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Plucking Eyebrows

Question

I know that it is Haram for a female to pluck her eyebrows, although there is 1 Hadith which states that she can do so for her husband.However, I have heard that if a female suffers from poor self-esteem, low self-confidence, and hates her appearance, due to the way her unplucked eyebrows change her appearance, it may be permissible for her to pluck them. I would just like to check whether there is a Hadith to support this, or if any of the schools of thought have mentioned something on this matter.

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

Plucking eyebrows is strictly forbidden due to the curse mentioned in the Hadeeth for the one who practices it or helps someone else in this act.

‘Abdullah Ibn Maso’ood  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him narrated that the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) said: “Allah curses those ladies who practice tattooing and those who get themselves tattooed, and those ladies who remove the hair from their faces and those who make artificial spaces between their teeth in order to look more beautiful whereby they change Allah's creation.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

We do not know any Hadeeth that permits a woman to take from her eyebrows.

All the Muslim scholars agreed that plucking eyebrows is forbidden for unmarried women. They have disagreement concerning a married woman if her husband permits her. It is also a matter of disagreement among scholars whether the prohibition applies to shaving or plucking.

The most preponderant opinion is that shaving, plucking, etc., are all forbidden for every woman regardless of whether or not she is married. The reason for this prohibition is the changing of the creation of Allah and that includes plucking, shaving etc. Also, the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) did not make any exemption for the married women.

The above saying reached a lady from Banu Asad called Umm Ya’qoob who came (to ‘Abdullah) and said, "But I see your wife doing these things?' He said, 'Go and look at her.' She went and looked at her but could not see anything in support of her statement. On that he said, “If my wife was as you thought, I would not keep her in my company."

Imam An-Nawawi said that 'The majority of Muslim scholars believe that Ibn Masoud meant that if his wife had done such an act he will never keep her in his company and never live together with her; instead he would divorce her and separate from her.' Ibn Maso’ood  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him did not tell her that such an act is permissible for a married woman. There is no narration from any companion that approves plucking or taking from eyebrows except the narration from ‘Aa’ishah  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  her that a woman asked her, “O mother of believers! I have hair on my face, is it ok to pluck it to beautify myself for my husband? ‘Aa’ishah  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  her said: 'Remove the harm from you and make up yourself for your husband as you do at the time of visiting.” [Ibn Abdur-Razzaaq reported in al-Musannaf]

If the above narration is proved, it means only the hair that is not from eyebrows as confirmed by a group of scholars since it is permissible, even desirable, for a woman to remove a beard or mustache growing on her face.

Finally, we advise you to fear Allah and to keep away from being under the severe threat; i.e. the curse of Allah.
For more benefit on removing hair of eyebrows that deforms the face, please refer to Fataawa 13654, 21897, 348430, and 90802.

Allah knows best.

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