Question:
What is the ruling of Shariah regarding adopting a child and giving him the family name? Kindly answer in the light of the Book and Sunnah.
Answer:
In the era of ignorance (Jahiliyyah), many bad customs were prevalent in society, and people had forgotten the true religion and Shariah. Some people had a religion based on distorted or abrogated scriptures, and the common people were unaware of it, or they were illiterate Arabs and non-Arabs who had invented many things according to their own understanding and discretion. In reality, those people were followers of customs and traditions. Even those who had superiority in knowledge and practice were unable to distinguish between the authentic and the false in the religion attributed to previous prophets. Due to the lack of correct Shariah and the abundance of customs, the aspect of reform was missing. Then Allah, out of His favor and grace upon this Ummah, sent His last Prophet, our master Muhammad, peace be upon him. Through him, Allah guided them to the right path and the straight way. Through him, Allah elevated them in knowledge, practice, morals, and character, and removed them from the vices and evils of society, setting them on a high standard. He took them out of the deep fortresses of ignorance and made them beautiful embodiments of obedience and following. Among the customs that had become prevalent in this society was tattooing (Washm). Its explanation by commentators and linguists is as follows:
وهو أن تغرز المرأة ظهر كفها أو معصمها بإبرة حتى تدميه ثم تحشوه بالكحل فيخضر أو تجعل فى وجهها الخيلان بكحل أو مداد
“Women would pierce the back of their hand or wrist with a needle to draw blood and then fill that place with kohl (surmah), which would turn that spot green or blue, or they would make marks on the face like moles using kohl or ink.”
Through kohl or indigo, designs, flowers, names, etc., were inscribed on certain parts of the body. This was a custom of the era of ignorance and unfortunately still exists in our society today. Both men and women are involved in it. Bus and truck drivers, conductors, and wrestler-type people inscribe their names or make some design on their arms or foreheads, and then this thing becomes so fixed in the body that to remove it, either that part of the skin must be cut or it must be burned with acid or similar substances; it cannot be easily removed. Islam has clearly forbidden this act. It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar, may Allah be pleased with them, that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
لعن الله الواصلة والمستوصلة والواشمة والمستوشمة
“May Allah curse the one who attaches and the one who has attached artificial hair.”
Sayyiduna Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
لعن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم عشرة آكل الربا وموكله وكاتبه، وشاهديه، والحال، والمحلل له، ومانع الصدقة، والواشمة والمستوشمة
“The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, cursed ten people: the one who consumes usury, the one who gives it, the one who writes it down, the two witnesses to usury, the one who performs halala, the one for whom halala is performed, the one who does not pay zakat, the one who tattoos the body and the one who has it tattooed.”
Although the chain of narration contains Harith al-A’war, it is considered good based on its evidences. It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
العين حق ونهى عن الوشم
“The evil eye is true. And you are forbidden from tattooing the body.”
It is narrated from Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him:
أن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم نهى عن ثمن الكلب وثمن الدم وأكل الربا ومؤكله والواشمة والمستوشمة
“Indeed, the Prophet, peace be upon him, forbade the price of a dog, the price of blood, consuming and giving usury, tattooing the body and having it tattooed.”
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said:
لعن الله الواشمات والمتوشمات والمتنمصات والمتفلجات للحسن المغيرات خلق الله قال قبلغ امرأة فى البيت يقال لها أم يعقوب فجاءت إليه فقالت بلغني أنك قلت كيت وكيت فقال ما لي لا ألعن من لعن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فى كتاب الله عزوجل فقالت إني لأقرأ ما بين لوحيه فما وجدته فقال إن كنت قرأتيه فقد وجدتيه أما قرأت
قالت بلى قال فإن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم نهى عنه قالت إني لأظن أهلك يفعلون قال اذهبي فانظري فنظرت فلم تر من حاجتها شيئا فجاءت فقالت ما رأيت شيئا قال لو كانت كذلك لم تجامعنا
“May Allah curse those who tattoo the body and those who have it tattooed, those who pluck facial hair, those who create gaps between the teeth, and those who alter Allah’s creation for the sake of beauty.” This statement reached a woman named Umm Ya’qub, who came and said: “I heard that you said such and such?” Abdullah bin Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with them, said: “Why should I not curse what the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, cursed in the Book of Allah?” She said: “I read the book between two boards, and I did not find this issue in it.” He said: “If you had read it with reflection and contemplation, you would have found it. Did you not read: ‘And whatever the Messenger gives you, take it, and whatever he forbids you, abstain from it’?” She said: “Yes.” He said: “Then the Prophet, peace be upon him, forbade it.” She said: “Why not?” Abdullah bin Mas’ud said: “Indeed, the Prophet, peace be upon him, forbade it.” She said: “I think your wife does this.” He said: “Go and see!” She went and saw nothing from her desire, then came back and said: “I saw nothing.” He said: “If she did that, we would not associate with her.”
It is narrated from Abu Umamah, may Allah be pleased with him:
أن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم لعن الواصلة والموصولة والواشمة والمستوشمة
“Indeed, the Prophet, peace be upon him, cursed the one who attaches and has attached artificial hair and the one who tattoos the body and has it tattooed.”
It is narrated from Sayyida Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her:
نهى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم عن الواشمة والمستوشمة والواصلة والمستوصلة والنامصة والمتنمصة
“The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, forbade tattooing the body and having it tattooed, attaching and having attached artificial hair, and plucking and removing facial hair.”
From these authentic hadiths, it is clear that piercing any part of the body with a needle or awl to draw blood and filling it with kohl or indigo is forbidden and a major sin, and a curse has been invoked upon it in Shariah. Hafiz Abu al-Fadl Abdul Rahim al-Iraq
in his commentary on the hadith narrated from Abu Huraira, states:
فيه النهي عن الوشم وهو أن تغرز إبرة أو مسلة أو نحوهما فى موضع من البدن كالشفة أو المعصم أو غيرهما حتى يسيل الدم ثم يحشى ذلك الموضع بالكحل أو النورة فيخضر وقد يفعل ذلك بدوائر ونقوش وقد يقلل وقد يكثر وهو حرام
“This hadith forbids tattooing the body, which means piercing any part of the body such as the lips, wrist, or any other place with a needle or awl until blood flows, then filling that place with kohl or powder that removes hair, turning that place green. Sometimes circles and designs are made, sometimes fewer, sometimes more, and this act is forbidden.”
Allama Ibn Hajar Makki has counted it among major sins. He writes in his book “
”:
“الكبيرة الحادية والثمانون الوشم وطلب عمله” The 81st major sin is tattooing the body and seeking this act. Then he mentions the prohibitive hadiths and also refers to Sheikh al-Islam al-Jalal al-Balqini, who also considered it a major sin. There is no doubt about it being a major sin because the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, cursed this act, and curse is counted among the signs of major sins. Sheikh Irfan al-Dimashqi writes:
فيه التصريح بأن من يفعل هذه الأمور أو إحداها فهي ملعونة مطرودة من رحمة الله تعالى
“This hadith clearly states that whoever commits all or some of these acts is cursed and distanced from the mercy of Allah.”
He further writes:
بأن ورود اللعن إنما هو من أقوى الإدلالات على تحريم الفعل لا بل إنه فى أكثر الأحيان من علامات ارتكاب الكبيرة والله أعلم
“The occurrence of curse upon an act is among the strongest indications of its prohibition because often the word curse is among the signs of major sins.”
Hafiz Ibn Hajar says:
وتعاطيه حرام بدلالة اللعن كما فى حديث الباب، ويصير الموضع الموسوم نجسا لأن الدم نجسه فتجب إزالته إن أمكنت ولو بالخرج إلا إن خاف منه تلفا أو شينا أو فوات منفعة عضو فيجوز إبقاؤه وتكفي التوبة فى سقوط الإثم ويستوي فى ذلك الرجل والمرأة
“Committing it is forbidden, as the word curse in the hadith of this chapter indicates, and the tattooed place becomes impure because the blood has made it impure. Removing it is obligatory as far as possible, even if it requires wounding, except if there is fear of damage to that part, loss of a limb, or loss of benefit of a limb, then leaving it is permissible. Repentance is sufficient for the removal of the sin, and this ruling applies equally to men and women.”
At one place, Hafiz Ibn Hajar states:
وفي هذه الأحاديث حجة لمن قال يحرم الوصل فى الشعر والوشم والنمص على الفاعل والمفعول به وهى حجة على من حمل النهي فيه على التنزيه لأن دلالة اللعن على التحريم من أقوى الدلالات بل عند بعضهم أنه من علامات الكبيرة
“All these hadiths support the position of the person who declares attaching artificial hair, tattooing the body, and plucking facial hair forbidden for both the doer and the one on whom it is done. Those who interpret these hadiths as mere discouragement have no proof against this because using the word curse to declare an act forbidden is among the strongest indications, and for some, it is among the signs of major sins.”
حافظ عراقي فرماتے هيں: قال أصحابنا ويصير الموضع الموشوم نجسا فإن أمكنت إزالته بالعلاج وجبت وإن لم يمكن إلا بالجرح فإن خاف منه التلف أو فوات منفعة عضو أو شينا فاحشا فى عضو ظاهر ثم تجب إزالته وإذا تاب لم يبق عليه إثم وإن لم يخف شيئا من ذلك لزمته إزالته ويعصي بتأخيره وسواء فى هذا كله الرجل والمرأة فإن قلت مخرج النهي عنه لا يدل على تحريمه قلت هو محتمل لذلك وقد دل على تحريمه بل على أنه كبيرة لمن فعله كما هو ثابت فى الصحيحين
“Our scholars have said that the tattooed place becomes impure, and if it is possible to remove it through treatment, then removal is obligatory. However, if removal is not possible without wounding, and there is fear of damage, loss of limb, loss of benefit, or defect in an apparent limb, then removal is not obligatory. When a person repents, the sin is removed from him, and if there is no fear of these matters, removal is obligatory, and delaying it is sinful. This ruling applies equally to men and women. If you say that mere prohibition of this act does not indicate its being haram, I would say it is possible, but there is evidence of its prohibition and being a major sin because the one who commits it is cursed, as established in the two Sahihs.”
It is understood that if a man or woman has tattooed marks, circles, designs, etc., on their body and removal is not possible, then repentance is sufficient.
Allama Haashimi, may Allah have mercy on him, in Majma’ al-Zawa’id
has dedicated a chapter on hadiths related to “tattooing” as follows: باب طهارة الوسم وأنه لا تجب إزالته “Explanation of the purity of tattooing and the statement that its removal is not obligatory.” That is, if this act has occurred on the body, repentance is sufficient, and removal is not necessary. But from the statements of Ibn Hajar and others, it is understood that if removal is possible, it should be done; otherwise, repentance alone suffices. If a woman has marks remaining after treatment, there is no harm because in a hadith narrated from Abdullah bin Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him, there is an exception إلا من داء meaning if marks remain due to illness, there is no harm. This hadith is found in Musnad Ahmad
. Allama Albani, may Allah have mercy on him, has authenticated this hadith on the condition of Muslim.
Similarly, in the narration of Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, the phrase والمستوشمة من غير داء is also present. This hadith is in Abu Dawood
and Al-Musnad al-Jami’
. Allama Albani, may Allah have mercy on him, graded it Hasan Sahih.
Ibn Hajar Asqalani, may Allah have mercy on him, said its chain is Hasan.
Similarly, in the narration of Harith, the phrase إلا من داء is present.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar Asqalani, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
ويستفاد منه أن من صنعت الموثم عن غير قصد له بل تداوت مثلا فقنعته الوثم أن لا تدخل فى الوعيد
“This hadith implies that one who unintentionally tattoos the body, for example, through treatment, and a tattoo results, is not included in this warning.”
The author of ‘Awn al-Ma’bud’ writes, regarding من غير داء in the hadith, Mulla Ali Qari said:
متعلق بالوسم قال المظهر إن احتاجت للمداواة جاز وإن بقي منه أثر وقيل متعلق بكل ما تقدم أى لو كان بها علة فاحتاجت إلى إحداها لجاز انتهى
The exception of illness relates to tattooing. The commentator of the hadith said that if treatment is necessary, it is permissible even if the mark remains. It is also said that this exception applies to all the matters mentioned earlier in the hadith, such as hair extensions and plucking. If a woman has an illness and needs any of these, it is permissible.
But this opinion is weak, as indicated by the phrase “it is said,” and it contradicts the texts.
﴿وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانْتَهُوا﴾
