Is it permissible to apply skin-whitening cream to the body, and if it causes harm, is she allowed to disobey her husband if he requests it?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
May Allah reward you with good. The questioner, Maimunah from al-Qassim, asks: Is it permissible to apply skin-whitening makeup to the face or other parts of the body to beautify herself for her husband? It may be at her husband’s request, even if it distorts the skin with prolonged use, given that its effect on the skin is confirmed from several aspects. Is the wife allowed to disobey her husband and leave it, even if that angers him? Please give us a ruling, may Allah reward you with good?
The Shaykh:
There is no harm in using cosmetic makeup so that a woman beautifies herself for her husband, or removes blemishes from her face by applying it; there is no harm in that. However, if its use leads to what the questioner mentioned—that it causes a negative effect on the skin in the future—and if this is true, she should avoid it, even if her husband orders her to use it, based on the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him):Sunan Ibn Majah 2340Da'if (Darussalam) Yes.
The presenter:
It appears to be a possibility, as you mentioned in the previous answer.
The Shaykh:
If it is a possibility, it is not to be heeded. But if doctors have determined, or experience has proven, that these cosmetics cause a negative effect on the skin in the future, then she should avoid them. However, if they have no effect and there is a benefit in beautifying the woman for her husband, then there is nothing wrong with it.
May Allah reward you with good. The questioner, Maimunah from al-Qassim, asks: Is it permissible to apply skin-whitening makeup to the face or other parts of the body to beautify herself for her husband? It may be at her husband’s request, even if it distorts the skin with prolonged use, given that its effect on the skin is confirmed from several aspects. Is the wife allowed to disobey her husband and leave it, even if that angers him? Please give us a ruling, may Allah reward you with good?
The Shaykh:
There is no harm in using cosmetic makeup so that a woman beautifies herself for her husband, or removes blemishes from her face by applying it; there is no harm in that. However, if its use leads to what the questioner mentioned—that it causes a negative effect on the skin in the future—and if this is true, she should avoid it, even if her husband orders her to use it, based on the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him):
It was narrated from 'Ubadah bin Samit that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) ruled: “There should be neither harming nor reciprocating harm.”
لا ضرر ولا ضرار.The presenter:
It appears to be a possibility, as you mentioned in the previous answer.
The Shaykh:
If it is a possibility, it is not to be heeded. But if doctors have determined, or experience has proven, that these cosmetics cause a negative effect on the skin in the future, then she should avoid them. However, if they have no effect and there is a benefit in beautifying the woman for her husband, then there is nothing wrong with it.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، تسأل: هل يجوز وضع المبيض للبشرة على الجسد، وإذا كان في ذلك ضرر، هل لها أن تعصي زوجها إذا طلب ذلك؟ — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.