Question # 260: Assalamu’alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh…. Is ring nose permissible in Islam?
Bismi-llahi r-raḥmani r-raḥīm,
Assalamu ‘laikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,
All praise and thanks are due to Allah (سبحانه و تعالى), and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم).
Dear questioner,
First of all, we implore Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) to help us serve His cause and render our work for His sake.
Shorter Answer: With respect to nose piercing, there is a difference of opinion among the scholars; the following are the for and against arguments in this regard:
- Nose piercing amounts to changing the creation of Allah as it is considered a kind of mutilation and deforming of the appearance, and hence, it is forbidden, unlike ear piercing that has been tacitly approved by the Prophet. Also, it is a form of body piercing that may not be healthy, and thus not permitted.
- Nose piercing is for the purpose of adornment and not for the purpose of harming or changing the creation of Allah and hence, permissible. Also, if wearing nose jewelry in the nose is part of the Muslim culture where the woman lives, there is nothing wrong with piercing the nose.
Irrespective of any difference in opinion, the basic rulings with any kind of body piercing for women are as follows:
- The visibility of adornments worn using these piercings should be limited to mahrams and her husband. (As in the case of a nose ring, unless the woman is wearing niqab to cover her face, such nose adornment may be visible to non-mahrams).
- Her wearing adornment in any of the body parts should not be an imitation of the kuffaar (disbelievers) or of evildoers and immoral people.
- The piercing should not have an adverse effect on one’s health, whether immediately or in the future.
Long Answer: There is a difference of opinion among scholars on the issue of nose piercing. The details of which are as follows:
According to Dr. Hatem al-Haj, Member of the Fatwa Committee of the Assembly of Muslim Jurists in America: “Nose piercing is not permissible according to the majority, and that is the correct opinion. The proof is twofold:
- It is not permissible to change the creation of Allah except with permission from him. Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) indicated in the Quran that this is one of Satan`s traps: “I will mislead them, and I will create in them false desires; I will order them to slit the ears of cattle and to deface the (fair) nature created by God.” Whoever, forsaking God, takes Satan for a friend, hath of a surety suffered a loss that is manifest.” (Soorah an-Nisa’a, 4:119)
Now, the piercing of the ear lobe has been tacitly approved by the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم). Any other piercing is not. [Hence,] piercing the earlobe is permissible according to the majority of scholars, and that is the stronger position. Ibn Abbas reported: The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه و سلم) came out and prayed, then delivered a khutbah – and he did not mention adhan or iqamah – then he went to the women and exhorted and reminded them, and instructed them to give charity. So, I saw them reaching to their ears and throats (taking off their earrings and necklaces) and giving them to Bilal, then he and Bilal returned to his house. (Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim)
[Also, it was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (رضي الله عنها) said: Eleven women sat and promised one another that they would not conceal anything about their husbands … the eleventh one said: My husband is Abu Zar’ and what (can I say about) Abu Zar’? He has given me many ornaments and my ears are heavily loaded with them. … ‘Aa’ishah said: The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said: I am to you as Abu Zar’ was to Umm Zar’. (Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim) The Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) approved of what Abu Zar’ did by filling the ears of Umm Zar’ with jewelry until they became heavy.]
- Ear lobe piercing is the least prone to infections and other side effects (medically speaking). Other forms of body piercing are not healthy, thus are not permitted, since it was related on the authority of Abu Sa’id Sa’d bin Malik bin Sinan al-Khudri (رضي الله عنه) that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said: “There should be neither harming nor reciprocating harm.” [(Ibn Majah, Al-Daraqutni and others related as of sound isnad)] …”
However, according to Dr. Main Khalid Al-Qudah, Member of the Fatwa Committee of Assembly of Muslim Jurists in America: “Nose piercing is not an Islamic practice, as it is a kind of exposure of the women’s adornment or Zeenah, while Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) said, what means “And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof…” (Soorah an-Nur, 24:31)
The difference between the nose and the ear-piercing is that the latter one is invisible as covering the ear is a compulsory act by unanimity of scholars, but no consensus regarding the status of covering the face…”
According to Standing Committee on Academic Research and Issuing Fatwas, “The ruling on putting a ring in a woman’s nose is that it is permissible because the nose is pierced for the purpose of adornment and not for the purpose of harming or changing the creation of Allah…” (Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah li’l-Buhooth al-‘Ilmiyyah wa’l-Ifta’)
Shaykh Muhammad al-Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “The correct view is that there is nothing wrong with piercing the ear because one of the aims, that is achieved by that is wearing permissible jewelry. It is known that the women of the Sahabah had earrings that they wore in their ears. The pain is light, and if the piercing is done when the girl is small, it heals quickly.
With regard to piercing the nose, I do not remember that the scholars said anything about it, but it is a kind of mutilation and deforming of the appearance as we see it, but perhaps others do not see it that way. If a woman is in a country where putting jewelry in the nose is seen as a kind of adornment and beautification, there is nothing wrong with piercing the nose. (Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen)
Allahu A’lam (Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) knows best) and all Perfections belong to Allah, and all mistakes belong to me alone. May Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) forgive me, Ameen.
Wassalaam
