Is It Allowed for a Woman to Dye Her Eyelashes?

Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam

Question: Assalam alaykum

Is it allowed for a woman to dye her eyelashes?

Answer: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,

Generally, the legal basis with respect to both men and women is restrained, dignified religious decorum.

However, with regards to women, specifically, they are also called to modest concealment, typified by the obligation of covering the body, except face and hands. Consequently, making yourself up when unrelated (non-mahram) men will see you is problematic as it goes against the dictates of this proper and expected decorum.

Allah Most High says, “And tell believing women that they should lower their glances, guard their private parts, and not display their charms beyond what ordinarily shows.” [24:31] And He Most High says, “And do not flaunt your finery as they used to in the pagan past.” [33:33]

However, if you apply something to what “ordinarily shows”, such as dye in this case, in a dignified and restrained manner, the ruling would differ. So what we can say is that dyeing your eyelashes would be permissible as long as the following conditions are met:

1. The dye is not harmful in any way.

2. When the dye is applied, it doesn’t attract the undue attention of the opposite gender more than normal. In other words, would you get the same amount of attention if you hadn’t applied such a dye?

3. You don’t apply the dye in order to deceive anybody, such as a prospective spouse and the like, as they need to see you as you actually are.

4. You don’t apply it or use the colours or styles which are clearly distinguishing as the adornment of the corrupt.

The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) instructed all men and women that, “Modesty is from faith,” [Bukhari] and that, “Modesty brings only good.” [Bukhari]

[Zuhayli, al-Mar’a al-Muslima al-Mu`asira (62); Farfur, al-Nisa’iyyat (75/84); Ibn `Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar `ala al-Durr al-Mukhtar (2.360)]

Please also see: Hair Removal and: Can I Remove Hair on My Cheeks? and: Modesty, Dress, and the Example of Sayyida Fatima and: Guidelines for Interacting With the Opposite Sex

wassalam,

[Ustadh] Tabraze Azam

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Tabraze Azam holds a BSc in Computer Science from the University of Leicester, where he also served as the President of the Islamic Society. He memorised the entire Qur’an in his hometown of Ipswich at the tender age of sixteen, and has since studied the Islamic Sciences in traditional settings in the UK, Jordan and Turkey. He is currently pursuing advanced studies in Jordan, where he is presently based with his family.