Excerpt Source: Aḥkām wa Masā’il fī Ḍaw’ al-Kitāb wa al-Sunnah
By: Shaykh Mubashshir Aḥmad Rabbānī
❖ Question:
These days people are using lenses to change their eye color — is it permissible to use them? Does it count as a sin? Kindly clarify.
❖ Ruling on the Use of Contact Lenses
In the market, two types of lenses are commonly available:
➊ Prescription Lenses (for vision correction):
These are used as an alternative to glasses by people with poor eyesight.
✔ There is no Shar‘i issue in using them.
➋ Cosmetic Lenses (for beauty/fashion):
These are plain lenses used solely for the purpose of beautification or fashion.
✔ Using them, in itself, is not inherently impermissible either.
❖ Specific Ruling for Women
However, regarding women, a particular caution is necessary.
☛ Numerous Shar‘i texts prohibit a woman from displaying her adornment before non-mahram men.
Hence:
✖ If a woman wears colored lenses:
- To alter her eye color
- And intentionally displays this beauty before non-maḥrams
➡ This becomes a sinful and impermissible act as it invites temptation (fitnah) and is a form of unlawful beautification.
✔ On the other hand:
- If a woman observes proper hijāb,
- Avoids showing her beauty to non-maḥrams,
- And uses such adornments within Shar‘i limits,
➡ Then this form of beauty is similar to other permissible adornments, and hence, allowed.
