Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

I read the Quran and did not see anything in reference to tattoos. Is it wrong for a Muslim to get a tattoo? 

Are tattoos permissible in islam?if not then reason being?are they not permissable even if u can get rid of them later by surgery? 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Are tattoos allowed?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Although the Glorious Quran is silent about the issue of ‘tattoos’, the Messenger of Allah (saws) specifically forbade and invoked the curse of Allah on the people who applied the tattoo and the ones who had the tattoo applied.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 7.816 Narrated by Humaid bin Abdur Rahman bin Auf

The Prophet (saws) said, "Allah has cursed the lady who artificially lengthens (her or someone else's) hair and the one who gets her hair lengthened, and the one who tattoos (herself or someone else) and the one who gets herself tattooed."

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 7.820 Narrated by Ibn Umar

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said, "Allah has cursed such a lady as lengthens (her or someone else's) hair artificially or gets it lengthened, and also a lady who tattoos (herself or someone else) or gets herself tattooed."

It is the duty of every believer, who sincerely fears Allah and the Last Day, to obey every word and command of Allah and His Messenger (saws). A believer must strive to do everything Allah and His Messenger (saws) have commanded them to do; and must stay away from everything that Allah and His Messenger (saws) forbade them to do. The Messenger of Allah (saws) forbade the believers the use of tattoos, and invoked the curse of Allah upon those who used and applied them; thus it is the duty of every believer to stay away from either applying the tattoo to himself, or anyone else.

For a believer, who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last Day, the fact that the Messenger of Allah (saws) invoked the curse of Allah on those who apply tattoos, is reason enough for them to stay away from it.

Whether it can be removed by surgery or not, a true believer must abstain from doing anything which is unacceptable to Allah and His Messenger (saws); and especially if the Messenger of Allah (saws) has specifically prohibited it, and invoked the curse of Allah on that thing.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan