The Ruling on the Use of Henna by Men

A listener from Sudan named Bahaa al-Din sent a message containing two questions. In one of them, he asks: Is it permissible for a man to use henna for the purpose of adornment? Some scholars among us have permitted this use in the cases of marriage and medical treatment. We ask for your guidance. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer: If it is one of the characteristics of women, then you must not do it. However, if women do not do it among you, and only men do it, then there is no blame on you. A person may do it for adornment or for treatment of his feet or hands. But if he does it while it is something that women do, then this is imitating women. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited imitating women. Therefore, it is not permissible for a man to imitate a woman, and it is not permissible for a woman to imitate a man. If it is the case in your Sudan that this is specific to men and not women, then there is no imitation. But if it is one of the specific characteristics of women, then it is not permissible for you to do it, neither for you nor for anyone else. It is not permissible for a man to imitate a woman, neither in clothing nor in adornment, nor in henna, nor in jewelry, nor in any other type of adornment that women practice. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: : And the *mukhannath* is the one who imitates the woman in her speech, or in her walk, or in her clothing. So you and other men must beware of imitating women in what is specific to women in Sudan and elsewhere. Yes.