Looking good is part of Islam

Nabi ﷺ once said that a person with even a tiny bit of pride in his heart will not enter Jannah. A man asked: but a person likes his clothes to be nice and his shoes to be nice. Nabi ﷺ said: Allah is beautiful and He loves beauty. Pride is refusing the truth and looking down on people¹.

• Looking good is not pride. Pride is in the heart.
• Allah likes to see His gifts on you. Nabi ﷺ said: Allah loves to see the signs of His blessing on His servant².
• Take care of your hair. Nabi ﷺ said: whoever has hair, let him look after it³.

So the starting point is halal and good. Combing, oiling, cutting and styling hair, using soap, shampoo, cream and make-up, keeping teeth clean and smelling nice: all of this is allowed, and with a good intention it is even rewarded.

There is only a short list of things Nabi ﷺ told us not to do. This chapter goes through it, and shows where scholars agree and where they differ.

The fitrah: the natural way

Fitrah means the natural, clean way Allah made people on. Nabi ﷺ named a few small habits as part of it.

Nabi ﷺ said: five things are part of the fitrah: circumcision, shaving the pubic hair, trimming the moustache, clipping the nails, and plucking the underarm hair⁴.

In another hadith he named ten⁵:

• The forty-day limit. Anas said: a time was set for us for trimming the moustache, clipping the nails, plucking the underarms and shaving the pubic hair: not to leave it more than forty nights⁶. Many people do it every week before Jumuah. Forty days is the outer limit.
• Siwak. Nabi ﷺ said: if it were not hard on my people, I would have told them to use the siwak before every prayer⁷.
• Circumcision is for boys, usually done when they are small. A man who becomes Muslim as an adult should ask a scholar and his doctor about his own case.

For the rules of istinja, see Istinja: cleaning after the toilet.

Removing body hair

Hair falls into three groups:

• Hair you are told to remove: pubic hair and underarm hair⁸. Use any method you like: a razor, cream, wax, sugaring or laser.
• Hair you are told to keep: a man's beard, and the eyebrows (both explained below).
• Everything else: arms, legs, chest, back. Nothing in the Quran or sunnah speaks about it, so the basic rule applies: it is allowed to keep it or remove it.

Some extra points:

• Women may remove hair from the legs, arms and body, and hair that is not normal for a woman, like a moustache.
• Men may trim or remove chest and back hair. Scholars only warn against doing it to look like a woman. Nabi ﷺ cursed men who copy women and women who copy men⁹.
• Do not pull out grey hairs. Nabi ﷺ forbade it and said grey hair is the light of the Muslim¹⁰. He said a good deed is written for each grey hair a believer grows in Islam¹¹. Dyeing them is a different matter (see below).
• At a salon, keep the normal rules of covering (the awrah). No one, not even another woman, should see between the navel and the knees without a real need.

The beard

Nabi ﷺ said: be different from the mushrikin (the idol worshippers): let the beard grow and trim the moustache¹². In another wording: trim the moustache and let the beard grow, and be different from the fire worshippers¹³.

Nabi ﷺ had a full beard, and so did the Companions. All scholars agree the beard is a sunnah of the prophets.

Is shaving it haram?

Here the scholars differ. Both views are held by real, respected scholars:

• Most scholars, including the Hanafi, Maliki and Hanbali schools, say shaving the beard is haram. Their proof: Nabi ﷺ gave a clear order, "let it grow", and an order means it is required.
• The main Shafi'i view, given by Imam an-Nawawi and others, is that shaving it is makruh (disliked), not haram. Some modern scholars also take this view. They see the order as strong advice, linked to looking different from other groups.

How long, and can I trim it?

• Some scholars say do not cut it at all, because the hadith says "let it grow".
• Many scholars allow trimming what goes past a fist. Ibn Umar, who told this very hadith, used to hold his beard in his hand after Hajj or Umrah and cut what came out below his fist¹⁴.
• Hanafis say a fist length is the sunnah. Cutting it shorter than that is not allowed in their school.
• Most scholars allow tidying stray hairs so the beard looks neat and clean.

The moustache

Nabi ﷺ said: trimming the moustache is part of the fitrah¹⁵. He also said: whoever does not take from his moustache is not one of us¹⁶.

• All scholars agree: do not let it grow long over the lip. Trim it at least every forty days¹⁷.
• How short? Some scholars, like Imam Malik, say trim the edge so the lip shows, and they did not like shaving it off completely. Many others say trimming it very short is best, because the hadith uses a word that means to trim closely¹⁸.

Hair on the head and hairstyles

The hair of Nabi ﷺ was wavy, not very curly and not very straight. It usually came down to between his earlobes and his shoulders¹⁹.

• Long or short, both are fine for men. Long hair is not required. If you grow it, keep it clean and combed²⁰.
• Shaving the whole head is fine for men, at any time, not only at Hajj.
• Women may cut their hair. The wives of Nabi ﷺ cut their hair short, to around the ears²¹. Scholars only warn against a cut that makes a woman look like a man²². Most scholars say a woman should not shave her head without a real need, like an illness.

Qaza: shaving part of the head

Ibn Umar said: Nabi ﷺ forbade qaza²³. The narrator explained qaza: shaving part of a boy's head and leaving other parts unshaven²⁴. Nabi ﷺ saw a boy like this and said: shave it all, or leave it all²⁵.

• Most scholars say qaza is makruh (disliked). It is not one of the big sins.
• What about fades and undercuts? Scholars differ. Some say any style that shaves one part of the head bare while leaving long hair on another part is qaza. Others say a fade, where the hair gets shorter step by step, is not qaza, because no part is left bare next to long hair. Follow a scholar you trust.

Dyeing hair

Dyeing grey hair is a sunnah. Nabi ﷺ said: the Jews and the Christians (of that time) do not dye their hair, so be different from them²⁶.

On the day Makkah was opened, Abu Quhafa, the old father of Abu Bakr, was brought to Nabi ﷺ. His hair and beard were completely white. Nabi ﷺ said: change this with something²⁷, but avoid black²⁸.

• The best dyes, Nabi ﷺ said, are henna and katam²⁹. Henna gives orange-red. Henna mixed with katam (a plant) gives a dark brown to near black.
• Dyeing is not required. Leaving grey hair as it is is also fine.
• Other colors. Brown, blonde, red and so on are allowed for men and women. Scholars only warn against dyeing to deceive someone, or to copy a group known for wrongdoing.
• Hair dye and wudu. Normal dye and henna are a color, not a layer. Wudu and ghusl with them are fine.

Black dye: the views

Nabi ﷺ also said: at the end of time there will be people who dye their hair black, like the chests of pigeons. They will not smell the scent of Jannah³⁰. Scholars took this in different ways:

• The Shafi'is and many others say pure black dye is haram, because of these hadith.
• Many Hanafi, Maliki and Hanbali scholars say it is makruh (disliked), not haram. Some of them allowed it for a soldier in war, and some allowed it for a husband or wife to look young for each other.
• Almost all agree that very dark brown, or henna with katam, is fine.

Eyebrows and threading

Abdullah ibn Masud said: Allah has cursed the women who tattoo and who have tattoos done, the women who pluck hair from the face (namisah), and the women who make gaps between their teeth for beauty, changing what Allah created. And he said: why should I not curse whom Nabi ﷺ cursed?³¹

A "curse" shows the act is serious. The hadith speaks of women because they did it at that time. The rule is the same for men.

What does namisah mean? The views

• Most scholars say it means removing hair from the eyebrows to thin them or change their shape. In their view, plucking, threading, waxing or shaving the eyebrows to shape them is not allowed, for women and for men.
• Some scholars allowed a married woman light tidying of her eyebrows for her husband, with his permission. Others said the curse was for women who did it as a sign of loose behavior at that time. Most scholars do not accept these views, but they are held by some.

What is allowed, by the view of many scholars:

• Removing the hair between the eyebrows (a unibrow). Many scholars say it is not part of the eyebrow.
• Removing a woman's moustache or beard hair. Imam an-Nawawi and many others said this is not included in the curse, and is even good to do.
• Eyebrow make-up, like pencil or powder, that washes off. (Remove anything that blocks water before wudu.)

Tattoos, hair extensions and filing teeth

Tattoos

• A real tattoo, ink put under the skin so it stays, is haram. Scholars agree on this³²³³.
• Henna designs on the skin are not tattoos. They sit on the skin and fade, so they are fine for women.
• Permanent make-up, like microblading, puts ink under the skin. Many scholars say it takes the tattoo ruling.

Already have a tattoo? Many people do.

• Your wudu, ghusl and salah are valid. Water reaches the skin above the ink.
• Make tawbah if you got it as a Muslim. For a new Muslim, Islam wipes out what came before it.
• Many scholars say: if removing it is easy and safe, remove it. If it would cause real pain, harm or big cost, you do not have to. Ask your doctor about any treatment.

Hair extensions and wigs

Nabi ﷺ said: Allah has cursed the woman who adds false hair and the woman who has it added³⁴. A woman told him her newly married daughter had lost her hair through illness, and asked if she could add hair. Even then, he said no³⁵. Muawiya later held up a piece of false hair and said Nabi ﷺ called it deception³⁶.

• Adding human hair to your own hair: scholars agree it is not allowed.
• Synthetic hair or other materials: most scholars say anything that looks like hair takes the same ruling³⁷. Hanafis and some others allow adding material that is not human hair, like wool or thread. Hair ties and scrunchies are fine for everyone.
• A wig after real hair loss (cancer treatment, alopecia): scholars differ. Many say no, because of the sick bride in the hadith. Some today allow it as fixing a defect, not as beauty. Ask a scholar you trust, and know that Allah sees your hardship.

Filing teeth

• Filing teeth or making gaps between them just to look prettier is in the same hadith³⁸.
• Fixing teeth is different: braces for crooked teeth, fixing broken or decayed teeth, or replacing missing ones. This is treatment, and it is allowed.

Nails, nail polish and henna

• Clip your nails at least every forty days³⁹. Long nails collect dirt.
• Nail polish is allowed to wear, but it is a layer that stops water reaching the nail. Wudu and ghusl with it on do not count, so take it off first. Many women wear it during their period, when they do not pray. "Breathable" polish is disputed. The full rules are in Wudu and Ghusl.
• Henna is only a color in the skin, so wudu with it is fine. For women, henna on the hands and feet is a lovely, old Muslim tradition.
• For men, henna on the hair and beard is sunnah⁴⁰. Many scholars say men should not put henna on the hands and feet for decoration, since in most places that is women's adornment. Using it for medicine is fine.

Perfume

Nabi ﷺ loved perfume. He said: in this world, women and perfume have been made dear to me, and the coolness of my eyes is in prayer⁴¹.

He never refused perfume as a gift⁴². Aisha used to put the best perfume she could find on him, until it shone on his head and beard⁴³. For Jumuah, he told men to bathe, use siwak, and put on perfume if they have it⁴⁴.

Men and women

Nabi ﷺ said: men's perfume is one whose smell shows and whose color is hidden. Women's perfume is one whose color shows and whose smell is hidden⁴⁵.

• For men, perfume is a loved sunnah, at home, at work and in the masjid.
• For women at home, with her husband, her family and other women, perfume is good and rewarded.
• For women going out where men she is not related to will be close by, Nabi ﷺ warned strongly against wearing perfume so that men smell it⁴⁶. He also told women coming to the masjid at night not to wear perfume⁴⁷.

Read that warning calmly. It is about a scent that reaches the men around her, not about being clean. So:

• Deodorant, scented soap, shampoo and body lotion are fine, as long as the smell is so light that people near you do not notice it.
• Strong perfume that fills a room or a lift is for home.
• Some scholars are stricter, and some are more relaxed about very light scents. Follow a scholar you trust.

Many perfumes contain alcohol. Whether that is allowed is a separate question. See Alcohol, drugs and smoking. Oil-based perfume (attar) avoids the question.

Changing the body or fixing a defect

In the Quran, shaytan says: I will order them, and they will change the creation of Allah⁴⁸. The hadith about tattoos, eyebrows and teeth also says "changing what Allah created"⁴⁹.

So scholars draw a line between two things:

• A Companion named Arfajah lost his nose in a battle. He made a nose of silver, but it began to smell. Nabi ﷺ told him to make one of gold⁵⁰. So fixing a lost part is allowed.
• Ibn Abbas, describing the women who were cursed for adding hair, plucking and tattooing, said: when there is no illness⁵¹. So treating a real illness is different.

Cosmetic surgery, Botox, fillers and laser are explained in Medicine and the body. For any treatment, ask your doctor.

Things people think are haram, but are not

• A woman cutting her hair short. The wives of Nabi ﷺ did⁵².
• A man shaving his head when it is not Hajj.
• Dyeing your hair brown, red or another color (just think about the views on black).
• Laser or waxing to remove body hair.
• A woman removing facial hair like a moustache. Only the eyebrows are the issue.
• Ear piercing for girls and women. The women at the time of Nabi ﷺ wore earrings, and some gave them in charity⁵³.
• Braces and fixing teeth.

Common questions

My job asks me to be clean shaven. What should I do?

Many workplaces allow a neat, trimmed beard, especially for religious reasons. Ask first. If they truly do not, speak to a scholar you trust. Some scholars allow shaving under real pressure, and the Shafi'i view sees shaving as disliked, not haram. Keep your beard in your heart as a sunnah you love.

My barber gives me a skin fade. Is that qaza?

Scholars differ, as explained above. Qaza itself is disliked, not a big sin. To be careful, ask for a fade that does not go down to bare skin.

I am a woman with thick eyebrows that join in the middle. Can I remove the hair between them?

Many scholars say yes, because it is not part of the eyebrow itself. Most scholars say do not thin or shape the brows themselves.

I lost my hair through chemotherapy. Can I wear a wig?

Scholars differ. Many say no, because Nabi ﷺ did not allow it even for a sick bride⁵⁴. Some allow it today as covering a defect. A headscarf, a hat or a soft cap is allowed by all. Ask a scholar you trust, and may Allah heal you.

My teenage son wants to dye his hair blue.

The color itself is not haram. Talk with him warmly about why he wants it. Hair grows back, and your bond with him matters more.

I got a tattoo before I became Muslim. Is my salah valid?

Yes. Your wudu, ghusl and salah are valid. Nabi ﷺ said: Islam wipes out what came before it⁵⁵. If the tattoo is easy and safe to remove you may, but if it would harm you, you do not have to.