Firstly: It is permissible for a woman to use some natural and manufactured cosmetic products, provided these products are pure. The evidence for this is the ḥadīth of Jābir ibn ῾Abdullāh, which is a lengthy ḥadīth that includes: “῾Alī came from the Yemen with the sacrificial animals for the Prophet (prayers and peace be upon him) and found Fāṭimah (may Allāh be pleased with her) to be one among those who had put off ᾽Iḥrām and had put on dyed clothes and had applied antimony. He (῾Alī) showed disapproval to it, whereupon she said: My father has commanded me to do this. He (the narrator) said that ῾Alī used to say in Iraq: I went to the Messenger of Allāh (PPBUH) showing annoyance at Fāṭimah for what she had done, and asked the (verdict) of Allāh’s Messenger (PPBUH) regarding what she had narrated from him, and told him that I was angry with her, whereupon he said: She has told the truth, she has told the truth.'” [Muslim].

Here we see leading woman of the women of Paradise used kohl, which is visible on the eye.

Secondly: Several commentators (mufassirūn) have interpreted Allāh’s statement “and not to reveal their adornments except what normally appears.” [An-Nūr: 31]? to mean some adornments such as kohl in the eye, henna on the hand, and some types of dye, all of which are similar to current cosmetic tools. Among those commentators (mufassirūn) are:

• Yaḥyā ibn Salām al-᾽Ifrīqī (d. 200 AH) narrated from Sa῾īd, from Ibn ῾Abbās that it [i.e., what normally appears] means kohl and the ring.
• Al-Farrā᾽ Abū Zakariyyā ad-Daylamī (d. 207 AH) said: Adornment means the waist wrap and armlet; “except what normally appears” means kohl, the ring, and henna.
• ῾Abd ar-Razzāq aṣ-Ṣan῾ānī (d. 211 AH) said: Ibn Mujāhid related to us, from his father, from Ibn ῾Abbās, in his explanation of “and not to reveal their adornments except what normally appears,” that it means the hand, henna, and the ring.

This was also narrated by Al-Hawwārī (d. 300 AH) who quoted ῾Aā᾽ishah as saying: the qulb (meaning the bracelet) and the fatkhah (meaning the ring). These are all apparent adornments.

• Aṭ-Ṭabarī (d. 311 AH) narrated from Ibn ῾Abbās that it means kohl in the eye and henna on the hand. He commented, after mentioning many opinions in interpreting the verse: “The most correct view is that of those who said: it refers to the face and hands, which includes kohl, the ring, the bracelet, and henna.” [Tafsīr aṭ-Ṭabarī 17/259].

This was also narrated by Ibn Abī Ḥātim (d. 327 AH) and mentioned by the esteemed Imām al-Hudā Abū Manṣūr al-Māturīdī (may Allāh be pleased with him), who died in 333 AH.

• Our master Al-Jaṣṣāṣ ar-Rāzī (d. 370 AH) said: “Our companions said: The face and hands are meant because kohl is an adornment for the face, and henna and the ring are adornments for the hands. Therefore, if looking at the adornment of the face and hands is permitted, it necessarily implies that looking at the face and hands is allowed. Among what also indicates that the face and hands of a woman are not considered ῾awrah (intimate parts) is that she prays with her face and hands uncovered. If they were ῾awrah, she would be required to cover them just as she covers what is ῾awrah.” [᾽Aḥkām al-Qur᾽ān by Al-Jaṣṣāṣ 5/172].

This interpretation was also followed by Ibn Abī Zamanīn, Ath-Tha῾labī, and Al-Māwardī, who said: “Adornment is what a woman adds to her body to beautify and enhance it in the eyes, such as jewelry, clothes, kohl, and henna.”

Something similar was mentioned by Ibn ῾Abd al-Barr al-Mālikī (d. 463 AH). Al-Wāḥidī (d. 468 AH) went as far as saying that a woman can show her adornment up to the middle of her forearm. He said: “‘Except what normally appears,” meaning clothes, kohl, the ring, henna, and the bracelet, so a woman is only allowed to show her face and hands up to the middle of her forearm.

• As-Sam῾ānī (d. 489 AH) differentiated between apparent adornment and hidden adornment, saying: “Know that adornment is of two types: apparent adornment and hidden adornment. The apparent adornment includes kohl, the ring, and henna if it is on the hand. As for henna on the foot, it is hidden adornment. As for the bracelet on the hand, ῾Aā᾽ishah said it is apparent adornment, but the correct view is that it is hidden adornment, which is the opinion of most scholars. As for the armlet – worn on the upper arm – and the collar, the necklace, and similar items, they are hidden adornment. Apparent adornment can be looked at by a non-mahram without desire, while hidden adornment cannot be looked at by a non-mahram. As for the husband, he can look and enjoy, and as for mahrams, they can look but not enjoy.” [Tafsīr as-Sam῾ānī 3/521].

This view was also held by Al-Baghawī in his Tafsīr and Az-Zamakhsharī in his Tafsīr.

Al-Fakhr Ar-Rāzī said: “Those who said adornment refers to something other than creation limited it to three things: First, dyes such as kohl, dyeing the eyebrows with wasmah (woad), applying blush to the cheeks, and henna on the hands and feet. Second, jewelry like the ring, bracelet, anklet, armlet, necklace, crown, sash, and earrings. Third, clothes, as Allāh says: “Take your adornment at every masjid.” [Al-᾽A῾rāf: 31], meaning clothes.” [Tafsīr Al-Fakhr ar-Rāzī 23/364].

• Al-Qurṭubī (d. 671 AH) mentioned the division of adornment into apparent, which includes kohl and henna, and hidden. He said: “What is apparent is always permissible for everyone, whether mahrams or non-mahrams.” [Tafsīr al-Qurṭubī 12/229].

This is just a small selection of what has been mentioned regarding the interpretation of the verse.

Therefore, there is no harm in a woman using cosmetics under the conditions we have mentioned: the cosmetics must be pure, not disfigure the face, and not be intended to cause temptation or to imitate immoral women.

Fatwa issued by Dr. Khālid Naṣr