Is Eyebrow Threading Haram? When It Is Allowed in Islam
Is eyebrow threading haram? It is one of the most common questions Muslim women ask today. On one side is a well known Hadith that curses women who pluck their eyebrows. On the other side is the fact that Islam loves beauty and encourages women to adorn themselves. The way to resolve this is to look carefully at what the Hadith forbids, why it forbids it, and which situations classical scholars considered allowed.
What Does the Hadith Say?
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
لَعَنَ اللَّهُ الوَاشِمَاتِ وَالمُسْتَوْشِمَاتِ، وَالمُتَنَمِّصَاتِ، وَالمُتَفَلِّجَاتِ لِلْحُسْنِ، المُغَيِّرَاتِ خَلْقَ اللَّهِ (Sahih al Bukhari, Book of Dress, Hadith 5931)
Allah has cursed the women who do tattoos and those who get them done, the women who have their eyebrows plucked, and the women who make gaps between their teeth for beauty, changing the creation of Allah.
The word “mutanammisat” comes from “namas”. The Maliki scholar al Nafrawi defined namas as plucking the hair of the eyebrows to make them thin and beautiful (al Fawakih al Dawani). In today’s terms, this means eyebrow plucking or threading.
A similar narration from Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) contains an important condition: "مِنْ غَيْرِ دَاءٍ", when it is done without any illness (Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 4170). This shows that a genuine medical need is not included in the prohibition.
Why Was It Forbidden?
A curse is a very strong word, so the reason behind it must be serious. Beauty itself is not a sin. The Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ said: "إِنَّ اللَّهَ جَمِيلٌ يُحِبُّ الْجَمَالَ", Allah is beautiful and loves beauty (Sahih Ibn Hibban, Hadith 5466). He even told a woman that if she were a woman, she would have coloured her nails with henna (Sunan al Nasa’i, Hadith 5089).
This is why many scholars linked the prohibition to specific harms. From their statements, three main reasons emerge:
- Deception (tadlis): hiding one’s real appearance to mislead someone, for example at the time of a marriage proposal.
- Adornment for strange men: beautifying oneself to attract men who are not one’s husband.
- Imitating immoral women: the scholar Muhammad al Tahir ibn Ashur explained that in that era, these practices were known signs of immoral and pagan women (al Tahrir wa al Tanwir).
What Do the Scholars Say?
- Ibn Abidin (Hanafi): The prohibition applies when a woman adorns herself for strange men. But if she has facial hair that puts her husband off, it is unlikely to be forbidden to remove it, because adornment is desirable for women (Radd al Muhtar).
- Sulayman al Jamal (Shafi’i): Plucking the eyebrows and facial hair is prohibited, but it becomes allowed if the husband permits it, because adorning herself for him is a valid purpose (Hashiyat al Jamal).
- Ibn Hajar al Asqalani: Its permissibility depends on the husband’s permission and knowledge, and the prohibition exists because of deception (Fath al Bari).
- Al Nafrawi (Maliki): A report from Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) allows removing hair from the eyebrows and face (al Fawakih al Dawani).
When Is Eyebrow Threading Allowed?
Based on the statements of these scholars, eyebrow threading is allowed in these situations:
- For a married woman, for her husband, with his permission and knowledge.
- To tidy stray or excess hairs that grow outside the natural line or make the face look unattractive.
- Removing the hair between the eyebrows (unibrow) when it looks unattractive.
- For a medical need, such as an illness or injury, as the words “without illness” in the Hadith show.
When Is It Not Allowed?
- When the purpose is to attract men who are not her husband.
- When the purpose is to deceive, for example hiding one’s real appearance for a marriage proposal.
- When it means copying a fashion associated with immodesty.
An Honest Note on Scholarly Difference
It is important to be honest: many scholars, in fact the majority, hold that thinning the eyebrows purely for fashion, without any need, is prohibited, and they allow only the tidying of stray, excess or unattractive hairs. The wider permission described above, for a wife with her husband’s permission, is a respected scholarly view based on Shafi’i texts and other scholars. The cautious path is to keep the eyebrows close to their natural shape and only tidy the excess hairs.
Threading, Plucking or Waxing: Does the Method Matter?
The ruling depends on the purpose, not the method. What is allowed is allowed with threading, plucking or waxing, and what is forbidden does not become allowed by changing the method. At a salon, make sure the work is done by a woman and that modesty is maintained.
A Final Word
Eyebrow threading is not a simple yes or no question; it is a matter of intention and purpose. Islam does not forbid women from beauty. It forbids beauty that becomes a means of deception, immodesty or attracting strange men. Keep your intention pure, stay close to your natural shape, and choose caution where you are unsure.
