: "لئن كنت قراتيه لقد وجدتيه اما قرات: وما آتاكم الرسول فخذوه وما نهاكم عنه فانتهوا سورة الحشر آية 7، قالت: بلى، قال: فإنه قد نهى عنه، قالت: فإني ارى اهلك يفعلونه، قال: فاذهبي فانظري، فذهبت فنظرت فلم تر من حاجتها شيئا، فقال: "لو كانت كذلك ما جامعتها".۔
Narrated Alqama: `Abdullah (bin Masud) said. "Allah curses those ladies who practice tattooing and those who get themselves tattooed, and those ladies who remove the hair from their faces and those who make artificial spaces between their teeth in order to look more beautiful whereby they change Allah's creation." His saying reached a lady from Bani Asd called Um Yaqub who came (to `Abdullah) and said, "I have come to know that you have cursed such-and-such (ladies)?" He replied, "Why should I not curse these whom Allah's Messenger has cursed and who are (cursed) in Allah's Book!" Um Yaqub said, "I have read the whole Qur'an, but I did not find in it what you say." He said, "Verily, if you have read it (i.e. the Qur'an), you have found it. Didn't you read: 'And whatsoever the Apostle gives you take it and whatsoever he forbids you, you abstain (from it). (59.7) She replied, "Yes, I did," He said, "Verily, Allah's Messenger forbade such things." "She said, "But I see your wife doing these things?" He said, "Go and watch her." She went and watched her but could not see anything in support of her statement. On that he said, "If my wife was as you thought, I would not keep her in my company."
USC-MSA web (English) Reference: Book 60, Number 408
The terms used in this Hadith are interpreted differently by different scholars but tattoos, face hair and creating gape between teeth by women have consensus on them.
Hadith Ayesha R.A:
Following are the two narrations of Ayesha R.A which are presented by those who are soft on this issue.
· The narration of Bukra bint 'Uqba was used as evidence, when she asked 'Aisha may Allah be pleased with her about plucking her eyebrows, 'Aisha responded: If you are married, and by plucking your eyebrows you will make them attractive, then do it". Ahkam al-Nis'a Ibn al-Jawsi p.49
· Al-Tabari mentioned a narration through the wife of Abu Ishaaq, who was an attractive woman when she came to 'Aisha may Allah be pleased with her—she asked: “Should a woman pluck her facial hair for her husband?” She answered: "Keep disturbances [from you and your husband] away as much as possible."
It means that there is flexibility in the ruling that is narrated by Abdullah bin Masud R.A, and certain conditions apply in enforcing it.
Reconciling:
The following principle is a part of the verse which relates injunction about husband-wife relationship in Ramadan. However, this principle is universal in nature and covers all the aspects of husband-wife relationship.
“…….They are clothing for you and you are clothing for them…….” Baqarah 2:187
Clothing protects from hot and cold weather, hides the shortcomings of the body, adorns the body to make it presentable and knows the secret of the body yet hides them from public, etc. It means that both of them should follow the ways which make them acceptable for each other and doesn’t cross the limits of the nature. Satisfaction of both makes the bond stronger which means the basic unit of human race – the family is strong.
Another verse from the Quran emphasizes on purity and adorning oneself for prayers. It doesn’t mean that this criteria is confined only to the prayers. Prayers (Salah) is exercise which is inclusive to all the requirements and it teaches a believer about standard routine of life that must be followed throughout his life. So cleanliness, purity and adornment are the part of life.
“O children of Adam! Wear your beautiful apparel at every place of prayer: eat and drink: but waste not by excess for God loves not the wasters. Say: Who has forbidden the beautiful (gifts) of God, which He hath produced for his servants, and the things clean and pure (which He has provided) for sustenance? Say: They are in the life of this world, for those who believe, (and) purely for them on the Day of Judgment. Thus do We explain the signs in detail for those who understand.” Al-A’raf 7:31-32
The following verse supports it as a principle:
“Surely God loves those who are most repenting, and loves those who keep themselves pure and clean.” Baqarah 2:222
There are several narrations in books of Hadith that support cleanliness, purity, tidiness and adornment of the body. For example:
“Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam that Ata ibn Yasar told him that the Messenger of Allah (May God bless him and grant him peace) was in the mosque when a man came in with disarranged hair and beard. The Messenger of Allah motioned with his hand that he should be sent out to groom his hair and beard. The man did so and then returned. The Messenger of Allah said, “Isn’t this better than that one of you should come with his head disarranged, as if he were a devil?” (Malik Muwatta, Book 51, Number 51.2.7)
What suffices as beautification is mentioned in the hadith of Bukhari from Jabir ibn Abdullahas below. Which explains that one should be presentable to spouse.
“While we were returning from a Ghazwa (Holy Battle) with the Prophet, I started driving my camel fast, as it was a lazy camel. A rider came behind me and pricked my camel with a spear he had with him, and then my camel started running as fast as the best camel you may see. Behold! The rider was the Prophet himself. He said, -What makes you in such a hurry?" I replied, -I am newly married; He said, "Did you marry a virgin or a matron? I replied, "A matron." He said, "Why didn't you marry a young girl so that you may play with her and she with you?" When we were about to enter (Medina), the Prophet said, "Wait so that you may enter (Medina) at night so that the lady of unkempt hair may comb her hair and the one whose husband has been absent may shave her pubic region.”
Sahih Bukhari, Chapter Thibat, 5079
Exemptions:
Islam is not rigid and is flexible to natural human requirements. The divine rule is already mentioned in the start of this article. However, the following verse is pin points the issue under discussion. It permits to benefit but only at a level of necessity. Beyond that it is counted as a sin.
إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةَ وَالدَّمَ وَلَحْمَ الْخِنزِيرِ وَمَا أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ بِهِ ۖ فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ غَيْرَ بَاغٍ وَلَا عَادٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ –
“He has only forbidden to you dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah . But whoever is forced [by necessity], neither desiring [it] nor transgressing [its limit] - then indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.”
An-Nahl 16:115
Misinterpretation:
حدثنا موسیٰ بن اسماعیل، حدثنا ابو عوانہ،عن حصین عن الشعبی عن عدی قال اخذ عدی عقالا ابیض و عقالا اسود حتیٰ کان بعض الیل نظر فلم یستبینا فلما اصبح قال یا رسول اللہ جعلت تحت وسادتی قال ان وسادک اذا لعریض ان کان الخیط الابیض و الاسود تحت وسادتک۔
“Musa bin Ismael, Abu Awanah, Hasin , Amer shabi narrates from Adie who said;” I took one white and another black pieces of thread and kept them observing. I allowed myself eating until I could differentiate them. In the morning I informed Prophet PBUH about it that last night I put black and white pieces of thread under my pillow to observe them (to stop sahoor). Holy Prophet PBUH said while laughing on it; your pillow is too big which covered the white line of dawn and black line of night under it.” Sahih Bukhari, kitab u Tafsir, Hadith 1626
This is an example of misinterpretation of an injunction that revealed in Quran about the timings of fasting and even some companions of Holy Prophet took it literally. While, Holy Prophet told them that it was not like this but was used as a parable.
All these references are about husband-wife relationship. However, for unmarried women and in front of others the rules of Hijab apply which are irrelevant at this spot.
CONCLUSION:
1- Any alteration in the body that is permanent and looks un-natural is unlawful. Tattoos and creating gape between teeth was also done by ill moral women. These were permanent features and were used as a symbol by them.
2- Plucking or shaving or removing hair from a body part is permissible if it was ugly looking. Shaping eye-brows which deforms face as was done in ancient times by morally corrupt women is forbidden. However, minor dressing to put them in order is permissible.
3- Waxing or hair removing from legs and other body parts are covered under dress. It’s for getting attractive for husband so is permissible.
4- Permissible, does not mean to change eyebrows in a bow rather it’s limited to the essential requirement to avoid ugliness.
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Allah knows the best
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