❀ 7 Shar‘i Rulings Regarding Eyebrows, Arms, and Legs Hair ❀
Derived from: Fatāwā ad-Dīn al-Khālis, Volume 1, Page 411
Is it permissible for men and women to trim or pluck their eyebrows?
And is it permissible for both to shave hair on their legs, arms, etc.?
Please explain in detail.
Answer:
Alḥamdulillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, Ammā baʿd!
Narrated by ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd (رضي الله عنه):
“May Allah curse the women who tattoo and those who get tattooed, those who pluck facial hair and those who get it plucked, and those who create spaces between their teeth for the sake of beauty, and those who alter the creation of Allah.”
(al-Ḥadīth)
Lexical Explanation of “Mutamaṣṣāt”:
According to an-Nihāyah and Lisān al-ʿArab:
Mutamaṣṣāt are women who pluck their eyebrows to make them thin.
Imām Nawawī رحمه الله in Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (2/205):
“An-nāmiṣah”: A woman who plucks facial hair.
“Al-mutanammisah”: A woman who desires or seeks to have this done.
Ruling: This act is ḥarām (forbidden).
If a woman grows a beard or moustache, removing it is not ḥarām, rather it is mustaḥabb (recommended).
The prohibition is specifically for plucking eyebrows and the hair on the sides of the face.
Yes, the prohibition applies to both men and women.
If a person (man or woman) has excessive hair on the arms or legs, there is no harm in removing it as it causes disfigurement.
However, if the hair is within normal limits, some scholars advise leaving it, as removing it may be seen as altering Allah’s creation.
It is permissible to remove such hair, as Allah ﷻ has remained silent on this matter.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“That which Allah has remained silent about is pardoned.”
All matters are categorized into three types:
➊ Explicit prohibition by the Sharīʿah:
Example: A man’s beard, eyebrows of both men and women.
➋ Explicit command for removal:
Example: Armpit and pubic hair, and a man’s moustache.
➌ Matters about which Sharīʿah is silent:
These are pardoned, meaning the individual is given choice—to keep or remove.
If it was disliked, Allah would have commanded its removal.
If it was to be preserved, Allah would have ordered to leave it.
According to Imām Nawawī رحمه الله in Sharḥ Muslim (1/128):
“ʿĀnah” includes:
➊ The hair around a man’s private part.
➋ The hair around a woman’s private part.
➌ According to Abū al-ʿAbbās ibn Suraij, it also includes hair surrounding the anus.
Conclusion:
It is mustaḥabb (recommended) to shave all the hair around the front and back private parts.
Narrated by Umm Salamah (رضي الله عنها) in Ibn Mājah (2/3751):
“Whenever the Prophet ﷺ used hair removal powder (balsafā), he would apply it to his private parts first, then to the rest of the body.”
(For details, see 1/160)
Note: This narration is weak (ḍaʿīf).
✔ Plucking eyebrows is ḥarām for both men and women.
✔ Removing excessive hair from arms or legs is permissible.
✔ Removing hair from pubic and anal areas is mustaḥabb.
✔ Removing facial hair (beard/moustache) from women is mustaḥabb.
✔ Unmentioned issues are pardoned based on the principle of divine silence.
ھذا ما عندي، واللہ أعلم بالصواب
Derived from: Fatāwā ad-Dīn al-Khālis, Volume 1, Page 411
❖ Question:
Is it permissible for men and women to trim or pluck their eyebrows?
And is it permissible for both to shave hair on their legs, arms, etc.?
Please explain in detail.
Answer:
Alḥamdulillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, Ammā baʿd!
✿ ① Ruling on Plucking Eyebrow Hair
Narrated by ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd (رضي الله عنه):
“May Allah curse the women who tattoo and those who get tattooed, those who pluck facial hair and those who get it plucked, and those who create spaces between their teeth for the sake of beauty, and those who alter the creation of Allah.”
(al-Ḥadīth)
Lexical Explanation of “Mutamaṣṣāt”:
According to an-Nihāyah and Lisān al-ʿArab:
Mutamaṣṣāt are women who pluck their eyebrows to make them thin.
Imām Nawawī رحمه الله in Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (2/205):
“An-nāmiṣah”: A woman who plucks facial hair.
“Al-mutanammisah”: A woman who desires or seeks to have this done.
Ruling: This act is ḥarām (forbidden).
✿ ② Exception: Beard or Moustache on a Woman’s Face
If a woman grows a beard or moustache, removing it is not ḥarām, rather it is mustaḥabb (recommended).
The prohibition is specifically for plucking eyebrows and the hair on the sides of the face.
✿ ③ Is This Ruling for Both Men and Women?
Yes, the prohibition applies to both men and women.
✿ ④ Ruling on Hair of Arms and Legs
If a person (man or woman) has excessive hair on the arms or legs, there is no harm in removing it as it causes disfigurement.
However, if the hair is within normal limits, some scholars advise leaving it, as removing it may be seen as altering Allah’s creation.
✿ ⑤ Stronger (Rājih) Opinion:
It is permissible to remove such hair, as Allah ﷻ has remained silent on this matter.
✦ Legal Principle: That Which Allah Has Remained Silent Upon is Pardoned
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“That which Allah has remained silent about is pardoned.”
✿ ⑥ Sharīʿah Classification of Things
All matters are categorized into three types:
➊ Explicit prohibition by the Sharīʿah:
Example: A man’s beard, eyebrows of both men and women.
➋ Explicit command for removal:
Example: Armpit and pubic hair, and a man’s moustache.
➌ Matters about which Sharīʿah is silent:
These are pardoned, meaning the individual is given choice—to keep or remove.
If it was disliked, Allah would have commanded its removal.
If it was to be preserved, Allah would have ordered to leave it.
✿ ⑦ Ruling on Hair Around the Private Parts (Duber)
According to Imām Nawawī رحمه الله in Sharḥ Muslim (1/128):
“ʿĀnah” includes:
➊ The hair around a man’s private part.
➋ The hair around a woman’s private part.
➌ According to Abū al-ʿAbbās ibn Suraij, it also includes hair surrounding the anus.
Conclusion:
It is mustaḥabb (recommended) to shave all the hair around the front and back private parts.
✦ Use of Hair Removal Powder by the Prophet ﷺ
Narrated by Umm Salamah (رضي الله عنها) in Ibn Mājah (2/3751):
“Whenever the Prophet ﷺ used hair removal powder (balsafā), he would apply it to his private parts first, then to the rest of the body.”
(For details, see 1/160)
Note: This narration is weak (ḍaʿīf).
Summary:
✔ Plucking eyebrows is ḥarām for both men and women.
✔ Removing excessive hair from arms or legs is permissible.
✔ Removing hair from pubic and anal areas is mustaḥabb.
✔ Removing facial hair (beard/moustache) from women is mustaḥabb.
✔ Unmentioned issues are pardoned based on the principle of divine silence.
ھذا ما عندي، واللہ أعلم بالصواب
