Why Performing Blepharoplasty is Not Haram in Islam
C.J Ahmed-18.05.2023
Blepharoplasty is a form of cosmetic procedure done to correct abnormalities, deformities or defects in the eyelids. In a nutshell, Blepharoplasty is a form of plastic surgery and plastic surgery is not haram for Muslims.
Plastic surgery is a broad term for the surgical intervention of restoraing, reconstructing or altering of the human body for aesthetic,correctional or even emergency procedures such as burns. Islam as a religion has never prohibited and you will never be able to find any direct evidence fom the Quran or any authentic hadiths prohibiting such procedures. Unfortunately due to ignorance prevalent amongst the Muslim community has brought about many wrong beliefs and one such belief is that plastic surgery changes Allah(swt)’s creation.
The main argument against undergoing such surgery among some Muslims is that doing so changes your appearance hence changing the creation of Allah (swt) and changing your featurs is haram. There is no evidence from the sunnah for the latter and if we take the example of changing ones hair color after turning grey, the prophet (sa;l) advised his companions who had grey hair to dye them with another color. The big misunderstanding of changing the creation is based on a hadith and let me explin it to you.
Narrated Ibn Masud:
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 (sal) has cursed and who are cursed in Allah's Book too?” (Bukhari)
The above hadith is the opinion of Ibn Masud (rali) and cannot be attributed to the prophet (sal). There are other variations as well.
Abdullah reported that Allah had cursed those women who tattooed and who have themselves tattooed, those who pluck hair from their faces and those who make spaces between their teeth for beautification changing what God has created. This news reached a woman of the tribe of Asad who was called Umm Ya'qub and she used to recite the Holy Qur'an. She came to him and said:
“What is this news that has reached me from you that you curse those women who tattooed and those women who have themselves tattooed, the women who pluck hair from their faces and who make spaces between their teeth for beautification changing what God has created? Thereupon 'Abdullah said: Should I not curse one upon whom Allah's Messenger (sal) has invoked curse and that is in the Book also. Thereupon that woman said: I read the Qur'an from cover to cover, but I did not find that in it. whereupon he said: If you had read (thoroughly) you would have definitely found this in that (as) Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, has said:" What Allah's Messenger brings for you accept that and what he has forbidden you, refrain from that." That woman said: I find this thing in your wife even now. Thereupon he said: Go and see her. She reported: I went to the wife of 'Abdullah but found nothing of this sort in her. She came back to him and said: I have not seen anything. whereupon he said: Had there been anything like it in her, I would have never slept with her in the bed.” (Sahih Muslim)
It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah said: “Allaah has cursed the women who do tattoos and those who ask for tattoos to be done, those who ask for their eyebrows to be plucked, and the women ask for their teeth to be filed for the purpose of beautification, changing the creation of Allaah.” A woman from the tribe of Bani Asad whose name was Umm Ya’qoob heard of that and she came and said, “I have heard that you have cursed So and so and So and so.” He said, “Why should I not curse those whom the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed and who are mentioned in the Book of Allaah?’ She said, “I have read what is between the two covers [of the Qur’aan], and I did not find anything in it like what you have said.” He said, “If you have read it, have you not read that Allaah says,
‘And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad) gives you, take it; and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it)’
[al-Hashr 59:7]?”
She said, “Of course.” He said, “He forbade that.” She said, “I think your wife does it.” He said, “Go and look.” So she went and looked and she did not see what she was looking for. He said, “If she had been like that, she would not be with us.”(Bukhari)
Inall of these hadiths it is narrated by bdullah Ibn Masud and he is attributing it to the prophet (sl) without narrating a narration directly stating that the prophet (sal) sai or cursed making gaps on the teeth for women. There ar other narrations in other books of hadiths which have weaknesses and let us focus on thee hadiths. The word used in these hadiths is “al-mutafallijaat” which means to make gaps between the teeth a a way to beautfy oneself and has nothing to do with filing the teeth. There is one authentic hadith indicating filing the teeth and below is that hadith,
Narrated Anas bin Malik:
Al-Rubayyi', sister of Anas b. al-Nadr, broke (one of) the front teeth of a woman. They came to the Prophet (sal). He made a decision in accordance with the Book of Allah that retaliation should be taken. Anas b. al-Nadr said: I swear by Him who has sent you the truth, her front tooth will not be broken today. He replied: Anas ! Allah's decree is retaliation. But the people were agreeable to accepting a fine, so the Prophet (sal) said: Among Allah's servants there are those who, if they adjured Allah, He (Allah) would consent to it.
Abu Dawud said: I heard Ahmad b. Hanbal say: He was asked : How retaliation of a tooth is taken ? He said: It is broken with a file. (Abu Dawud –Graded Sahih by Albani)
In this hadith, Ahmed ibn Hanbal gave his opinion that retaliation for breaking a tooth is to break it by filing it. If filing teeth is changing the creation, then breaking the teeth is also changing the creation but some might argue that under valid reasons such as justice it is allowed to break the teeth . This is just an assumption based argument.
What needs to be understood is using one hadith to give umbrella fatwas and prohibiting everything from cosmetic surgery to breast implants is crazy because none of these are changing the creation because Islam does not specifically forbid them. Changing beauty is subjective and if making changes to your body is forbidden based on one hadith, then cutting the hair is also changing the creation of Allah (swt) but cutting the hair is allowed in Islam.
Narrated Muawiya: ”I cut short the hair of Allah's Messenger (sal) with a long blade” (Sahih al Bukhari)
Narrated Ibn `Umar:
Allah's Messenger (sal) said, "To shave the pubic hair. to clip the nails and to cut the moustaches short, are characteristics of the Fitra." (Bukhari)
Narrated `Abdullah:
The Prophet (sal) and some of his companions got their heads shaved and some others got their hair cut short. (Bukhari)
All of these hadiths proves that cutting the hair is allowed in Islam. Now, some might argue that cutting the hair is different from making gaps in the teeth but there is one hadith which is not narrated by the prophet (sal) but by Abdullah ibn Masud aho also said that even plucking the eyebrows is changing Allah (swt)’s creation.
Narrated `Abdullah:
Allah has cursed those women who practise tattooing and those who get themselves tattooed, and those who remove their face hairs, and those who create a space between their teeth artificially to look beautiful, and such women as change the features created by Allah. Why then should I not curse those whom the Prophet (sal) has cursed? And that is in Allah's Book. i.e. His Saying: 'And what the Apostle gives you take it and what he forbids you abstain (from it).' (59.7)” (Bukhari and Muslim)
If these people are going by the opinion of Abdullah Ibn Masud (rali) of the prohibition of women plucking eyebrows, then the sunnah of cutting the hair is also haram because you are changing Allah’s creation.
Blepharoplasty is a form of cosmetic procedure done to correct abnormalities, deformities or defects in the eyelids. In a nutshell, Blepharoplasty is a form of plastic surgery and plastic surgery is not haram for Muslims.
Plastic surgery is a broad term for the surgical intervention of restoraing, reconstructing or altering of the human body for aesthetic,correctional or even emergency procedures such as burns. Islam as a religion has never prohibited and you will never be able to find any direct evidence fom the Quran or any authentic hadiths prohibiting such procedures. Unfortunately due to ignorance prevalent amongst the Muslim community has brought about many wrong beliefs and one such belief is that plastic surgery changes Allah(swt)’s creation.
The main argument against undergoing such surgery among some Muslims is that doing so changes your appearance hence changing the creation of Allah (swt) and changing your featurs is haram. There is no evidence from the sunnah for the latter and if we take the example of changing ones hair color after turning grey, the prophet (sa;l) advised his companions who had grey hair to dye them with another color. The big misunderstanding of changing the creation is based on a hadith and let me explin it to you.
Narrated Ibn Masud:
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 (sal) has cursed and who are cursed in Allah's Book too?” (Bukhari)
The above hadith is the opinion of Ibn Masud (rali) and cannot be attributed to the prophet (sal). There are other variations as well.
Abdullah reported that Allah had cursed those women who tattooed and who have themselves tattooed, those who pluck hair from their faces and those who make spaces between their teeth for beautification changing what God has created. This news reached a woman of the tribe of Asad who was called Umm Ya'qub and she used to recite the Holy Qur'an. She came to him and said:
“What is this news that has reached me from you that you curse those women who tattooed and those women who have themselves tattooed, the women who pluck hair from their faces and who make spaces between their teeth for beautification changing what God has created? Thereupon 'Abdullah said: Should I not curse one upon whom Allah's Messenger (sal) has invoked curse and that is in the Book also. Thereupon that woman said: I read the Qur'an from cover to cover, but I did not find that in it. whereupon he said: If you had read (thoroughly) you would have definitely found this in that (as) Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, has said:" What Allah's Messenger brings for you accept that and what he has forbidden you, refrain from that." That woman said: I find this thing in your wife even now. Thereupon he said: Go and see her. She reported: I went to the wife of 'Abdullah but found nothing of this sort in her. She came back to him and said: I have not seen anything. whereupon he said: Had there been anything like it in her, I would have never slept with her in the bed.” (Sahih Muslim)
It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah said: “Allaah has cursed the women who do tattoos and those who ask for tattoos to be done, those who ask for their eyebrows to be plucked, and the women ask for their teeth to be filed for the purpose of beautification, changing the creation of Allaah.” A woman from the tribe of Bani Asad whose name was Umm Ya’qoob heard of that and she came and said, “I have heard that you have cursed So and so and So and so.” He said, “Why should I not curse those whom the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed and who are mentioned in the Book of Allaah?’ She said, “I have read what is between the two covers [of the Qur’aan], and I did not find anything in it like what you have said.” He said, “If you have read it, have you not read that Allaah says,
‘And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad) gives you, take it; and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it)’
[al-Hashr 59:7]?”
She said, “Of course.” He said, “He forbade that.” She said, “I think your wife does it.” He said, “Go and look.” So she went and looked and she did not see what she was looking for. He said, “If she had been like that, she would not be with us.”(Bukhari)
Inall of these hadiths it is narrated by bdullah Ibn Masud and he is attributing it to the prophet (sl) without narrating a narration directly stating that the prophet (sal) sai or cursed making gaps on the teeth for women. There ar other narrations in other books of hadiths which have weaknesses and let us focus on thee hadiths. The word used in these hadiths is “al-mutafallijaat” which means to make gaps between the teeth a a way to beautfy oneself and has nothing to do with filing the teeth. There is one authentic hadith indicating filing the teeth and below is that hadith,
Narrated Anas bin Malik:
Al-Rubayyi', sister of Anas b. al-Nadr, broke (one of) the front teeth of a woman. They came to the Prophet (sal). He made a decision in accordance with the Book of Allah that retaliation should be taken. Anas b. al-Nadr said: I swear by Him who has sent you the truth, her front tooth will not be broken today. He replied: Anas ! Allah's decree is retaliation. But the people were agreeable to accepting a fine, so the Prophet (sal) said: Among Allah's servants there are those who, if they adjured Allah, He (Allah) would consent to it.
Abu Dawud said: I heard Ahmad b. Hanbal say: He was asked : How retaliation of a tooth is taken ? He said: It is broken with a file. (Abu Dawud –Graded Sahih by Albani)
In this hadith, Ahmed ibn Hanbal gave his opinion that retaliation for breaking a tooth is to break it by filing it. If filing teeth is changing the creation, then breaking the teeth is also changing the creation but some might argue that under valid reasons such as justice it is allowed to break the teeth . This is just an assumption based argument.
What needs to be understood is using one hadith to give umbrella fatwas and prohibiting everything from cosmetic surgery to breast implants is crazy because none of these are changing the creation because Islam does not specifically forbid them. Changing beauty is subjective and if making changes to your body is forbidden based on one hadith, then cutting the hair is also changing the creation of Allah (swt) but cutting the hair is allowed in Islam.
Narrated Muawiya: ”I cut short the hair of Allah's Messenger (sal) with a long blade” (Sahih al Bukhari)
Narrated Ibn `Umar:
Allah's Messenger (sal) said, "To shave the pubic hair. to clip the nails and to cut the moustaches short, are characteristics of the Fitra." (Bukhari)
Narrated `Abdullah:
The Prophet (sal) and some of his companions got their heads shaved and some others got their hair cut short. (Bukhari)
All of these hadiths proves that cutting the hair is allowed in Islam. Now, some might argue that cutting the hair is different from making gaps in the teeth but there is one hadith which is not narrated by the prophet (sal) but by Abdullah ibn Masud aho also said that even plucking the eyebrows is changing Allah (swt)’s creation.
Narrated `Abdullah:
Allah has cursed those women who practise tattooing and those who get themselves tattooed, and those who remove their face hairs, and those who create a space between their teeth artificially to look beautiful, and such women as change the features created by Allah. Why then should I not curse those whom the Prophet (sal) has cursed? And that is in Allah's Book. i.e. His Saying: 'And what the Apostle gives you take it and what he forbids you abstain (from it).' (59.7)” (Bukhari and Muslim)
If these people are going by the opinion of Abdullah Ibn Masud (rali) of the prohibition of women plucking eyebrows, then the sunnah of cutting the hair is also haram because you are changing Allah’s creation.