Benefits of the Hadith: (That the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed the one who joins hair, the one who has hair joined to her, the one who tattoos, and the one who has tattoos done)
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The Shaykh : It is derived from this hadith: that joining hair and tattooing are among the major sins. From where?
From the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed the one who does it, and cursing is not done except for a major sin.
And it is derived from it: that whoever tries to beautify himself in a way that differs from Allah’s creation falls under those who change Allah’s creation, and this is from the commands of Satan.
Now, if someone says: You mentioned that some scholars said it is general, whether with hair or something other than hair, and some said it is specific to hair. Which of the two opinions is more correct?
We say: The correct view is that if a woman joins hair to her hair, there is no doubt that she falls under the hadith. Or if she joins artificial hair, she also falls under the hadith, because whoever sees it thinks it is natural hair. As for one who joins something else to it, where it is clear that it is not hair, then this does not fall under the hadith. For example, if she ties something to her hair that hangs down, then there is no harm in it and no blame, because it does not fall under the hadith and it does not result in changing Allah’s creation (Mighty and Majestic). Women nowadays use something like this. I think they use it on their heads, right?
The student: Tulle.
The Shaykh : Tulle, roses, and many things. These do not fall under the hadith.
If someone asks: Does a wig fall under this or not?
The student: She is included.
The Shaykh : Do you know what a wig is?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Is it derived from "baruk" or from "barakah"?
The student: From "baruk".
The Shaykh : Yes? We don’t know. Is it from "baruk" or from "barakah"? Because it increases the head or settles on the head.
The student: It settles.
The Shaykh : Ah, okay. In any case, it appears to me that it is a foreign name, not Arabic. The word "wig". Who knows the foreign language?
The student: We don’t have it.
The Shaykh : Okay, is it English?
The student: No.
The Shaykh : Nor English!! What language is this?
The student: French.
The Shaykh : French!
The student: What is it?
The Shaykh : A wig. Okay, a wig is something like a hat that a woman puts on her head, and it has hair, but it is artificial hair, not natural. It is colored artificial hair, some of it black and some blonde, hanging down to the bottom. This is the wig. So, does it fall under joining hair or not?
Some of our scholars see that it falls under joining hair, and that it is forbidden.
And others see that it does not fall under it because she did not join it, but rather she wore a hat with hanging hair. However, it appears to me that it falls under the description, because if she wears this on her head and the hair in this wig hangs down, then the one looking at it thinks it is hair. As for the one who says it is not joining because it is not connected to the head hair, it is said: The criterion is the meanings. In the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), this wig was not known, but joining and tying were known. But now it is known, and the one who sees it says it is a real head completely, so it falls under this hadith.
Okay, the second one: the one who tattoos and the one who has tattoos done. Yes.
And from the benefits of the hadith is the prohibition of tattooing, and that it is among the major sins, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed the one who does it.
But if someone says: What if a woman tattoos herself, considering it a tattoo that identifies her, meaning for the sake of adornment? For example, this tribe said we will make a tattoo for ourselves. Do you know this?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Just as we put a mark on camels, sheep, and cows by branding, we make a mark by tattooing so that when you see this woman or this child, it is said she is from such-and-such tribe. Is this permissible?
It is not permissible. The hadith is general. Then, the difference between a human and a beast is apparent. If you asked the beast who you are, it would not benefit you except with an opinion. If you asked humans who they are?
They say, I am from such-and-such tribe, and it ends there. So he is not in need of this.
The important thing is that tattooing is among the major sins, whether for adornment, for a mark, or otherwise. If someone says: The one who tattoos is cursed, that is clear. But how is the one who has tattoos done cursed?
We say: Because she is the one who requested it. And based on that, if a slave girl is tattooed while she is young and not discerning, then she does not fall under the curse. Because there are women nowadays who say that this tattoo on us, we did not know about it and did not request it. Do we deserve the curse?
The answer: No, because she does not fall under the one who has tattoos done; she did not have it done and did not request it.
It remains to be said: Is it obligatory for her to remove it?
We know that placing it did not involve sin on her part because she was not aware and did not request it. But is she obligated to remove this tattoo?
It appears to me that if there is no harm to her, it is obligatory for her to remove it. And if there is harm to her, it is not obligatory. The harm may be to the body in general, such as fearing bleeding on her face that would harm her, or fearing that if we remove this tattoo, a disfigured spot will remain in the skin, especially if the tattoo is on the face. In that case, there is no doubt that it will have an effect. So in this situation, we say: It is not obligatory. But perhaps one day a medicine for this tattoo will come that is easy, and it will be removed.
So why did the author place this hadith in the chapter on the treatment of women? What is the connection?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : No, yes? Hmm?
The student: Because he did not mention the husband’s right to divorce if he discovers a defect in her.
The Shaykh : No, no. Yes, Ibn Dawud?
The student: That a man loves for a woman to adorn herself for him, and this is from the secrets.
The Shaykh : And what is this?
The student: From the secrets.
The Shaykh : What did tattooing come with, and what did joining hair come with?
The student: A man loves for a woman to adorn herself for him, and this is from tattooing.
The Shaykh : On the contrary, because a woman loves to adorn herself for her husband and believes that tattooing is adornment. As for joining hair, it is adornment without doubt.
The student: From another angle.
The Shaykh : Yes? What?
The student: I said from another angle.
The Shaykh : And what is it?
The student: That among the treatment with kindness is that a man prevents his wife from what Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has forbidden for her.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The student: And among that is tattooing and joining hair.
The Shaykh : This, in any case, is a compelling angle.
Okay, so my brothers, it is also derived from this hadith: that it is not permissible for a person to change Allah’s creation for beautification, because the one who tattoos and the one who joins hair change Allah’s creation to increase beauty. But if one changes Allah’s creation to remove a defect, then there is no harm in it, and it does not fall under the prohibition. For example, if a person has an extra finger and wants to remove it, is he allowed to do so?
Yes, because this is removing a defect, and there is no harm in it. The evidence for this is: Yes.
And among that, if a person is "a'lam," meaning has a cleft upper lip. Some people have a cleft in their upper lip. If he wants to undergo surgery to join some of it to the rest, is it permissible?
Yes, because this is removing a defect.
And among that, if a person is strabismic and wants to correct his vision, is it permissible?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : It is permissible, because it is removing a defect. So the rule with us is: "Changing Allah’s creation for beautification is not permissible, and changing Allah’s creation to remove a defect is permissible" This is the criterion.
Okay, is it permissible to tie teeth to straighten their row?
The student: Yes, it is permissible.
The Shaykh : Yes?
The student: It is not permissible.
The Shaykh : There is a detail; it must be detailed:
If it is a defect, there is no harm. For example, if we assume that a tooth has come out, yes, this is a defect, so there is no harm in straightening it with its companions.
And if it is not a defect, but the person wants his teeth to be in a more beautiful form, then this is not permissible.:
The "mutafallijat": they are those who separate the space between their teeth until it opens. Meaning, they used to consider the separation to be among the beauties of a woman.
In any case, the criterion with us is the one relied upon.
Okay, from the benefits of this hadith: the explanation of the reversal of customs today. In what?
The student: In hair.
The Shaykh : In poetry, poetry was considered beauty; its length was considered beauty. Now, women have started cutting it short because they saw the French women cutting it, so they said: "Cutting this is better, so that we can start making airplanes, tanks, missiles, and intercontinental missiles, because this disbelieving nation did not reach what it reached except by cutting hair." Yes, they did not realize that they did not reach what they reached because they used the powers Allah gave them in what Allah commanded the Muslims to do:[Al-Anfal 8:60], [Al-Mulk 67:15]. We are neglecting this. If we had done what they did in exploring what Allah has deposited in the earth of great benefits, and in using our minds and ideas to manufacture these things, we would have been on a straighter path than they are. For the one who reflects on the conditions of people finds that the most sound in fitrah (innate natural disposition), the strongest in intelligence, and the most sound in reason are the Arabs. There is no doubt that the Arab race is the best of the races of the children of Adam, and the evidence for that is that the best of creation is from them, namely Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). It is not possible for him to be from anything but the best of the metals of mankind: [Al-An'am 6:124] But, unfortunately, the Arabs have now fallen far behind others.
From the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed the one who does it, and cursing is not done except for a major sin.
And it is derived from it: that whoever tries to beautify himself in a way that differs from Allah’s creation falls under those who change Allah’s creation, and this is from the commands of Satan.
Now, if someone says: You mentioned that some scholars said it is general, whether with hair or something other than hair, and some said it is specific to hair. Which of the two opinions is more correct?
We say: The correct view is that if a woman joins hair to her hair, there is no doubt that she falls under the hadith. Or if she joins artificial hair, she also falls under the hadith, because whoever sees it thinks it is natural hair. As for one who joins something else to it, where it is clear that it is not hair, then this does not fall under the hadith. For example, if she ties something to her hair that hangs down, then there is no harm in it and no blame, because it does not fall under the hadith and it does not result in changing Allah’s creation (Mighty and Majestic). Women nowadays use something like this. I think they use it on their heads, right?
The student: Tulle.
The Shaykh : Tulle, roses, and many things. These do not fall under the hadith.
If someone asks: Does a wig fall under this or not?
The student: She is included.
The Shaykh : Do you know what a wig is?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Is it derived from "baruk" or from "barakah"?
The student: From "baruk".
The Shaykh : Yes? We don’t know. Is it from "baruk" or from "barakah"? Because it increases the head or settles on the head.
The student: It settles.
The Shaykh : Ah, okay. In any case, it appears to me that it is a foreign name, not Arabic. The word "wig". Who knows the foreign language?
The student: We don’t have it.
The Shaykh : Okay, is it English?
The student: No.
The Shaykh : Nor English!! What language is this?
The student: French.
The Shaykh : French!
The student: What is it?
The Shaykh : A wig. Okay, a wig is something like a hat that a woman puts on her head, and it has hair, but it is artificial hair, not natural. It is colored artificial hair, some of it black and some blonde, hanging down to the bottom. This is the wig. So, does it fall under joining hair or not?
Some of our scholars see that it falls under joining hair, and that it is forbidden.
And others see that it does not fall under it because she did not join it, but rather she wore a hat with hanging hair. However, it appears to me that it falls under the description, because if she wears this on her head and the hair in this wig hangs down, then the one looking at it thinks it is hair. As for the one who says it is not joining because it is not connected to the head hair, it is said: The criterion is the meanings. In the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), this wig was not known, but joining and tying were known. But now it is known, and the one who sees it says it is a real head completely, so it falls under this hadith.
Okay, the second one: the one who tattoos and the one who has tattoos done. Yes.
And from the benefits of the hadith is the prohibition of tattooing, and that it is among the major sins, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed the one who does it.
But if someone says: What if a woman tattoos herself, considering it a tattoo that identifies her, meaning for the sake of adornment? For example, this tribe said we will make a tattoo for ourselves. Do you know this?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Just as we put a mark on camels, sheep, and cows by branding, we make a mark by tattooing so that when you see this woman or this child, it is said she is from such-and-such tribe. Is this permissible?
It is not permissible. The hadith is general. Then, the difference between a human and a beast is apparent. If you asked the beast who you are, it would not benefit you except with an opinion. If you asked humans who they are?
They say, I am from such-and-such tribe, and it ends there. So he is not in need of this.
The important thing is that tattooing is among the major sins, whether for adornment, for a mark, or otherwise. If someone says: The one who tattoos is cursed, that is clear. But how is the one who has tattoos done cursed?
We say: Because she is the one who requested it. And based on that, if a slave girl is tattooed while she is young and not discerning, then she does not fall under the curse. Because there are women nowadays who say that this tattoo on us, we did not know about it and did not request it. Do we deserve the curse?
The answer: No, because she does not fall under the one who has tattoos done; she did not have it done and did not request it.
It remains to be said: Is it obligatory for her to remove it?
We know that placing it did not involve sin on her part because she was not aware and did not request it. But is she obligated to remove this tattoo?
It appears to me that if there is no harm to her, it is obligatory for her to remove it. And if there is harm to her, it is not obligatory. The harm may be to the body in general, such as fearing bleeding on her face that would harm her, or fearing that if we remove this tattoo, a disfigured spot will remain in the skin, especially if the tattoo is on the face. In that case, there is no doubt that it will have an effect. So in this situation, we say: It is not obligatory. But perhaps one day a medicine for this tattoo will come that is easy, and it will be removed.
So why did the author place this hadith in the chapter on the treatment of women? What is the connection?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : No, yes? Hmm?
The student: Because he did not mention the husband’s right to divorce if he discovers a defect in her.
The Shaykh : No, no. Yes, Ibn Dawud?
The student: That a man loves for a woman to adorn herself for him, and this is from the secrets.
The Shaykh : And what is this?
The student: From the secrets.
The Shaykh : What did tattooing come with, and what did joining hair come with?
The student: A man loves for a woman to adorn herself for him, and this is from tattooing.
The Shaykh : On the contrary, because a woman loves to adorn herself for her husband and believes that tattooing is adornment. As for joining hair, it is adornment without doubt.
The student: From another angle.
The Shaykh : Yes? What?
The student: I said from another angle.
The Shaykh : And what is it?
The student: That among the treatment with kindness is that a man prevents his wife from what Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has forbidden for her.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The student: And among that is tattooing and joining hair.
The Shaykh : This, in any case, is a compelling angle.
Okay, so my brothers, it is also derived from this hadith: that it is not permissible for a person to change Allah’s creation for beautification, because the one who tattoos and the one who joins hair change Allah’s creation to increase beauty. But if one changes Allah’s creation to remove a defect, then there is no harm in it, and it does not fall under the prohibition. For example, if a person has an extra finger and wants to remove it, is he allowed to do so?
Yes, because this is removing a defect, and there is no harm in it. The evidence for this is:
That the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) permitted the one who had his nose cut off to make a nose of gold, so he made a nose of gold.
أن النبي عليه الصلاة والسلام أذن للذي قطع أنفه أن يتخذ أنفا من ذهب فاتخذ أنفا من ذهبAnd among that, if a person is "a'lam," meaning has a cleft upper lip. Some people have a cleft in their upper lip. If he wants to undergo surgery to join some of it to the rest, is it permissible?
Yes, because this is removing a defect.
And among that, if a person is strabismic and wants to correct his vision, is it permissible?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : It is permissible, because it is removing a defect. So the rule with us is: "Changing Allah’s creation for beautification is not permissible, and changing Allah’s creation to remove a defect is permissible" This is the criterion.
Okay, is it permissible to tie teeth to straighten their row?
The student: Yes, it is permissible.
The Shaykh : Yes?
The student: It is not permissible.
The Shaykh : There is a detail; it must be detailed:
If it is a defect, there is no harm. For example, if we assume that a tooth has come out, yes, this is a defect, so there is no harm in straightening it with its companions.
And if it is not a defect, but the person wants his teeth to be in a more beautiful form, then this is not permissible.
Because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed the one who plucks her eyebrows, the one who has her eyebrows plucked, and the one who files her teeth for beauty.
لأن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم لعن الواشرة والمستوشرة والمتفلجات للحسنThe "mutafallijat": they are those who separate the space between their teeth until it opens. Meaning, they used to consider the separation to be among the beauties of a woman.
In any case, the criterion with us is the one relied upon.
Okay, from the benefits of this hadith: the explanation of the reversal of customs today. In what?
The student: In hair.
The Shaykh : In poetry, poetry was considered beauty; its length was considered beauty. Now, women have started cutting it short because they saw the French women cutting it, so they said: "Cutting this is better, so that we can start making airplanes, tanks, missiles, and intercontinental missiles, because this disbelieving nation did not reach what it reached except by cutting hair." Yes, they did not realize that they did not reach what they reached because they used the powers Allah gave them in what Allah commanded the Muslims to do: