A Beautician With Non-Hijab Clients: Am I Accountable When They Go Out Uncovered?

Answered by Sidi Salman Younas

Question: If a beautician or hair dresser has non-hijab clients, will she be accountable to some degree when they use her services e.g makeup etc and go out uncovered. What about supplying music?

Answer: assalamu `alaykum

I pray you are well.

Providing beautician services to women, even those who do not wear the headscarf (hijab), is permissible and the earnings from it halal. However, depending on one’s circumstances, it may be better to avoid.

This returns to the discussion relating to assisting in sin. In the Hanafi school, the degrees of assisting another in sin are:

a. direct assistance in sin
b. indirect assistance in sin
c. possible cause for a sin.

It is impermissible (haram) to do something that directly assists in sin, slightly disliked (makruh tanzihn) to do that which indirectly assists in sin, and better to avoid something that may be a possible cause for sin. However, the earnings from work that fall into the latter two categories would remain halal and there would be no sin involved in such work.

Providing beautician services to women is in itself permissible as there are permissible uses for it, such as a woman beautifying herself for her husband. The “sin” here in connection with women who do not cover themselves properly is not directly related to such work but to an individuals own, willful choice to not cover in accordance with religious dictates. Therefore, such work does not directly assist in sin and would therefore not be impermissible nor sinful. [Ibn `Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

As for music, it would not be permissible to supply it. This is based on the principle, “it is not permitted to give nor sell anything one is not permitted to use/consume oneself.” [Majalla] Since music is impermissible according to the Hanafi school, it would not be permitted to sell or supply it.

Wassalam
Salman

Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani