Answered by Shaykh Amjad Rasheed
Translated by Shaykh Hamza Karamali, SunniPath Academy Teacher
Is it permissible for a wife to undergo a surgical operation in order to beautify her face or breasts when she has the permission of her husband? Is it permissible for a man to undergo a surgical operation for beautification?
In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.
Undergoing plastic surgery without need is unlawful
If the only reason for the surgical operation is to further beautify the form that Allah Most High has created one in, then the operation is unlawful for both men and women. In the case of women, the husband’s permission to undergo such an operation is of no consequence and the operation remains unlawful.
The reason for this is that such an operation comprises changing the creation of Allah Most High without need, which is unlawful, as can be inferred from the saying of the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace), “Allah curses the woman who joins people’s hair with other hair or has her hair joined to other hair by someone else, and [He curses] the woman who tattoos others or has herself tattooed.” (Bukhari and Muslim) In another version of the hadith related from Ibn Mas`ud (Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Allah curses the women who tattoo others and those who have themselves tattooed, those who remove their facial hair, and those who part their teeth in order to beautify themselves, thereby changing the creation of Allah.” A woman asked [Ibn Mas`ud] about this, and he said, “How can I not curse the one who the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) has cursed when the book of Allah Most High says, “Obey whatever the messenger commands you and avoid whatever he forbids you.” (59:7)
The great scholar `Abd al-Ra’uf al-Munawi said, “Tattooing is highly forbidden by consensus of all Muslims because it comprises changing the creation of Allah and rendering Allah Most High’s wisdom useless, so it is deserving of rejection.”
The top scholars of our school have also explicitly stated that injuring the body without need is unlawful
Undergoing plastic surgery with sufficient need is permissible
If, however, the reason for the surgical operation is to remove harm that arises because of a deformity that one is born with (such as when such a deformity makes it impossible for one to use a certain limb or prevents one from using it at its regular level), then it is permissible.
Similarly, it is permissible to remove an outgrowth of flesh if removing it is not dangerous.
It is also permissible to perform the operation if the deformity arises because of an accident, such as a burn, strike, or fall, because in this case, it is considered medicine (whose usage is recommended by Sacred Law). Another proof for this is the hadith related by Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Nasa’i where one of the companions lost his nose in a battle and Messenger of God (Allah bless him and give him peace) told him to have a nose of gold attached to his face.
الجواب: إذا كانت العمليةُ الجراحيةُ لمجرد تحسين خلقة الشخص الذي خلقه الله تعالى عليها فهي حرام على الرجل والمرأة ولو بإذن الزوج؛ لأن فيها تغييراً لخلق الله تعالى من غير ضرورة، وهو حرامٌ كما يُعلم من حديث البخاري ومسلم:” لعن الله الواصلة والمستوصلة والواشمة والمستوشمة “. وفي رواية لهما أيضاً عن ابن مسعود:” لعن الله الواشمات والمستوشمات والمتنمصات والمتفلجات للحسن المغيراتِ خلقَ الله، فقالت له امرأةٌ في ذلك فقال: وما لي لا ألعنُ مَن لعنه رسولُ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وهو في كتاب الله تعالى:(وما آتاكم الرسولُ فخذوه وما نهاكم عنه فانتهوا) “.
قال العلامةُ عبد الرؤوف المناوي:” الوشمُ حرامٌ شديدُ التحريم بإجماع الأمة؛ لتغيير خلق الله وإبطال حكمته تعالى فجديرٌ بالطرد والإبعاد “. اهـ وقد صرَّح أئمتُنا بأن جُرْحَ البدن من غير حاجة حرام.
أما إن كان غرضُ العمليةِ علاجُ ضررٍ حاصلٍ بسببِ التشوهِ الخلقي كأن كان ذلك التشوهُ يعطل منفعةَ عضو مثلاً أو يقلل منها فتجوز حينئذ، وكذلك يجوز قطعُ غدةٍ أو لحمةٍ زائدةٍ إن لم يكن في قطعها خطر، وأيضاً تجوزُ العملية فيما إذا كان التشوهُ قد حصل بسببٍ عارضٍ كحرق وضرب وسقوط؛ لأن هذا كله من باب التداوى المندوب إليه شرعاً، وبدليل ما رواه أحمد والترمذي أبو داود والنسائي عن عرفجة بن أسعد قال:” أصيبَ أنفي يومَ الكلاب في الجاهلية فاتخذتُ أنفاً من وَرِقٍ – أي: فضة – فأنتن عليَّ، فأمرني رسولُ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أن أتخذ أنفاً من ذهب “. قال الترمذي:” هذا حديثٌ حسنٌ غريبٌ … وقد روى غيرُ واحد من أهل العلم أنهم شدُّوا أسنانهم بالذهب، وفي الحديث حجةٌ لهم “.اهـ