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Is cosmetic lip tattooing permissible?

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Askimam.org

Salam wrwb, semi permanent makeup is jaiz?? If someone has white spots on her lips, can she go for permanent lipstick??? It is like lip tattoo and stays for few years. Just to hide those spots not to change the shape. Jazakumullah khair

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

Sister in Islam,

Permanent makeup, also known as cosmetic tattooing, is the same process as traditional tattooing. The technician uses a needle to insert pigments into the dermis layer of the skin to change the skin’s appearance. Most of the modern-day permanent make up use organic pigments rather than the synthetic pigments which were used in the old days of traditional permanent make up. Nevertheless, the make up being referred to in the question is the practice of tattooing the lips to create fuller, healthier lips. [i] It is known as cosmetic lip tattooing.

In principle, it is impermissible to get a tattoo on any part of the body. It is narrated that Hazrat Ibn Mas’ud Radhi Allahu Anhu said:

لَعَنَ اللَّهُ الْوَاشِمَاتِ، وَالْمُسْتَوْشِمَاتِ، وَالْمُتَنَمِّصَاتِ وَالْمُتَفَلِّجَاتِ لِلْحُسْنِ، الْمُغَيِّرَاتِ خَلْقَ اللَّهِ، مَا لِي لاَ أَلْعَنُ مَنْ لَعَنَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَهْوَ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ‏.‏

Translation: “Allah has cursed those women who practise tattooing or get it done for themselves, and those who remove hair from their faces, and those who create spaces between their teeth artificially to look beautiful, such ladies as change the features created by Allah. Why then shall I not curse those whom Allah’s Messenger () has cursed and who are cursed in Allah’s Book too?” (Sahih al-Bukhari: 5931)

The above hadith states clear prohibition against getting tattoos on one’s body. However, as science has come up with effective treatments for cosmetic surgeries which also involve the procedure of being tattooed, one might get caught up in a situation where he may be in dire need of going through such a process. Therefore, if a tattoo is done for genuine medical purposes, such as to conceal a defect, then that will be permissible. This is also understood by the report narrated from Ibn Abbas:

عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ لُعِنَتِ الْوَاصِلَةُ وَالْمُسْتَوْصِلَةُ وَالنَّامِصَةُ وَالْمُتَنَمِّصَةُ وَالْوَاشِمَةُ وَالْمُسْتَوْشِمَةُ مِنْ غَيْرِ دَاءٍ

Translation: Narrated Ibn ‘Abbas: “The woman who supplies fake hair and the one who asks for it, the woman who pulls out hair for other people and the woman who depilates herself, the woman who tattoos and the one who has it done when there is no disease to justify it, have been cursed.” (Sunan Abu Dawud: 4170)

In conclusion, if you feel there is a genuine need for you to undergo a permanent lip tattooing therapy as a medical aid to conceal the white spots on your lips, then that will be permissible.[ii] [iii] [iv]However, it will be completely impermissible if the cosmetic lip tattoo is done for the purpose of adornment or to enhance beauty. You should ask yourself with utmost honesty for why it is being done. Is it for the purpose of adornment or due to a genuine medical need? You may make a decision accordingly.

 

 

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best 

Naved Akhtar Ibn Shabbir.

Student – Darul Iftaa

Shillong, India. 

Checked and Approved by,

Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

 

[ii] فتح الباري لابن حجر (10/ 376)

وَلِأَبَانَ بْنِ صَالِحٍ فِي هَذَا الْمَعْنَى حَدِيثٌ آخَرُ أَخْرَجَهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ مِنْ رِوَايَةِ أُسَامَةَ بْنِ زَيْدٍ عَنْهُ عَنْ مُجَاهِد عَن بن عَبَّاسٍ فَذَكَرَ الْحَدِيثَ الْمَرْفُوعَ دُونَ الْقِصَّةِ وَزَادَ فِيهِ النَّامِصَةَ وَالْمُتَنَمِّصَةَ وَقَالَ فِي آخِرِهِ وَالْمُسْتَوْشِمَةُ مِنْ غَيْرِ دَاءٍ وَسَنَدُهُ حَسَنٌ وَيُسْتَفَادُ مِنْهُ أَنَّ مَنْ صَنَعَتِ الْوَشْمَ عَنْ غَيْرِ قَصْدٍ لَهُ بَلْ تَدَاوَتْ مَثَلًا فَنَشَأَ عَنْهُ الْوَشْمُ أَنْ لَا تَدْخُلَ فِي الزَّجْرِ

[iii] بذل المجهود في حل سنن أبي داؤد,  ج 12, ص 198, دار البشائر الإسلامية

و الواشمة والمستوشمة من غير داء, متعلق بالوشم, أي: ان احتاجت الى الوشم للمداواة جاز و ان بقي منه أثر وقيل متعلق بكل ما تقدم , أي: لو كان بها علة فاحتاجت الى أحدها لجاز, قال النووي: فيه إشارة الى أن الحرام هو المفعول لطلب الحسن , أما لو احتاجت اليه لعلاج أو عيب في السن و نحوه فلا بأس

[iv] عون المعبود وحاشية ابن القيم (11/ 152)

(لُعِنَتْ) بِصِيغَةِ الْمَجْهُولِ (مِنْ غَيْرِ دَاءٍ) قال القارىء مُتَعَلِّقٌ بِالْوَشْمِ

قَالَ الْمُظْهِرُ إِنِ احْتَاجَتْ إِلَى الْوَشْمِ لِلْمُدَاوَاةِ جَازَ وَإِنْ بَقِيَ مِنْهُ أَثَرٌ وَقِيلَ مُتَعَلِّقٌ بِكُلِّ مَا تَقَدَّمَ أَيْ لَوْ كَانَ بِهَا عِلَّةٌ فَاحْتَاجَتْ إِلَى أَحَدِهَا لَجَازَ انْتَهَى

وَالْحَدِيثُ سَكَتَ عَنْهُ الْمُنْذِرِيُّ

 

This answer was collected from Askimam.org, which is operated under the supervision of Mufti Ebrahim Desai from South Africa.

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