Did shaykh Al-Albani prohibit women to remove facial hair?

[Abdullah11]

I have to say when I first heard this I was shocked. Maybe its personal but I would have great distaste for my future spouse to have facial hair. I have always believed it was actually a major sign of difference between the man and woman.

I have only managed to find a few things on the matter:

Q. Is there a limit to growing facial hair, since some people have very thick hair which sometimes goes from the chest to the neck and even all the way to the eyes?

Albani's answer: It is not permissible for the Muslim to remove any hair from the beard except what the Lawgiver has allowed. It is reported from one of the companions who narrated the hadeeth, "Leave the beard and trim the moustaches," 'Abdullaah bin 'Umar, that he used to remove from his beard what was below a fistful. Apart from that, trimming the beard is against the Sunnah, whether or not the man's beard is pleasing to him, and whether or not it is

pleasing to others, for all of Allaah's creation is handsome, as in the saheeh hadeeth, where the Prophet (S) saw a man with a long waist-shirt and ordered him to have his izaar halfway up his shins; the man gave the excuse that he had a defect in his ankles, so the Prophet (S) said, "All of Allaah's creation is handsome." (saheeh-

Ahmad and others. This phrase is actually of Qur'anic origin cf. Sajdah 32:7).

Really we must memorise this hadeeth well in order to answer the misconceptions in issues like this. One who says that "my wife has a lot of hair and I do not want to go near her" should remember this hadeeth, and in fact remember the saying of Allaah:

"So set your face truly to the faith, Allaah's

handiwork according to the pattern on which

he.has made mankind, (let there be) no change in

the.creation of Allaah." (Roum 30:30)

Also the hadeeth "Allaah has cursed the woman who tattoos and the

one who asks for it, the woman who plucks the eyebrows and the one who asks for it and the woman who makes gaps in her teeth, who change the creation of Allaah for the sake of beauty."(Bukhari, narrated by 'Abdullah bin Mas'ood)

These few quotes are enough as proof to show that it is not allowed to change the creation of Allaah in any way... ... (etc.)

Shaykh Hisham says:

The proof for the etiquette of trimming the beard is in the explicit and known practice of the Companions including, but not restricted to Ibn `Umar, and to invoke an analogy to the Prophet's order to lift up the izar is out of place, as that is a command that has a hukm of its own, namely that it is detestable to drag one's lower garment on the ground and it is desirable that the ankle-bones remain uncovered. The Prophet's original command to leave the beard is understood in the context of differing from non-Muslims, not leaving it absolutely, as is confirmed by the practice of Ibn `Umar who trimmed whatever grew in excess of a fistful.

The beard of the male Muslim is one of the outward symbols of Islam and as al-Badr al-`Ayni pointed out it is important that it not be made to look unkempt and disheveled. The Prophet said: "Allah is beautiful and He loves beauty." The Tabi`i `Ata' ibn Abi Rabah said: "There is no harm in trimming a little from the length and sides of his beard, if it grows large and long" and al-Nakh`i, another Tabi`i, related that the Companions used to trim their beards on the sides. It is preposterous and reprehensible to suggest that such a trimming is against the Sunna as both they and the authorities among the Tabi`in who reported from them were certainly more knowledgeable of the Sunna than us. As the scholars said: "The Sahaba were all legally upright (`udul) by consensus (ijma`) of Muslim scholars, and it is inconceivable that they would institutionalize and set a precedent that was in direct defiance of a religious obligation."

It would seem also that the fatwa given above in answer to the original question erroneously suggests for women to leave all facial hair alone equally, since the reply claims, in the section on women, that "These few quotes are enough as proof to show that it is not allowed to change the creation of Allaah in any way." In correcting this false notion we will first quote a more accurate translation of the hadith in question -- about women plucking their facial hair -- and the words of Nawawi and Ibn Hajar regarding it:

The Prophet said:

"May Allah curse women who wear false hair or arrange it for others, who tatoo or have themselves tatooed, who pluck facial hair or eyebrows or have them plucked, and women who separate their front teeth for beauty, altering what Allah has created." Dhahabi narrated it in al-Kaba'ir and he said: "It is agreed upon [by Bukhari and Muslim]."

Ibn Hajar al-`Asqalani said in Fath al-bari (10:378) in commentary of this hadith:

Nawawi said: "An exception from the prohibition of plucking away facial hair is when a woman has a beard, mustache, or hair growing between her lower lip and chin, in which cases it is not unlawful for her to remove it, but rather is commendable (mustahabb)," the permissibility being on condition that her husband knows of it and gives his permission, though it is prohibited if he does not, because of the deception it entails.

Refuting Albani's misleading answers

And:


As-Salaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullaah:

Bismillaah Was-Salaatu Was-Sallam 'Alaa Rasoolullaah, Wa Ba'd,

I would just like to add that The Muhaddith Al-Allaamah Al-Albaanee did hold the position that it is impermissible (Haraam) to remove hair from the body except in the places where the shar'iah allowed it.

And I would like to briefly show the other Position regarding this Issue.

This Issue revolves around the meaning of the word Nams wa Naamisah so this is a matter of Ikhtilaaf between The people of knowledge.

So Shaykh (Al-Albaanee) included in the word Nams (As mentioned in the Hadeeth in Bukhaaree) all the hair on the body and not just the Haajibain (eyebrows) as Shaykh Abdul-Azeez Ibn Baaz and Others did.

The majority of the scholars of the Arabic language have stated in their books that Nams is the facial hair and it is not restricted to the eyebrows alone!

This is what I found in Fathul Baaree of Ibn Hajr Al-Asqalaanee and al-Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah Fee Ghareeb al-Hadeeth of Ibnul-Atheer who is an Authority in the language & other than them.

This is why some of the people of knowledge have used this Hadeeth mentioning Nams and Mutanaamisah for prohibiting a man from shaving his beard. And they further say that it is not restricted to women alone, the only reason it mentions women is because they are the most inclined to do this.

The Scholars that restrict this word Nams to just mean Haajibain they use as evidence the famous Narration from Abdullaah Ibn Mas’ood in which he saw a woman plucking her eyebrows and said Allaah Curses those who commit nams and those who have it done!

However this is not an evidence because this act that the woman committed is included in the prohibition of Nams. Plucking the eyebrows is a form of nams just as removing hair from any part of the face, because the eyebrows are part of the face.

So the origin is that the word Nams linguisticly according to the scholars of the language (i.e. Ibnul-Atheer) means the face so the act that the woman in the above narration did is in fact Nams because the eyebrows are part of the face.

Example The Verse in 4:119 Allaah Says : “Cutting the ears of cattle Thereby Changing the Creation of Allaah”

What is mentioned in the Ayah is the Clipping the ears of Cattle, Now can we say that this is the only way to change Allaah’s Creation on a cattle? The answer is definitely NO. Because that is just one example of Changing Allaah’s creation because cutting the tail is also a form of changing Allaah’s creation. So one example has been shown because it is the most commonly done.

So as for the statement that the eyebrows are mentioned in the narration of Ibn Mas’ood so that is the only meaning for Nams then reflect on the above ayaah.


A third opinion: Some scholars say that it is forbidden to remove any hair on the body except for what we have been allowed to remove according to the texts of The Book & The Sunnah.

For instance Imaam At-Tabaree said according to Ibn Hajr in Fathul-Baaree, that Nams is also including any part of the body for it is a form of beautification. Again this is also the view of the Late Muhaddithul-Asr Muhammad Naasirud-Deen Al-Albaanee (Raheemahullaah) this is found in his book Adaabuz-Zufaaf (etiquettes of weddings)page 202 where he quotes from the scholars and the meaning they gave for the word Nams.

This above last opinion has many details and it states that the prohibition is general “Allaah’s curse is on Those Who Change The Creation of Allah”. Aw Kama Qaalaa Rasoolullaahhi Sallallaahu Alaihi Was-Sallam. And the Messenger of Allaah only mentioned in the hadeeth the things that are commonly done by people to become beautiful at the Expense of changing the creation of Allaah. So He Mentioned the Nams, Filing teeth, Tattooing, Adding false Hair, And then he said and others like them who change the creation of Allaah for the Purpose of Beautification. Hadeeth in Bukhaaree vol 10, 306, 310, 311, 312. Also Allaah, His Messenger Sallallaahu Alaihi Was-Sallam and the Sahaabah are telling us what to remove from our bodies like the mustache, the beard (After a fistful), the hair on our head, the armpit hair, the privates, Circumcision, clipping the nails, etc, Meaning that the general rule is that everything is prohibited and the only the mentioned places are allowed to be removed. this is based on the generality of the hadeeth "Allaah Curses those who change the creation of Allaah". This statement is general and thus prohibit any change unless it is legislated by the shari'ah.

Another Related Issue:

Can a woman remove any hair from her face?, Because some women may have some hair on their face which seems to liken her to a man?

The answer to this is And Allaah Knows best is That the way Allaah created you is beautiful & “let there be no change in Allaah’s Creation” It has been prohibited by the messenger of Allaah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Was-Sallam)to remove Facial Hair according to the correct meaning of the word Nams By the Scholars of the Language, So to say she is Imitating a man by the Hadeeth “Allaah curses a man who resembles a woman and Vice Versa” then this is not correct since Imitating is by the individual who makes himself or herself resemble the opposite sex. As for the one who is born with certain features then this is not permissible to change since Allaah’s Curse is on those who Change Allaah’s Creation.

For Instance the the Hadeeth of the woman who did not have hair on her head and she came to the prophet (Sallallaahu Alaihi Was-Sallam) and said can I add hair to my head He (Sallallaahu Alaihi Was-Sallam) Said No and he mentioned the hadeeth of Cursing those who add hair. So this woman you can say she resembled a man because no doubt the attribute of a woman is to have long hair and this is why the Prophet forbade a woman from shaving her head in another Hadeeth, However in this instance He said NO! because of Allaah’s Curse is on the ones who change the Creation of Allaah.

So the woman is not cursed when they are born a certain way that may resemble a man to some extent but rather the person is cursed when they do it Intentionally “for the Purpose of Beautification.”. Or “To resemble the Opposite Sex”.



This is what Allaah has made easy for me to write on this subject, since I have little time available at the moment.

I reccomend the book Adaabuz-Zufaaf page # 202, As-Saheehah #2792 & Ghayaatul Maraam #97 Of Shaykh Al-Albaanee.

I ask Allaah that He guides You & I to that which Pleases Him Subhanahu Wa Ta’alaa

Your Brother In Islaam,

Ibrahim Al-Koobee


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Ibrahim Al-Koobee Al-Atharee
Alkoobee@msn.com

['Abd al-Kareem]

I have to say when I first heard this I was shocked.

The scholars differed. Even the large, unorganized mess you pasted includes a quote from al-Nawawi saying it's mustahabb for women to remove facial hair in the lower half of her face. Though considering the source website, I would double-check their references.

I went to their homepage and was unpleasantly surprised by the ugly face of Hisham al-Kabbani.

I have always believed it was actually a major sign of difference between the man and woman.

Are you suggesting that if women didn't pluck their facial hair, it would grow to resemble men's?

[Abdullah11]

I went to their homepage and was unpleasantly surprised by the ugly face of Hisham al-Kabbani.

Sorry that must have be unpleasant.

Are you suggesting that if women didn't pluck their facial hair, it would grow to resemble men's?

Yup. I have seen it happen. Allah protect us.

I am interested bro in which scholars actually agreed with shaykh Albani? For when I have spoken to people of knowledge regarding this peculiar fatwa the response I got was one of ridicule and they actually voiced it was not held by the classical scholars. Here is what brother Ayman bin Khalid also had to say:


The Shaykh, al Albani (رحمه الله) lacks the knowledge in the field of Fiqh and Usool. Thus, he should not be used as a reference for Fiqh issues esp. that scholars of Fiqh covered all issues and hence he had nothing new to add. He advocated and held some very odd views that no scholar ever said. However, we ask Allah to forgive him and overlook his mistakes and find an execuse for him.

Wallahu A'lam

[Wild Wild West]

Are you suggesting that if women didn't pluck their facial hair, it would grow to resemble men's?

I think that what he is saying is that women having no hair on their faces is something that distinguishes them from men, and that if a woman were to have facial hair, she should remove it in order to maintain that difference.

Are you suggesting that if women didn't pluck their facial hair, it would grow to resemble men's?

Well, it seems like Sh al-Albani was if he stated that she is only allowed to cut off what is beyond a fist.

Anyway, is there a real ikhtilaf here? Is it correct to say that this is an issue over which there is one?

To say scholars have differed over an issue is not the same as saying that, by the way, as you know.

[justabro]

Sh. Ayman's twopence:

Did shaykh Al-Albani prohibit women to remove facial hair? - Multaqa Ahl al-Hadeeth

The Shaykh, al Albani (رحمه الله) lacks the knowledge in the field of Fiqh and Usool. Thus, he should not be used as a reference for Fiqh issues esp. that scholars of Fiqh covered all issues and hence he had nothing new to add. He advocated and held some very odd views that no scholar ever said. However, we ask Allah to forgive him and overlook his mistakes and find an execuse for him.

Wallahu A'lam

[nomad]

i have never seen a woman with a big fist full of beard on her chin. And women who start to remove it, excellerate the problem as more grows in its place. im gonna google women with beards and see what i get.

[LionofIslam]

^^ I have, some punjabi lady in my old area. She had a turban to. No joke.