Question 2176: Is painting on the skin with henna permissible for women?
Answer
✅ Answer: Pay attention to the following ahadith:
1 قَالَ وَ قَالَ الصَّادِقُ لَا بَأْسَ بِالْخِضَابِ كُلِّهِ.
📚 Al-Faqih, Vol. 1, p. 122
Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: All forms of khidhab (i.e. dyeing) are permissible!
2 عَنْ سَعْدٍ الْإِسْكَافِ قَالَ: سُئِلَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ عَنِ الْقَرَامِلِ الَّتِي تَضَعُهَا النِّسَاءُ فِي رُءُوسِهِنَّ يَصِلْنَهُ بِشُعُورِهِنَّ فَقَالَ لَا بَأْسَ عَلَى الْمَرْأَةِ بِمَا تَزَيَّنَتْ بِهِ لِزَوجها
📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 5, p. 119
Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) was asked about qaramil (braids/hair extensions) that women put on their heads and attach to their hair; the Imam said: There is no issue for a woman regarding whatever she uses to beautify herself for her husband.
✅ According to the above ahadith and others, women's khidhab in its various forms and beautifying themselves through permissible methods for their husband is not prohibited. What is problematic from the perspective of ahadith and the principles of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) includes the following few cases:
Tattooing, the ahadith of which are found in the following link:
Placing something on the skin that prevents water from reaching the skin during ghusl and wudu, some ahadith of which can be viewed in the following link:
Creating depictions of living beings with henna and other mediums on the body's skin and elsewhere, some ahadith of which can be viewed in the following links:
✅ Therefore, creating non-living designs and patterns on women's skin with henna for adornment is not prohibited, as it neither possesses the characteristics of tattooing nor prevents water from reaching the skin.
Of course, it is necessary that the aforementioned patterns and designs are not images of living beings.
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْر