Ruling on removing tattoos from the body if it causes harm
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Question:
This is a message from the listener Muhammad Salim 'Ayd, from the Iraqi Republic. He says: What is the position of Islam regarding tattooing the body, or artificial markings such as moles or beauty marks, for example? Since my childhood, we have had the custom of tattooing the body with needles. Now, it is not possible to remove them, and even if removal is possible, it leaves marks and disfigures the body. So, is their remaining presence forbidden and contrary to Islam, or is it otherwise?
I hope you will guide me to the right path. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
Tattooing is not permissible, neither for a man nor for a woman, not on the face, not on the hands, nor anywhere else; because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed the one who tattoos and the one who gets tattooed. So, it is obligatory to be cautious of that and not to return to it.
And it is obligatory for the one who does this to leave it, and to seek forgiveness from Allah, and to repent to Him for what has passed. This is the obligation in every sin: leaving it, and being cautious of it; out of fear of Allah, and exalting Him, and obeying Him and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), along with repentance for what has passed.
As for what remains of the marks of that, he is not obligated to remove it if it causes harm. He is not obligated to have it removed; because harm is not removed by harm. So, if the tattoos in him cannot be removed except by something more harmful and severe, then it is not removed, and Allah forgives what has passed; because this is not from his work, it is the work of another. But if it is easy to remove that without hardship or harm, then it is obligatory to remove it. It must be removed.
As for if that is not achieved except with hardship, or by creating something uglier, then there is no blame in that, and it is not obligatory to remove it. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah bless you.
This is a message from the listener Muhammad Salim 'Ayd, from the Iraqi Republic. He says: What is the position of Islam regarding tattooing the body, or artificial markings such as moles or beauty marks, for example? Since my childhood, we have had the custom of tattooing the body with needles. Now, it is not possible to remove them, and even if removal is possible, it leaves marks and disfigures the body. So, is their remaining presence forbidden and contrary to Islam, or is it otherwise?
I hope you will guide me to the right path. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
Tattooing is not permissible, neither for a man nor for a woman, not on the face, not on the hands, nor anywhere else; because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed the one who tattoos and the one who gets tattooed. So, it is obligatory to be cautious of that and not to return to it.
And it is obligatory for the one who does this to leave it, and to seek forgiveness from Allah, and to repent to Him for what has passed. This is the obligation in every sin: leaving it, and being cautious of it; out of fear of Allah, and exalting Him, and obeying Him and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), along with repentance for what has passed.
As for what remains of the marks of that, he is not obligated to remove it if it causes harm. He is not obligated to have it removed; because harm is not removed by harm. So, if the tattoos in him cannot be removed except by something more harmful and severe, then it is not removed, and Allah forgives what has passed; because this is not from his work, it is the work of another. But if it is easy to remove that without hardship or harm, then it is obligatory to remove it. It must be removed.
As for if that is not achieved except with hardship, or by creating something uglier, then there is no blame in that, and it is not obligatory to remove it. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah bless you.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.