Plucking the facial hair of women.
Ibn Mas’ud (May Allah be pleased with him) said:
Allah has cursed those women who practise tattooing and those women who have themselves tattooed, and those women who get their hair removed from their eyebrows and faces (except the beard and the mustache), and those who make artificial spaces between their teeth for beauty, whereby they change Allah’s creation. A woman started to argue with him, saying: “What is all this?” He replied: “Why should I not curse those whom the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) cursed and who are cursed in Allah’s Book? Allah, the Exalted, has said in His Book:
“And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad (ﷺ)) gives you, take it; and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it).” (59:7)
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].a) Maalikis understood this hadith , It says in al-Fawaakih ad-Dawaani, which is a book about Maaliki fiqh (2/509):
والتنميص هو نتف شعر الحاجب حتى يصير دقيقا حسنا.
ولكن روي عن عائشة رضي الله عنها جواز إزالة الشعر من الحاجب والوجه ، وهو الموافق لما مرّ، من أن المعتمد جواز حلق جميع شعر المرأة ما عدا شعر رأسها.
وعليه؛ فيحمل ما في الحديث على المرأة المنهية عن استعمال ما هو زينة لها، كالمتوفى عنها، والمفقود زوجها ” انتهى.
Plucking refers to pulling out the eyebrow hairs so that the brow becomes thin and beautiful.
Moreover, it was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that it is permissible to remove hair from the eyebrow and face, and this supports the view mentioned above, according to which it is permissible for a woman to shave all of her hair except that on her head.
Based on that, the hadith (of Ibn Masood) is to be understood as referring to the woman who is forbidden to use any adornment, such as one whose husband has recently died and one whose husband is missing. End quote. from Islamqa Question number: 290806 and they think the above fatwa of Maaliki scholars is not more correct view.
b) Mosuaat al Fiqhiyah al Kuwaitiyah (15/69) states :
واتّفق الفقهاء على أنّ النّهي عن التّنمّص في الحديث محمول على الحرمة ، ونقل عن أحمد وغيره أنّ النّهي محمول على الكراهة .
وجمهور العلماء على أنّ النّهي في الحديث ليس عامّا ، وذهب ابن مسعود وابن جرير الطّبريّ إلى عموم النّهي ، وأنّ التّنمّص حرام على كلّ حال .
وذهب الجمهور إلى أنّه لا يجوز التّنمّص لغير المتزوّجة ، وأجاز بعضهم لغير المتزوّجة فعل ذلك إذا احتيج إليه لعلاج أو عيب ، بشرط أن لا يكون فيه تدليس على الآخرين .
قال العدويّ : والنّهي محمول على المرأة المنهيّة عن استعمال ما هو زينة لها ، كالمتوفّى عنها والمفقود زوجها . أمّا المرأة المتزوّجة فيرى جمهور الفقهاء أنّه يجوز لها التّنمّص ، إذا كان بإذن الزّوج ، أو دلّت قرينة على ذلك ، لأنّه من الزّينة ، والزّينة مطلوبة للتّحصين ، والمرأة مأمورة بها شرعا لزوجها .
ودليلهم ما روته بكرة بنت عقبة أنّها سألت عائشة رضي الله عنها عن الحفاف ، فقالت : إن كان لك زوج فاستطعت أن تنتزعي مقلتيك فتصنعيهما أحسن ممّا هما فافعلي .
وذهب الحنابلة إلى عدم جواز التّنمّص – وهو النّتف – ولو كان بإذن الزّوج ، وإلى جواز الحفّ والحلق .
وخالفهم ابن الجوزيّ فأباحه ، وحمل النّهي على التّدليس ،أو على أنّه كان شعار الفاجرات.
The fuqaha agreed that the negation of plucking the eyebrows is interpreted as prohibition , and it is narrated from Ahmad (bin Hanbal) and others that this negation is Interpreted as Karaha (disliking).
Majority of the scholars said this hadith is not general, whereas Ibn Masud and Ibn Jareer at-Tabri are on the opinion of its generality, and considered the plucking as prohibited in all of the situations.
Majority of the scholars say that plucking the eyebrows is prohibited for the one who is not married, and some of them states that it is allowed for the one who is not married if it is necessary for remedy or defect, provided that there should be no cheating for others.
al Adwi said:… Majority of the scholars says: Plucking the eyebrows is allowed for the one who is married with the consent of her husband since, it is considered as adornments…
Their evidence is the narration of Bukra bint ‘Uqba who asked’Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) about plucking her eyebrows, ‘Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) responded: “If you are married, and by plucking your eyebrows you will make them attractive, then do it”.
The opinion of Hanabilah is that it is not allowed even with the permission of husband… and Ibn al Jawzi (Hanbali) went against them and said it is allowed and considered this prohibition for those who do this to cheat or If it is the sh`aar of Faajiraat. (end quote)
c) Ali bin Ja`d narrated in his Musnad
قال: حدثنا شعبة (ثقة ثبت) عن أبي إسحاق (السبيعي، ثقة ثبت) قال: دخلت امرأتي على عائشة وأم ولد لزيد بن أرقم. قال: وسألتها امرأتي عن المرأة تحف جبينها؟ قالت: «أَمِيطِي عنكِ الأذى ما استطعت».
Abu Ishaq said: My wife (Aaliya) went to ‘Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her).. she asked: “Should a woman pluck her hair from her forehead?”
She (may Allah be pleased with her) answered:”Keep this disturbances away as much as possible.” [Musnad Ali bin Ja`d (1|80 #451)]
d) Abdul Razzaq narrated
عن معمر (ثقة ثبت، عن غير العراقيين) والثوري (ثقة ثبت) عن أبي إسحاق (السبيعي الكوفي، ثقة ثبت بمستوى الزهري) عن امرأة ابن أبي السفر أنها كانت عند عائشة. فسألتها امرأة فقالت: «يا أم المؤمنين. إن في وجهي شَعَراتٍ، أَفَأَنْتِفُهُن َّ: أتزيَّنُ بذلك لزوجي؟». فقالت عائشة: «أَمِيطِي عنك الأذى. وتصنَّعي لزوجك كما تصْنَعين للزيارة. وإذا أمركِ فلتطيعيه. وإذا أقسم عليك فأبرّيه. ولا تأذني في بيته لمن يكره».
Abu Ishaq said: that the wife of Ibn Abi Safar came to Ayisha (Radiya Allahu Anha) and asked her, “O mother of believers! I have hair on my face, is it ok to pluck it to beautify myself for my husband? Ayisha said: ‘Remove the harm from you and make up yourself for your husband as you do at the time of his visiting” [Abdur Razzaq reported in al-Musannaf (3|146)].
Note: this is other than eyebrows according to some scholars.
e) ad-Dhahabi said: Bukra bint ‘Uqba asked’Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her)
وَسَأَلَتْهَا عَنِ الحِفَافِ؟
فَقَالَتْ لَهَا: إِنْ كَانَ لَكِ زَوْجٌ، فَاسْتَطَعْتِ أَنْ تَنْزِعِي مُقْلَتَيْكِ، فَتَصْنَعِيْنَهُمَا أَحْسَنَ مِمَّا هُمَا، فَافْعَلِي
about plucking her eyebrows, ‘Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) responded: “If you are married, and by plucking your eyebrows you will make them attractive, then do it”.
f) Plucking the hair between the eyebrows?
It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah:
What is the Islamic ruling on plucking the hair between the eyebrows?
They replied:
It is permissible to pluck it, because it is not part of the eyebrows. (Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 5/197)
Ruling concerning shaving the hair of woman and man’s whole body.
a) It says in al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah (18/100):
وَأَمَّا حَلْقُ شَعْرِ سَائِرِ الْجَسَدِ كَشَعْرِ الْيَدَيْنِ وَالرِّجْلَيْنِ فَقَدْ صَرَّحَ الْمَالِكِيَّةُ بِوُجُوبِهِ فِي حَقِّ النِّسَاءِ وَقَالُوا: يَجِبُ عَلَيْهَا إِزَالَةُ مَا فِي إِزَالَتِهِ جَمَالٌ لَهَا وَلَوْ شَعْرَ اللِّحْيَةِ إِنْ نَبَتَتْ لَهَا لِحْيَةٌ، وَيَجِبُ عَلَيْهِنَّ إِبْقَاءُ مَا فِي إِبْقَائِهِ جَمَالٌ لَهَا فَيَحْرُمُ عَلَيْهَا حَلْقُ شَعْرِهَا .
وَأَمَّا حَلْقُ شَعْرِ الْجَسَدِ فِي حَقِّ الرِّجَال فَمُبَاحٌ عِنْدَ الْمَالِكِيَّةِ، وَقِيل: سُنَّةٌ، وَالْمُرَادُ بِالْجَسَدِ مَا عَدَا الرَّأْسَ
With regard to shaving body hair (in case of women) like the hair of hands, and legs. The Malakis clearly said iy is obligation on women. They said: if removing it will increase her beauty, but she must leave whatever makes her beautiful, so she is forbidden to shave the hair on her head.
With regard to shaving body hair in the case of a man, it is permissible according to the Maalikis, and it was said that it is Sunnah. What is meant by the body is everything except the head. (end quote)
b) Fatawa al Lajnah states:
There is no sin on a woman if she removes hair on her upper lip, thighs, calves and arms. This is not part of the plucking that is forbidden.
(Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 5/194, 195)