I have a question regarding makeup in public and is there any opinion that it would be allowed if not excessively applied and no evil niyyah?
Bismillahi Ta’ala
Walaikum Assalam Warahmatullah,
At the outset, it is wājib for a woman to cover her face. This position is in accordance with the classical position of all four schools of jurisprudence (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i, and Hanbali), who maintain that covering the face is mandatory for women due to temptations and corruptions of men in our time. There are numerous scholarly works that explain this ruling in detail. [i]
Even for those who follow some contemporary scholars who hold the opinion that covering the face is not mandatory, the fundamental Islamic principles of modesty (hayā’) and concealment (taṣattur) avoiding undue attention still apply.
When we consider the reality of wearing makeup in public, we must ask ourselves – who is this beautification really for? If a woman leaves her home wearing makeup, this زينة is inevitably being displayed to non-mahram men.
The fact remains that this draws attention from others, thereby defeating the very purpose of the Islamic instruction for women to conceal their beauty from non-mahrams.
Consider the narrations from Rasulullah ﷺ wherein simple and somber act of women coming to masjid has been reprimanded if it is accompanied by applying bukhoor or fragrance. (Muslim)
In a similar narration Nabi ﷺ used harsh words of comparing a woman coming by external gatherings with itr applied with an adulterer. (Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood)
It is thus encouraged from our Mashayekh that even the visible clothing of the women, when they emerge from homes (i.e. hijab, abaya, burqa etc) must not be so adorned that they draw in the attention of the non-mahram. This would defeat the purpose of concealment.
Instead, a self-righteous woman should:
- wear something loose that does not cling to her body;
- with simple colors
- not apply eyeliner
- and not apply any perfume
as all these would attract and draw attention to oneself and defeat the purpose of concealing oneself to fulfill Allah’s commandments.
I’d recommend looking into the book “Beauty Sick” by Dr. Renee Engeln, which explores a crucial question: When society constantly bombards women with beauty standards and expectations, how much of what we consider “personal choice” is shaped by external pressures and societal conditioning?
The Islamic wisdom preserves the beauty of a woman for the intimate sphere. When a woman says “I wear makeup for myself,” we should thoughtfully consider: In a world without these intense social pressures about appearance, without billboards and magazines and social media constantly pushing beauty standards, would this still feel like a personal choice?
Islam’s guidance on modesty can be seen as liberating women from this cycle of societal objectification, allowing them to focus on their character, achievements, and spiritual growth rather than external appearance.
Wallahu A’lam
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Maulana Israar Ahmed
Checked and Approved by
Mufti Faisal al-Mahmudi
[i]
Niqab and Its Obligation in Hanafi Madhab by Mufti Husain Kadodia
https://markazulfiqh.com/2021/04/18/the-niqab-and-its-obligation-in-the-hanafi-madhhab/
Niqab: An Approach Based on the Proofs By Ml. Dr. Mateen Khan
https://enterthesunnah.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/niqab-8-2.pdf
Hijab: The Islamic Commandments Of Hijab By Shaykh Muhammed Ismail Memon
https://ia902203.us.archive.org/10/items/HijabTheIslamicCommandmentsOfHijabByShaykhMuhammedIsmailMemon/Hijab-TheIslamicCommandmentsOfHijabByShaykhMuhammedIsmailMemon.pdf
الحجاب في الشرع والفطرة بين الدليل، والقول الدخيل
عبد العزيز بن مرزوق الطريفي
https://archive.org/download/ELHIDABFIERIWELFITRETIAbduLAzizB.MerzuqEtTarifi/EL-HID%C5%BDAB%20FI-%C5%A0-%C5%A0ER%27I%20WE-L-FITRETI%20%20%20-%20%20%20%27Abdu-l-%27Aziz%20b.%20Merzuq%20et-Tarifi.pdf