Hadith Text & Context

The Prophet (ﷺ) has cursed the lady who lengthens her hair artificially and the one who gets her hair lengthened, and also the lady who tattoos (herself or others) and the one who gets herself tattooed. (Sahih al-Bukhari 5940)

This hadith is recorded in the Book of Dress (Libas) and addresses two specific practices: artificial hair extension and tattooing.

Scholarly Commentary on Artificial Hair

The curse (la'nah) mentioned signifies Allah's distancing from such acts due to their deceptive nature. Artificial hair extension involves attaching foreign hair, which constitutes deception (ghish) about one's natural state.

Scholars explain this prohibition applies to both the practitioner and client, as the hadith curses "the one who does it and the one for whom it is done." This establishes collective responsibility in sin.

The ruling applies specifically to adding foreign hair. Using one's own hair that was cut and reattached remains subject to scholarly disagreement.

Scholarly Commentary on Tattooing

Tattooing (al-washm) involves permanently inserting ink under the skin to create designs, which constitutes altering Allah's creation without necessity.

The prohibition stems from multiple principles: changing Allah's creation, causing unnecessary pain, and imitating disbelieving cultures.

Like hair extension, the curse applies to both tattoo artist and recipient, emphasizing the gravity of permanently defacing the human body created by Allah.

Legal Rulings & Exceptions

Both practices are unanimously prohibited (haram) in Islam based on this explicit curse from the Prophet.

Exceptions exist for medical necessities where tattoos might be required for treatment purposes, as necessity overrides prohibition.

Scholars note that if someone already has tattoos from before Islam, they are not required to remove them if doing so would cause harm, but should avoid adding new ones.

Underlying Wisdom

These prohibitions preserve natural creation, prevent deception in marriage contracts, maintain modesty, and distinguish Muslim appearance from non-Muslim practices.

The rulings emphasize sincerity in appearance and rejecting practices that fundamentally alter what Allah has created.