#65. THE RULING CONCERNING THE USE OF THE KOHL
ANSWER
Wa alaykum salaam warahmatullaah wabarakaatuh
Alhamdulillaah!
The Ulamaa have a concensus on the permissibility of women using the Kohl in all situations and for all purposes such as beautification, cure, treatment, etc.
As for the man, they differed on the permissibility of him using it for mere beautification.
Imaam Maalik’s position is the permissibility of men using the Kohl for beautification
The Hanafis hold that using the Kohl for beautification is Makruh for men
The official position of the Maliki madh’hab is the impermissibility of men using the Kohl for beautification.
The Shaafi’is and the Hanbalis hold that as long as the kohl is from ‘Al-Ithmid’, it is permissible to use it for whatever purposes it is.
The reason for this difference springs from differences in their interpretation of the Hadith in which the Rasul – salallaahi alayhi wasallam – said:
عليكم بالإثمد, فإنه يجلو البصر, وينبت الشعر
“Pay attention to the ‘Ithmid’ for it clears the eyes and helps the hair grow”
Recorded by Ibn Maajah and graded Sahih by Al-Albaani in Al-Jaami’i
In another wording of the Hadith, the Rasul – salallaahu alayhi wasallam – said:
خير أكحالكم الإثمد, يجلو البصر, وينبت الشعر
“The best of your Kohl is Al-Ithmid, it clears the eyes and sprouts the hairs.”
While some of the Ulamaa make specific reference to the generality of the use of the kohl in this Hadith, some restrict its permissibility to the Ithmid and to the reason/cause.
What is correct of the Madhaahib referred to – and Allah knows best – is the position of the Hanbalis and the Shaafi’is, that as long as it is from ‘Al-Ithmid’, it remains permissible for men to use.
However, it should be noted that the permissibility of women using the Kohl does not imply that they can display it to non-mahram men. About this there remains an unrestricted forbiddance.
As for the second part of your question on using the Hena by women, the Hadith to which you refer is recorded by Imaam Abu Daawud from A’ishah – radiyallaahu anha – that she said:
: أومت امرأة من وراء ستر بيدها كتاب إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فقبض النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يده فقال: ما أدري أيد رجل أم يد امرأة؟ قالت: بل امرأة، قال: لو كنت امرأة لغيرت أظفارك يعني بالحناء. حسنه الألباني.
“A lady pointed from behind a veil the Book of Allah to the Messenger of Allah – salallaahi alayhi wasallam – then the Prophet – salallaahu alayhi wasallam – held his hands and said: ‘I don’t know, is it a man’s or a woman’s hand?’ She said: ‘it is a woman’ he said: ‘if you were a woman you would have changed the nails with the hena.”
The Hadith has been declared Hasan by Al-Albaani
Al-Munaawi – rahimahullaah – said in ‘al-Faydu Al-Qadir’:
“Ibn Hajar said: …the dying of the hands (with Hena) is recommended for women as a way of distinguishing her hands and that of men.
Rather, the apparent meaning of the position of some of them is that whichever woman abandons that have fallen into the divine threat that has come on women that emulate men. What that seems to imply is that to not use it is Haraam. This is a supposition though that has not been said by anyone as far as I know.”
That the use of the Hena is highly recommended for women does not still imply that women should display these in front of men that are not of their Mahram.
Allaahu A’alam
Baarakallaahu feekum
Jazaakumullaahu khayran.
