Naseeb Blog Connecting Muslims across the world

Zo_Zu
October 29, 2007 10:12pm

bein middle-eastern i know that our pple have been blessed w/ lots bodily hair lool, woman or man, i think we all have 2 take care of selves, long as we dnt go overboard.. i guess u have 2 sorta judge 4 urself where the limit is.. dye my hair-put --on colored contacts-nose liposuction... lol u get the pt.

Darya23
August 15, 2007 10:53am

Ok, so now that I stopped laughing, I'd like to ask experts on the Islamic law if it's halal/haraam to be friends with those who puck their eyebrows (shave legs, underarms etc.), or if one is, indeed, cursed by having shared space with such a sinful being. Cause if so...(and I hate to brake the truth to you) some of you may be doomed...:):):) PS: Choosa, have you ever come across the interpretation of "black crows on their heads" meaning that women's HAIR was all messed up due to the cirumstances a) being fajr prayer, hence they may not have had time to brush the hair after waking up and b) prostration, when hair goes from back to front, and, if long, which it certainly was for all women at that time, it tangles together and creates what could be called "a crow nest". It may come as a surprise but in certain cultures, having "crow's nest on one's head" or having "crows gather on one's head" means exactly that-having a very messy hairdo. Is there 100% proof that those particular women wore black scarves? Or wore scarves at all?

Choosa
August 21, 2007 1:35pm

Wildchild84, this notion of men imitating women and vice versa is one of the most repeatedly abused phrases in Islam, to the point that most of the time when I hear of this phrase is makes me sick. The context of this statement of the Prophet related to transexuals. And not to styles of shoes, or shirts, or hair cuts, etc. These things are very different and we really ought to use a little wisdom and understanding when citing this hadith instead of misrepresenting it in the mainstream. And Allah knows best.

Scrubs
August 21, 2007 5:37pm

Maybe what he was trying to get across is that woman who plucks facial hair is cursed....by the one receiving the said plucking...because it hurts! ;-)

MissPakiGirl
August 15, 2007 9:52am

I know that I, nor a fashion conscience person, didn't make the rules.....BUT it be allowed!! We are always trying to maintain men and women to look vastly different....and have you seen arab/desi women when they haven't seen the salon in weeks/months? Dude! I've seen some brawny women with unibrows and beards! Not to make light of the situation, but I hope it is okay to do it!

Choosa
August 15, 2007 9:46am

Peace be upon you Shaiky, It may seem a trivial issue but it stems from something much deeper. That is, as Muslims we believe that we should follow the Quran and Sunnah. With regards to the Sunnah there are issues of those hadith which are authentic and those which are fabricated (as well as the rest in the middle). So when a person reads a hadith which says a person who plucks an eyebrow is cursed, then a persons conscious is pricked and they will want to know what this actually means, opposed to how it may be interpreted by people en masse. Let me give you another example. A hadith recorded in the Sahih of Al-Bukhari says that when the women left the mosque after prayers it was as if they had black crows on their heads. This hadith is used by some Muslims to justify the point of view that women should wear all black (abayas) and that all hair scarves should be black (opposed to other colours). No one doubts the authenticity of this hadith, however, this isn't the whole story. The scholar, Ibn Hajr, in his commentary on the Sahih of Bukhari pointed out that this hadith was reported at the time of fajr prayer, meaning that it was so early in the morning that no matter what colour the girls were wearing it would appear black. And so this hadith cannot be used to justify the position that girls should wear only black. It does however prove that women attended the mosque in early Islam, and it also, at best, can show that women used to cover their hair - though even this is a stretch from this hadith alone. Of course the Prophet Muhammad warned us of a time when people will end up disputing about small trivial things, to me, the eyebrow issue is one example of this, however there is no shortage of opinion floating around curing women who use tweezers to shape their eyebrow. By understanding the historical context of this hadith, and sharing the views and opinions of those who have commented on it, we can see a very different interpretation as some would like us to see. With this knowledge, and interpretation, people can go around plucking their eyebrows shaping them without fearing a major breach of their faith; thats the real issue behind this, and Allah knows best.

Choosa
August 21, 2007 1:32pm

Mysticlvr, you know I had this thing about Pamela Anderson when I was younger... utter disgust actually, euw, who would put themselves through such procedures, and for what, fame, success, etc. Have you seen her movies (no, not those kind but the mainstream ones), what a mess and may Allah Almighty have mercy and guide her, and all of us closer to Islam, amen.

Shak78
August 20, 2007 10:37pm

I have read through some of these posts and I would say good luck making up your mind... You can take the literal translation and not do anything. But if that was the case you would not be posting here to get input from others. In my opinion if you make them look somewhat natural(considering they look ungroomed) and do it in moderation allah swt wont mind...but thats entirely between you and him, I don't want to take away from few good deeds that I have to my name =) Ok naseeb we are ready for the next post ...

wildchild84
August 21, 2007 10:58am

"Scholars who have studied the issue in detail have concluded that if a persons eyebrows are unusually thick or unwieldy, then he or she can straighten them out. This is not considered nams or plucking. Allah wants us to look neat and tidy, and by trying to appear neat and tidy we are not distorting Allahs creation, rather we are only enhancing it. Source:http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaE&cid=1119503547124 Personally, with my angular face, I look like a teenage boy with thick eyebrows and it is haram for women to imitate men!!

mysticlvr
August 20, 2007 2:58pm

So, choosa, is the idea that it is not good (as prostitutes did) to obsess over one's looks to the extent of trying to drastically change them? Or is it just to say that, as in all of Islam, the middle path is best? What of plastic or cosmetic surgery? dying hair or other things that have no health or cleanliness benifit and yet are more invasive and/or more effort than plucking or shaving off all of one's eyebrow?

zarreen10
August 19, 2007 3:07pm

are you kidding me?

manbeast
August 19, 2007 11:54pm

...i called you what you are (or are not) this isn't a matter of seeking out "knowledge." you seek knowledge throughout your life. but as you accumulate, or start to accumulate, this knowledge, you have to put it to use. you cna't jsut store it away for a rainy day. there comes a point where you must start to live by that knowledge. which is what my point is. if you are muslim, if you've been a muslim all your life, or for however long, then you know the fundamentals. you know what islam is at its core. you must use this knowledge that you gain by being a muslim to live your life. you have to practice your faith. islam is not just a dogmatic set of physical practices that must be carried out, but it isn't an intangible set of ideas, either - it's both. you have to use your fundamental knowledge of islam to practice it, that knowledge must inform your practice, your life, and the decisions you make. something as trivial and insignificant as eyebrow plucking (which, should not even show up on the radar of what is moral amoral - it's a benign act that harms, hinders nothing) can be answered/ condoned immediately. and what is that particular piece of knowledge that leads to such a conclusion? it's common sense. it's using your ability to reason, to think. are you plucking your eyebrows to coerce men into have intercourse with you? no. you do it to not look like a monkey. how on earth can that be immoral? How? as for my reaction being inflammatory, i would disagree. it's a simple concept: if you don't know islam, it's meaning(s) for life, and you don't use your mind ( a God given gift), then you aren't practicing islam. if you aren't practicing islam, you aren't a muslim. i do not want a non-muslim to represent my faith. i'm not advocating your death, i'm advocating you stop blurring the image of my faith. death and destruction aren't the solution, education is. islam is at a crossroad. we need to move forward - but we can't do that, unless we point out and correct our flaws.

barizvi
August 15, 2007 9:07am

Naseeb reaches new limits each day with the questions that are posted here. If you find out that pluscking is haram will u stop and opt for a unibrow?

F_Angel1
August 17, 2007 8:37pm

Just go for electrolysis its better, and you are only going for a short session unlike plucking for lifetime.If there is any gunah, then its only one time cuz you get rid of junky hair FOREVER. Hey who wants to look like a Godzilla.

Aasmaan_asl
August 18, 2007 4:14pm

I thought Godzilla just had a problem with 'severe to extremely dry skin'.... :p

WestPalmBeach
August 18, 2007 5:42pm

Unfortunately, pubic hair is in the midst of an egregious public relations disaster. Fortunately, removal of armpit and pubic hair is a hygienic practice which was taught by the prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and which was enumerated as having been part of practices conforming to man's premortal nature. Similarly, women are permitted to remove hair from any areas which makes them feel good and comfortable about themselves. Why do mullah's make it more complex than it is?

ash707
August 17, 2007 3:38am

Yet again...literalist views and ritualistic norms take precedence over God given wisdom. If only people would separate the issues from non-issues and focus on topics of greater relevance.

E
August 17, 2007 9:54am

dang.. tweezer is my best friend

SweetLibra
August 17, 2007 2:44am

I believe that One should not force something on her or him. There can be a number of things i can say which r not rite and people having the knowledge of it , still practice it. If something is not allowed todo , it is not allowed to do. Thats the bottom line. Sophia, instead of asking people here, you should ask the Alims , who have a lot of knowledge of Islam. I would suggest that before asking thinking about such questions, we should ask ourselves how many times we pray . Every prayer that we neglect , one will get burnt in the hellfire for 1000 years or days. Imagine this.. First question will be asked who is our God? We should read the Quran by english translation. One should always remeber that Islam is the true religion and everything in Islam has wisdom. So please do not say anything against the hadiths too. Because we r from the ummah of Prophet Muhammad ( pbuh)..

ahmed_sae
August 17, 2007 12:26am

Don't you believe that god has better things to worry about than a woman plucking her eyebrows. i think if I were you I would let this one go ... I dont think god cares if you pluck your eyebrows or not as long as you dont kill some one or hurt them in any way. there are MUCH GREATER things to worry about in this world than plucking eye brows .... SERIOUSLY WE NEED TO TIGHTEN UP and re-evaluate our priorities!!!!!!!!!

MeowBilli
August 16, 2007 8:50pm

Instead of plucking/tweezing you should seriously consider waxing your eyebrows. As I was growing up, my grandma and mom always told me that I had to rid my body of unwanted hair, i.e. underarms, legs, etc. I guess I'm cursed and there is no turning back.

Raniyah
August 16, 2007 10:59pm

Salaam, I read a lot of the posts thus far and wanted to share some of my own insight. In my understanding, with what i've read so far, we're (according to Islamic guidelines) expected to stay clean, groom ourselves and look presentable.. we are infact the representatives of our religion. Having said that, what i've heard is that you're allowed to clean your eyebrows but not to shape them. Just like someone said about painting them on a boiled egg.. some people really go the distance to get the perfect brows but shy away from what was actually trying to be accomplished. It doesn't look natural. So, basically we're allowed to clean all the stray hair without disturbing the natural arch of the brow. Fair enough, right?

nuri
August 16, 2007 1:01pm

For Manbeast and anyone else that is offended or annoyed by this post, get over it...No one is claiming that this issue of eyebrow plucking is vital in Islam or that it's one of the pillars of Islam. There are some pretty reputable sources out that say that it is considered Haram in Islam for a woman to pluck her eyebrows so someone is merely asking about it. There are some of you that want to stick with only complying with the basics of Islam and that's fine but there are others that want to do more than just the basics. Granted there are people that blow insignificant issues in Islam out of proportion, but I dont think this is the case here.

pUrepAki
August 16, 2007 1:27pm

I actually think this is a good question. The whole point to Naseeb is to be able to ask questions that we aren't clear about. My mother always told me, in Islam it is important to be clean, and to me having extra hair makes me feel dirty. I think it really has to do with your neyaat (reasons for plucking). If you pluck to beautify yourself and attract attention, I think it's bad. But if you're doing it for yourself, I don't see the harm. This is just my take. I hope it helps, and I'm sorry if I offended anyone. :)

Aasmaan_asl
August 16, 2007 4:15pm

If I did not pluck my eyebrows, I could potentialy be mistaken for Chewbacca or at least the Abominable Snowman www.evilscale.com and if you got a look, you could potentially die of cardiac arrest. I consider it a public service and in the way of Sunnah to save your life. Accordingly, I pluck my eyebrows.

daniness
August 16, 2007 6:12pm

Aasmaan_asl, I literally cracked up after reading your comment on this issue :-P It's HILARIOUS!!!

sarapak
August 16, 2007 6:30pm

Honestly, I think that it all has to do with your intentions. I believe that prostitutes were the ones that did their eyebrows and stuff back during the prophet's time (s.a.w.)--that is, to the best of my knowledge. Don't walk around with a unibrow, man! Just groom urself to look decent is what I think should be done. However, some of us get carried away at times (yoohoo! hi.).

amoura
August 16, 2007 7:05pm

I agree with brother Choosa... what's forbidden or frowned upon is the removal and drawing/tatooing of the eyebrow so that we are not doing the same acts of the prostitutes of the time or to change how we were created. Removal of unwanted hair be it on the face or the body is halal as it constitutes the from of hygiene cleansing. Regarding teeth, its haram to fill the front gap as the Prophet (s Allah aws) had that gap. However, I haven't heard of whether it's haram to makrouh to file or fix croocked teeth but I would like to know if anyone has any ahadith in regards to that as I've heard that it's encouraged to fix teeth... Allah knows best. Your sister in Islam, Hala

Disco_Mullah
August 16, 2007 7:12am

Yes! I have found a perfect solution no not plucking nose hairs and still save face (literally) now I just play them off as a renegade hair from the mustache. If I comb it right ani't no body can tell about the origins of that one renegade nose hair... Wait. Does that mean I am living a deceitful life too by misrepresenting the originals of my facial hair? I iz confused.

t-dog
August 16, 2007 10:13am

For pity sake...

javed110
August 16, 2007 10:50am

I am still laughing....you actually asked this Question on "Ask Naseeb" God did not make the religion difficult for us.People have made the religion of Islam very difficult to follow. Eyebrow Plucking is not a big deal...if you feel happy about it,go ahead I don't think it's a sin.

Tounuscan
August 16, 2007 11:36am

Seem that u already gonna know sunnah for this. At least part of it. So with that u still wanna pluck? U may pluck all u wanna but it will not make u less cursed... :) really tho, if u wanna pluck one or two it will no hurt none.. Mohammed were more talk on ones who pluck the whole brow and use the mascara to fill it in.

Choosa
August 15, 2007 6:23am

Peace be upon you, Prophet Muhammad said, "Allah has cursed the women who do tattoos and those who have this done, the women who pluck eyebrows (al-Naamisaat) and those who have this done (al-Mutanammisaat), and the women who file their teeth and change the creation of Allah." Regarding eyebrows, the practice of the pre-Islamic Arabs was to remove the whole eyebrow, this was a common trait of prostitutes at that time. So it is less of the eyebrow removal but more of the acts of those who removed the eyebrow which were cursed and Allah knows best. Even today in some cultures you will find women removing their entire eyebrow, then, in its place, using one of those eyeliner thingies to draw a false eyebrow e.g. see geisha girls in Japan The terms al-Naamisaat, women who remove these hairs, and al-Mutanammisaat, those who have these hairs removed, have been open to interpretation: - Ibn Hajar in 'Fath al-Baariy' says that it implies the removal of any hair from the face, with tweezers, he has cited Tabariy as having said: it prohibits women from the plucking of unwanted hair from the upper lip (moustaches) and from the chin (beard) - Abu Dawood takes it to imply the removal and shaping of eyebrows - Nawawiy says that this narrative does not hinder a woman from removing a moustache or a beard, in fact, Nawawiy considers it desirable for a woman to remove such unwanted hair - Ibn Hajar has also mentioned that according to the opinion of some Hanaabilah (followers of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal), if removing of such hair from the face becomes a symbol of lewdness, then it would be prohibited, otherwise it would only be something of the category of what the pious should generally refrain from - According to Suyuti, it implies plucking hair from the forehead (the front part of the head). When we understand a verse or hadith we should understand both what it is saying and the relevance of what it is saying against the respective customs at that given time to place the verse/ hadith in context. In my understanding, from the opinions expressed above, there is nothing wrong with shaping an eyebrow, especially to avoid a unibrow, however, as with anything else in Islam, going to an extreme and removing the entire eyebrow should be discouraged. Just as, eating too much food, becoming really fat, should also be discouraged as that `changes the creation of Allah` as well. In the Shamaa of al-Tirmidhi, Hasan bin Ali said that Prophet Muhammad had "...dense and fine hair on his eyebrows. Both eyebrows were seperate and did not meet each other in the middle..." - so it seems the 'sunnah' is to have two separate eyebrows :-) In his book, Womens Roles in the art of Arabic Calligraphy, the scholar al-Munajid cites a scholar who observed, "The eyebrows of a beautiful woman have been compared to the Arabic letter noon, and her eye to an ayn, her temple to a waw, her mouth to a mim, and her braided hair to a shin." - lets face it, most people will not get a `noon` shape without a little plucking here or there :-) And Allah knows best

Sophiaz
August 16, 2007 4:56am

I have asked one question because I do not know the answer, now I think that's called humility! "Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave" Hadith El Bukhari You calling us ridiculous, that's arrogance... You sound like you have infused science and you don't have any questions any more... Good for you. MashAllah, you have reached the wisdom stage. As to your bellicose argumentation, what gives you the authority to call Muslims like me non Muslim. Now I guess I don't need to tell ya how our brothers in Islam are killing each other because of unfounded statements like yours, now do I, do I? Who is Muslim, who is not according to your standard? hmmm, so that's the war you're fighting... Oh, btw, is Intolerance the image you want to give to Islam? Thanks for your comments everyone. Much Appreciated

manbeast
August 16, 2007 1:50am

This goes out not only to the poster, but to ANYone else who finds themselves sympathizing with the question's proposed "plight." PLEASE do not call yourself muslim anymore. PLEASE stop "practicing" islam. you are not practicing it correctly, as you have missed the fundamental core of islam. you, and your ilk, have weighted down MY faith with your insignificant dogmas. you've reduced it to a drone-mentality cult following, that can neither think or see outside the proverbial box. this goes against the very fabric of islam. islam IS a revisionist faith. it is both a physical submission as well as physical. Allah has given you a mind, will, the ability to reason, to Think. why would He have given you these abilities if he rendered you incapable of using them with these supposed rules you showcase in His name? sure, you can abstain from plucking your eyebrows. sure, you can read five times a day. but can you say you've lived your life for the betterment of the less fortunate? can you say you've never told a lie? can you say you've always kept peace within and without? until you learn what islam really is about, stop saying you are muslim/ follower of islam. STOP insulting the faith that i (and many, many others) live by. STOP shedding shadows upon the principles by which i live my life. there is the concept of jihad. it has been exploited for it's struggle with outside forces. it's time, we muslims, turned that struggle inside and purified ourselves, our faith.

Aisha401
August 16, 2007 12:35am

A lot of Men pluck and Wax..It's not only us Women!! :) Does this go for them as well??..And what's up with these topics? If it looks bad and your trying to make yourself look better, isn't that a good thing??

Choosa
August 15, 2007 11:20am

Peace be upon you Darya, Just as Shaiky, you've pointed out at the way in which this issue has been blown out of proportion, been misrepresented, and is, surprisingly used by some as a way of trying to enforce certain norms on womenkind. The reality is, Islam in of itself is alien to such concepts, and for people to continue to refer to this issue, turning it from a simply statement into what it has become in some quarters, it quite depressing. As people we do not know whether to laugh at the absurdity or cry in pity for those who in their blind faith make it such an important issue. A parallel is like saying that a person who is distributing food to the poor does not give food to a poor woman because she is wearing a shorter dress than say another woman whose dress is a tad longer - this is both absurd and highly unIslamic. And those who cannot recognise this need to look again at what Islam teaches. RE the other interpretations, I haven't come across those as such, but I do remember an American convert, some years ago, commenting on another hadith which said that one of the signs of the day of judgment will be women walking as if they have bee hives on their head, saying that that referred to a style of haircut that was popular in the 1970s. Do not know that much about the hairstyle or that hadith, and Allah knows best. Plenty of information on what colour women did wear back then, from black to, would you believe, Aisha, the Prophets wive, even wearing pink when she once went on Umrah! (Very well dressed mashallah). And many more on the fact that women covered their hair - but thats another discussion.

Aliya06
August 15, 2007 12:20pm

Sophia this is a very valid question, but the wrong place to ask :) since what u get here are opinions of Muslims who may or may not even be practicing Islam and thus offering advice based on their own whims and desires. The correct place to ask is a scholar. Here is one online fatwa which declares it haram. Which is pretty much common among imams and muftis. www.islam-qa.com and Allah knows best.

Aliya06
August 15, 2007 12:21pm

Apparently it is permissable to remove a unibrow! www.islam-qa.com

Choosa
August 15, 2007 12:51pm

The problem with websites like Islam-qa.com is that they conveniently ignore the historical context when it suits them i.e. no reference to the fact that plucked eyebrows was directly related to prostitutes pre and early Islam. By not giving that context they misrepresent the saying of the Prophet, and may Allah Almighty protect us from such things, amen.

Darya23
August 15, 2007 1:13pm

...for your reply. I agree with you on the headcovering issue, since, historically, the practice of covering female's head, weather for climatic reasons or otherwise, was widespread, but the black color assigned to women's shawls in the interpretation of that particular occurence, I feel, is unfounded. God gave us eyes to see colors and we must take it as blessing, and hence include colors in our attire, and most importantely, in our general view of humanity. As previously recommended on here, Colors of Paradise is a wonderful film that stresses this very thought.

Disco_Mullah
August 15, 2007 2:41pm

vat about nose hairs? is plucking them harram too... Man, I've been living a sinful life...damn that only lonely nose hair sticking out almost begging to be plucked away. Its the devils temptation I tells you... Be afraid be very afraid.

azeem_p
August 15, 2007 5:29pm

If eyebrow plucking is haraam, and the opposite of haraam is halal, then eyebrow implantation is halaal, and the bushier the better. Come on people?!!? Like Choosa said, we have more important issues to worry about. There is no reason to make some poor girl getting rid of a little exces facial hair feel guilty about being feminine!!!

Foxglove
August 15, 2007 8:23pm

Choosa's right - you've got to look at the context in which that Hadith was revealed. I think the underlying reason for this rule is to prevent those really thin, fake, pencilled-in eyebrows which prostitutes used to draw on their faces. (As a matter of personal preference, I can't stand eyebrows that look like they've been painted on a boiled egg). It is similar to the Qu'ranic ayat which says you shouldn't wear noisy anklets and stamp your feet to attract male attention, as this is what the hookers used to do in the ancient city streets. However, I think there is nothing wrong with using tweezers to maintain a refined - yet natural - eyebrow shape. Islam promotes good grooming in general, so why should excessive facial hair be any different? Imam Riza said, "Three things are from the traditions of the messengers of God: using perfume, removing the hair and frequently visiting one's wife." (Wasa'il, Vol. 14, p. 4) As for the scholars' argument that eyebrow-plucking "changes Allah's creation," we are allowed to wear braces to correct wonky teeth, as well as cut the hair on our heads. Will the scholars attempt to ban these as well? Finally, if a girl was unlucky enough to have a monobrow, it would probably make her look like a man. As many of you know, there is a Qu'ranic ayat which condemns "women who imitate men." Therefore, one could argue that they would have to pluck their eyebrows to stop them from looking like a man - and the Qu'ranic injunctions OBVIOUSLY carry more weight than Hadiths.

pakdiva
August 15, 2007 10:26pm

What is this? Ask-Naseeb-Archives? Hasn't this discussion been up here before?

F_Angel1
August 22, 2007 5:41pm

I would say plucking, threading, waxing,electrolysis, laser or pulling hair is no problem as long as its ok with you. Just go ahead and do it unless u want to look like www.monkeon.co.uk

mfrizvi
October 25, 2007 3:38pm

There is also a hadeeth in Sahih Bukhari that states that your prayer is broken if your wife or a donkey is in front of you. That hadeeth doesn't make sense since Aisha used to lie down in front of Prophet Muhammad when he was praying. What I'm trying to say is every hadeeth doesn't make sense unless there is logic behind it. So looking good for your husband is OK. It obviously doesn't make sense to go in front of your husband looking like a monkey

DaZzLing_me
January 12, 2008 5:06pm

i know many Muslim womens follow this act.but it is very wrong there are no exceptions to a Hadith which is read and understood in simple words. WOMENS WHO PLUCK THERE EYEBROWS ARE CURSED.as for the upper lip hair it can be removed beacuse it is known by a Hadith that we can get rid of the hair that make you look like a man.