plucking eyebrows

[oOo Lamia oOo]

just out of curiosity is plucking ones eyebrows haram because it beautifies the eyes further or is it not recommended or is it ok?

[missy kizzie]

As far as i know, ive been told that its fine as long as your husband allows you to do it because you want to look beautiful for him and if he disagrees then its best not to.

[Pr1nce]

From SunniPath:

Q: Is it permissible for women to remove facial hair, and hair from the arms and legs? I am in the beauty business and I do waxing for my clients. Please tell me if it is permissible in Islam

A: In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful & Compassionate

From a previous question answered by Shaykh Abdurrahman ibn Yusuf:

Taking the hadith and the various statements of the Hanafi jurists into consideration the following could be concluded:

1. It would be permitted for a woman to remove a beard or a moustache that appears on her face. Even though it is facial hair, but since it is to stop women from resembling men, it is permitted. This is the opinion of the majority of scholars, in fact they have said it is recommended, not just permitted. The same will be to bleach this hair instead.

2. If the eyebrows are linked in between, it would be permissible to remove the excess hair from in between to separate them [i.e. the hair above the nose]. The reason for this is that linked eyebrows are looked upon as a defect, hence it would be permissible to remove it.

3. A 'few' stray hairs around the eyebrows would be permissible to remove by clipping them off, if it looks defective, or for married women creates abhorrence in their husband. This does not mean it is permitted to remove a whole line or two of fine hair from around the eyebrows [as is the case nowadays].

4. Dense bushy eyebrows may be trimmed down to a more normal size. However, one must exercise great caution in this regard, since one does not want it to fall under the warning of the hadith. If one is not sure how to determine the normal size they should not act on the benefit of the doubt, but rather follow the more cautionary approach and trim less. What so called 'regular' [especially non-Muslim] people consider nowadays as the norm i.e. eyebrows that are shaped in particular unnatural or reduced to thin lines can not be considered as acceptable in Islamic law due to the severity of the hadith.

5. Great caution has to be exercised in this regard, since the hadith is very strict and there are some Hanafi scholars who have taken more strict position. For instance, Mullah Ali al-Qari (Allah be pleased with him) comments [relating from Imam Nawawi] that plucking of the facial hair is haram (unlawful) for a woman with the exception of moustache or beard hairs (Mirqat al-Mafatih 8:218). The concessions mentioned above are for the removal of a defective appearance and not for purely beautification purpose, hence, caution in this matters is the way.

Wassalam,

SunniPath Fiqh Team

What I would add is to keep in mind the hadith on eyebrows

[oOo Lamia oOo]

The concessions mentioned above are for the removal of a defective appearance and not for purely beautification purpose, hence, caution in this matters is the way.

so does this mean that it is not permissable for our own sake. do you know the punishment from removing them?

[Hanbali_NaqshbandiHanafi]

Asslamo Allaikum,

It would be best to avoid this simply for beautification reasons.

The concessions mentioned above are for the removal of a defective appearance and not for purely beautification purpose, hence, caution in this matters is the way.

so does this mean that it is not permissable for our own sake. do you know the punishment from removing them?

[Noor ul Islam]

AssalaamuAlaikum
Our Prophet SAW has cursed such a woman isnt it enough punishment to invite the curse of Rasool SAW

[Pr1nce]

The concessions mentioned above are for the removal of a defective appearance and not for purely beautification purpose, hence, caution in this matters is the way.

so does this mean that it is not permissable for our own sake. do you know the punishment from removing them?

Ibrahim related that 'Alqama said, "'Abdullah cursed women who tattoo, pluck eyebrows and created gaps in their teeth, changing the creation of Allah,' Umm Ya'qub said, 'What is this?' 'Abdullah said, 'Why should I not curse those whom the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, cursed and it is in the Book of Allah.' She said, 'By Allah, I have read it from cover to cover and have not found it!' He said, 'Whatever the Messenger gives you you should accept and whatever He forbids you you should forgo.' (59:7)" [Bukhari]
Imagine being cursed! Subhan'Allah. It would be better for you sister to exercise caution and to try and be on the safe side Insha'Allah

[Fatih Sultan Muhammed]

Assalamu alaikum borthers and sisters.

How about trimming eyebrows (either for men or women) ?

[sultana]

Fatih Sultan Muhammed

If the eyebrows are linked in between, it would be permissible to remove the excess hair from in between to separate them [i.e. the hair above the nose]. The reason for this is that linked eyebrows are looked upon as a defect, hence it would be permissible to remove it.

[maymunah]

mm how many brothers actually forbid their wives or sisters from plucking their eyebrows. most of the muslim sisters ive met pluck their eyebrows, and if their husband were really concerned about these hadith surely they wouldn't be?

I believe the husbands find it attractive so they don't forbid them. I'm sure there are exceptions to this, but that's my experience.