Hair and Eyelash Extensions

Question

Assalaamu alaykum Respected Mufti.

What is the ruling on the believing women who enhance their beauty with false eye lashes and to those who promote such extensions?

Answer

Wa Alaykum Al-Salam

The Answer with the help of the Almighty:

Hair and eyelash extensions using real hair or false hair are forbidden in Islam and the person who uses them is cursed by the Saviour of Mankind Muhammed ﷺ. Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim have both recorded a tradition from Ibn Umar that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

“The curse of Allah is upon those women who use extensions on their hair and upon those women who use extensions for (adorning) other women.”

There are several narrations similar to this and are narrated by different companions, Allah is pleased with them all. These narrations confirm that the curse of Allah is upon both the women who have the extensions done and the makeup artists that do them for their customers.

Imam Abu Dawood has recorded in his Sunan that when Sayyiduna Ameer Mu’aawiyah performed Hajj during his Khilaafah and then came to Madinah, he stood on the pulpit and took a cluster of hair that was in a soldier’s hands and then said,

“O People of Madinah! Where are your scholars? I heard from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that he used to forbid this and He ﷺ be upon him used to say that the Bani Israa’eel were only destroyed when their women began this.”

Furthermore, those women who practise the use of such extensions to adorn themselves for ‘ghayr mahram’ men (those whom they can potentially marry) are committing two sins, firstly as per the above is disobedience of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and secondly it is directly disobedience to Allah the Almighty as He has forbidden women to expose their adornment before ‘ghayr mahaarim’ in the thirty first verse of Surah Al-Noor.

“And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and protect their modesty, and to display of their adornment only that which is apparent, and to draw their veils over their bosoms, and not to reveal their adornment save to their own husbands or fathers or husband’s fathers or their sons or their husband’s sons, or their brothers or their brother’s sons or sister’s sons, or their women, or their slaves or male attendants who lack vigour, or children who do not know of women’s modesty. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And repent to Allah together, O Believers, in order that you may succeed.”

As for those women who practise the use of such extensions to give the impression that their hair or eyelashes are longer than they actually are, are committing a third sin of deceit.

It is also apparent that this is not the practise of the pious women in Islam but rather the practise of non Muslim women and therefore a fourth sin. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

“Whoever imitates a people is from amongst them.”

The truth is that men and women are already beautiful as they are. Allah the Almighty says in the Quran,

“Surely we have created man in the most beautiful stature.”

We must all be grateful to Allah for how He has created us and only adorn ourselves with that which He has not forbidden. Ungratefulness to Allah results in disbelief. This would be a fifth sin.

Women should adopt the Sunnah of our Prophet Muhammed Mustafa ﷺ regarding whom Allah has said,

“He does not speak from his own desire; it is not but revelation which is revealed upon him.”

He, ﷺ, prescribed ‘Ithmid’ as an eyeliner that gives growth to the eyelashes. Rather than using false extensions, women should use ‘Ithmid’ and if Allah wills, never feel the need of extensions again.

Imam Tirmidhi has recorded a narration from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbaas in the book of clothing that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

“Use ‘Ithmid’ on the eye line as it improves vision and gives growth to the lashes.”

Imam Tirmidhi then records in the book of medicine that He ﷺ said,

“The best eyeliner is ‘Ithmid’ because it improves vision and gives growth to the lashes.”

‘Ithmid’ is a particular black or dark grey stone that is crushed and made into powder then used as an eyeliner which is a practise known as ‘kohl’ in Arabic and ‘surmah’ in Persian and Urdu.

In the books of Fiqh it has clearly been stated that it is forbidden to use real hair as extensions whether they are the woman’s own hair or another woman’s hair and that the curse of Allah is upon such women. It is also forbidden to use extensions that resemble real hair because that which resembles the forbidden is also forbidden. As for using thread or similar material and joining them on to the hair has been permitted even if the thread or material is black, this has been mentioned in Bahare Shariat and Allah knows best.

Faqeer Zahid Hussain Al-Qadiri
22nd Thu Al-Hijjah 1436 AH