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| Nemas (Eyebrows part 2) |
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| Maliha |
| 10/17/02 at 08:39:39 |
| [slm] Alhamdullillah I finally got the book from our Imam detailing the views on eyebrows. The name of the book is "The Islamic Vision of Some Medical Practices". It was written after a symposium of "Islam and current medical concerns" held by doctors, scholars, scientists etc. The book was introduced and supervised by Dr. Abdul EL Rahman Abdulla Al-Awadi (Minister of Public Health and Planning and Chairman of the Islamic Organization for Medical Sciences). It covers all topics from the intricacies of gynecology to confidentiality to Islamic Sharia and conventional law etc. Beautification of Hair on the Face by "nemas" (i.e. Plucking out hair with thread) Face, for the woman, is the focus of beauty. Woman's charms are concentrated on it and it is what the husband mostly enjoys. Hence Allah, created it void of hair except for the hair of the eyebrows and eyelashes. Hair of the eyebrows is for beauty and protection of eyes from what comes down from the head. It is made in this amount for if its less, the advantage of beauty and protection will be gone; and if its more it will cover the eye and cause harm to it and limits sight. As for hair of the eyelashes it constitutes beauty as well as protection for the eye and pupil. I am going to discuss in this issue, the provision of Nemas. Jurists consensusly agree upon the impermissiblity of nemas. on the basis of the relevant hadiths: 1) Abdullah Ibn Masud reported: Allah cursed those women who tattoo and who ask to be tattooed, those who get their hair plucked out and those who make spaces between their teeth for beautification changing what Allah created. This news reached a woman of the tribe of Asad who was called Umm Yaqub, and she used to recite the Quran. She came to him and said: "What is the news that has reached me from you that you curse those women who have themselves tattooed, the women who pluck hair from their faces, and for beautification changing what Allah created?" Thereupon Abdullah said "Should I not curse one upon whom Allah's Messenger invoked curse, and that is in the Book also?" Thereupon the woman said "I read the Quran from cover to cover, and I did not find that in it" Whereupon he said "If you read (thoroughly) you would have definitely found this in that as Allah said: "What Allah's Messenger brings for you accept that, and what he has forbidden for you refrain from that" (72). The woman said: "I find this thing in your wife even now." Whereupon he said "Go and see her" She reported. "I went to the wife of Abdullah and found nothing of this sort in her" She came back to him and said "I have not seen anything" Whereupon he said "Had there been anything like that in her, I would have never slept with her in her bed" (Related by Bukhari and Muslim). 2)Abu Dawud Related that Ibn Abbas said: "Cursed is the woman who adds false hair and the woman who asks for it, the woman who plucks from the face and the one who asks that her hair be plucked, and the woman who has tattoos and the one who asks for it without there being a disease". The preceding two hadiths were used as basis for deduction owing to the fact that the Prophet (SAW) has cursed the woman who practices "Nemas" and the curse is not invoked on something that is not prohibited. Jurists opinion differ as shown in the following regarding the nature of "Nemas" that is prohibited: 1) The Hanafites maintained that the prohibited "nemas" is that done by the woman to display her charms and adorn for people other than her husband as well as that done without justifiable need or necessity. Nemas done in order to adorn for the husband, they argue, is not prohibited; if there is hair on the face that makes her husband take aversion to her, she can remove it such as beard, moustache, or hair below the lower lip. It is permissible and even recommended for her to remove it. This is not included in the forbidden Nemas. It is also allowable for her to take from the hair of the eyebrows and that which grows on the face unless she means by doing that, to imitate the effeminate. 2) The Malikites opinion is that the prohibited Nemas is that which hair is plucked from face, for it represents fraudulence by means of changing what Allah created. Therefore women are not allowed to pull out hair with thread. 3) The Shafiites argued that the prohibited "Nemas" is the act of taking from the hair of the eyebrows in order to thin them, so that they look like bows or crescents, for beautification provided such an act is done without the permission of the husband Accordingly if the wife does this with the permission of the husband it is then allowable for as he wants her to get adorned for him, he therefore, gives her permission. Removal of beard, moustache, and hair of the lower lip by the woman through plucking or shaving are excluded from the prohibited nemas. Whether she is married or not. This act is even recommended for her. The Shafiites saw nothing wrong with trimming too long eyebrows by plucking some of them off. Al Nawawi however, deeming this disliked said "And it should be disliked, for it is change of what Allah has created, and nothing has been proved toward the permissibility of such a practice". 4) The hanbalites had three viewpoints: a) What was stated by Imam Ahmad that the prohibited nemas is plucking of hair from the face, and there is no objection to shaving it, for the traditions specified plucking only. Al Waraq narrated that Mahanna told him that he had asked Abu Abdullah indicating Ahmad Ibn Hanbal about shaving, whereupon he said "there is not objection to it, for women". The when he had asked him about plucking he said " I deem it disliked for both men and women". Ahmad used to take some hair off his eyebrows and cheeks. b) This is the standpoint of the Hanbalites. Sheikh Abdul Wahab Ibn Mubarak Al Anmati said "If the woman plucks the hair from the face for the sake of her husband and after he has seen her, then there is no objection. This act is objectionable only if its done before he sees her,for it is fraudulence. c)What Abdul Rahman Ibn Al Juzzi Maintained that the hadith concerning nemas is taken to indicate fraudulence concerning the women and accordingly the forbidden nemas is done by a woman with the intention of fraudulence or imitation of immoral women. It is allowable for the woman on the basis of what is previously stated to shave her beard and moustache. 5) Al Tabari Ibn Hazm, the Zahirite, argued that the prohibited nemas is plucking the hair from the face owing to the fact that such an act constitutes change of creation and consequently it is not allowable for the woman to change by increasing or decreasing the form in which Allah created her for the sake of beautification neither for her husband or anyone else. As it is the case with one whose eyebrows are joined so she plucks to give a false idea that they are (originally) separated, or vice versa. It is likewise, not allowable for her to shave her beard, moustache, or hair below the lower lip for this is change of creation. Chosen Meaning for prohibited Nemas: After reviewing the jurists opinions, regarding the kind of nemas prohibited, it is clear that what they differed about is the hair which a woman is allowed to pull out with thread; is it the hair on the face or eyebrows? The Hadiths do not specify this, and therefore it is inevitable to recourse to linguistics in order to explain this. The Arabic version of the Hadith narrated by Ibn Masud stated the word “Mutanamissat” Which is the plural of “Mutanamissa” that is a woman who seeks that “tanammus” is done for her. And “Tanamus” is a stronger from of “nemas” indicating undue and excessive removal of hair from face. Excessive removal of hair from face can be effected only in the eyebrows since they are the natural place for appearance on the woman’s face. Therefore if the woman plucks hair of the eyebrows for beautification excessively i.e. for instance by removing them altogether, or by thinning them till they are like bows, or crescents this is then the nemas that is forbidden. This argument is consolidated by what is stated in the Sunan of Abu Dawud. After reporting the Hadith narrated by Ibn Abbas he said: “The Namisa is a the woman who trims eyebrows until they are thin” Consequently, the removal of beard, moustache, and hair below lower lip on the woman by means of plucking or shaving is allowable for this is not in the prohibited nemas as it is maintained by most jurists. Many jurists considered appearance of beard/moustache on a woman as being a blemish and defect so there is no indemnity to pay for however (forcibly) rids her of them by plucking or removing for, in this way , she will rid herself of a blemish. Inexpressive trimming of eyebrows, by removal of excess hair that is away from the natural course that brows take, is excluded from prohibited Nemas for there is neither fraudulence nor change of creation of Allah in it. Rationale behind Prohibition of Nemas: The Messenger of Allah (SAW) forbade Nemas, for it constitutes changing the inborn form of eyebrows either by removal or thinning as the Hadith by Ibn Masud indicated: “Changing what Allah created” So it is not allowable for a woman to remove the eyebrows all together and replace artificial eyebrows for this is an act that represents change of Allah’s creation besides serious detriments that results from application of chemical substance as Dr. Wahba Ahmad Hassan says “Eyebrow pencils and other kinds of skin make up have a detrimental effect they are made up from compounds of heavy metals such as lead and mercury dissolved in fatty substances such as cocoa oil. The coloring substance also include petroleum extracts all of which are various kinds of oxides that are detrimental to skin. Absorption of these substances through skin pores causes inflammation and allergy. And if such substances are kept applied to the skin continuously the blood, liver, and kidneys will be adversely affected”. (Pages 440- 445) [i]All credit goes to Allah (SWT) and any mistakes are mine. [/i] Sis, Maliha :-) [wlm] |
| 10/17/02 at 08:41:09 |
| Maliha |
| Re: Nemas (Eyebrows part 2) |
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| gift |
| 10/17/02 at 08:50:40 |
| [slm] so basically what the article is saying is that a woman may pluck the eyebrows to a limited extent with the permission of her husband ??? [wlm] |
| Re: Nemas (Eyebrows part 2) |
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| Maliha |
| 10/17/02 at 09:17:09 |
| [slm] When i was getting married, i went to ask our Imam about it, and this is the evidence that he gave me, concerning it. Basically stating the same thing, that if the intention is to adorn for the husband, and you have his permission, he has seen you without plucking (hence no fraudulence), and it is limited..then it is okay... And Allah knows best. Maliha :-) [wlm] |
| Re: Nemas (Eyebrows part 2) |
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| Fatimah |
| 10/17/02 at 09:23:03 |
| [slm] :'( Now im truely confused! I never knew there was such difference of opinion in this matter. ??? So much to learn, so much to learn! :'( |
| 10/17/02 at 09:24:10 |
| Fatimah |
| Re: Nemas (Eyebrows part 2) |
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| Jenna |
| 10/17/02 at 19:51:36 |
| [wlm] I go by the thinking that, thats not what the hadith says. It curses the woman who plucks her eyebrows without giving any exception (w/permission of her husband) thats not what it says. just my humble opinion Jenna :-) |
| Re: Nemas (Eyebrows part 2) |
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| jannah |
| 10/17/02 at 21:02:41 |
| [slm] Ok....... looks like we have alot of opinions here. and it looks like there are differences of opinion among the schools of thoughts and scholars therefore this isn't an issue we're going to solve on here. so inshaAllah I'm going to close this thread. please seek a knowledgable scholar you trust on this issue. this isn't a fatwa board nor is anyone on here (to my knowledge) a faqih. jazakunallahu khairan |
| 10/17/02 at 21:03:12 |
| jannah |
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