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Fatwas / Miscellaneous / The ruling on women working in beauty salons

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Is it permissible for a woman to work in a beauty salon if she does not know whether the purpose of women visiting the salon is to make a wanton display of themselves or to beautify themselves for their husbands? عمل المرأة في صالونات التجميل

Answer

All praise is due to Allah alone, and may the Salah and Salam of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family and his companions.

To answer your question, we say while seeking the success from Allah:

The general rule is that it is allowed for people to adorn and beautify themselves. Allah, the Most High, said (interpretation of the meaning): {Say, "Who has forbidden the adornment of Allah which He has produced for His servants and the good [lawful] things of provision?"} [Quran 7:32] and ‘Abdullah ibn Masud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that a man asked the Prophet (may the Salah and Salam of Allah be upon him): “What if a man likes his clothes to look nice and his shoes to look nice?” He said: “Allah is Beautiful and loves beauty” Reported by Muslim (91)

This report shows that beauty is beloved to Allah, the Most High. Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) commented on this hadith saying: “The general statement includes the beauty of everything.”

There is no doubt that the inner beauty takes precedence over the beauty of the body and images. Allah, the Most High, said after He mentioned the blessing of clothing that cover the body, which make the outer look beautiful (interpretation of the meaning): {But the clothing of righteousness - that is best} [Quran 7:26]

The point we try to make is that looking after the appearance is prescribed for both men and women but women need it more. Allah, the Most High, said (interpretation of the meaning): {(Do they then like for Allah) a creature who is brought up in adornments (wearing silk and gold ornaments, i.e. women), and in dispute cannot make herself clear?} [Quran 43:18] It is for this reason the adornments that Allah has made lawful for them are more than the adornments made lawful for men such as gold and silk.

To address your particular question, the general rule is that working in beauty salons and income earned from this work are lawful. Allah, the Most High, said (interpretation of the meaning): {But Allah has permitted trade and has forbidden usury} [Quran 2: 275] This is the view of the majority of scholars except that Imam Ahmad disliked the income earned by hairdresser and some scholars reported that al-Hasan stated it is forbidden because it often includes unlawful activity or changing the creation of Allah. However, it appears to me that it is permissible so long as the payment is made for forbidden act such as plucking hair and anything that the Messenger of Allah (may the Salah and Salam of Allah be upon him) forbade. This means the work in itself so long as the work does not include doing something forbidden.

With that said, if the woman visiting the beauty salon is beautifying herself is to make a wanton display of herself, it is not allowed for the beautician to beautify her and the income earned in this case is unlawful.  However, if the beautician knows that the reason the woman wants to beauty herself is lawful, then it is allowed to beautify her and be paid for it. If the beautician thinks that the woman will most likely beautify herself for unlawful reasons, then it is not allowed to beautify her as this level of likeliness is given the status of certainty.

And Allah knows best.

Your brother,

Prof. Khalid al-Musleh


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