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Fatwa CenterBeauty therapy as a job
Question
Is beauty therapy as a job Halal or Haram as we have to make up ladies and do some eyebrow shapes as well as some massage for ladies?
Answer
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions. Beauty therapy is of three kinds according to the cause for which it is done. First, using beauty therapy for beautification causing some changes to the created form of a person is unlawful. Muslim reported that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said: "Allah has cursed those ladies who practice tattooing, those who get themselves tattooed, and those ladies who remove the hair from their faces and those who pluck their eye brows to look more beautiful whereby they change Allah's Creation" . Second, using it for beautification and amelioration without changing anything in the creature. This type is lawful for the general meaning of the Hadith: "Allah is beautiful and loves beauty" [Reported by Imam Muslim ]. Third, using it to get rid of a physical defect caused by a deficiency, an addition, a deterioration or a deformation such as disfigured or torn lips and deformed fingers, …etc. This type is lawful regardless of the origin of the defect - birth, an illness, an accident, burns, …etc. This is because the person is harmed materially and spiritually by such defects. So, it is lawful for him/her to get rid of such defect, reform it or lessen its effects by therapy or other means. The evidence for this is the sound Hadith reported by Ahmad that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) permitted Arfajah to put a golden nose instead of his nose which was hurt in the battle of Kilab during Jahilya (pre-Islamic period of ignorance). Nevertheless, it is a condition that this lawful therapy be done for men by men and for women by women unless there is dire necessity that the male treats the female or the female treats the male. Allah Says (interpretation of meaning): {…while He has explained to you in detail what is forbidden to you, except under compulsion of necessity?…}[6: 119]. We hope that your question about beauty therapy has been answered clearly. But you should know, dear brother that shaping the eyebrows of ladies is unlawful as it fits in the first of the three categories mentioned in the Fatwa. Moreover, if the person performing such duties is a man the prohibition becomes more emphatic and the sin greater. As for using massage for ladies, it is lawful if done by other ladies and provided it does not result in anything that is forbidden in Shariah like exposing the Awrah or touching it even if covered. The Awrah of the woman when with other women is from navel to knee. For more details, please read Fatwa: 85580. Allah knows best.
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