That the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Allah has cursed the woman who artificially lengthens and the woman who seeks to have her hair artificially lengthened, and the woman who tattoos and the woman who seeks tattooed." Nafi' (one of the narrators) said: "Tattooing was on the gums."
[Abu 'Eisa said:] This Hadith is Hasan Sahih.
He said: There are narrations on this topic from Ibn Mas'ud, 'Aishah, Asma' bint Abi Bakr, Ma'qil bin Yasar, Ibn 'Abbas, and Mu'awiyah.
The Book on Clothing - Jami' at-Tirmidhi - Hadith 1759
That the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Allah has cursed the woman who artificially lengthens and the woman who seeks to have her hair artificially lengthened, and the woman who tattoos and the woman who seeks tattooed." Nafi' (one of the narrators) said: "Tattooing was on the gums." [Abu 'Eisa said:] This Hadith is Hasan Sahih.
Scholarly Commentary
This prohibition encompasses two major categories of artificial beautification: hair extensions and tattooing. The curse applies to both the practitioner and the seeker, indicating the gravity of altering Allah's creation.
Hair extensions (wasl) involve attaching foreign hair to natural hair, creating deception about one's true appearance and imitating disbelieving women. This constitutes tampering with Allah's creation and false representation.
Tattooing (washm) involves permanently marking the skin with ink, which classical scholars considered a violation of the body's sanctity. Nafi's clarification that "tattooing was on the gums" refers to a specific practice where women would dye their gums black for cosmetic enhancement.
The ruling extends to all forms of permanent skin alteration for beautification purposes. These prohibitions preserve natural creation, prevent deception in marriage contracts, and maintain Islamic standards of modesty.
Legal Rulings & Exceptions
The majority of scholars consider both practices forbidden (haram) based on this explicit curse from the Prophet. Some jurists made exceptions for medical tattoos when necessary.
Modern applications include hair weaves, wigs, and all forms of permanent cosmetic tattooing. The prohibition remains unless there's genuine medical necessity approved by reliable Muslim physicians.