Islamic Ruling on Perming the Human Hair In recent times, strong controversy has greeted the issue of perming

the hair. Some are of the opinion that perming the hair is one of the ways by which a woman beautifies herself and looks good, something which is encouraged in the Shareeah as long it is not displayed outside the stated limits. On the other hand, others view that perming the hair is one of the ways of changing the creation of Allah which is prohibited by the texts of the Quran and authentic Sunnah. This treatise seeks to explore these opinions with a view to establish the truth regarding the matter. As such, it explains the nature of the human hair, what perming is and its effects on the human hair. It also investigates the subject of the prohibition of changing the creation of Allah citing the comments of the scholars, past and present. To hold perming prohibited because it is of changing the creation of Allah involves giving evidence from Qiyaas (juristic deduction); thus, the paper gives a brief discussion of Qiyaas and its applications in the deduction of the rulings of the Shareeah. This is a humble effort aimed at clearing the air of doubt and controversy about the issue depending upon the Quran and the authentic Sunnah and employing the appropriate sciences of the Shareeah. If I have attained the correct position which I strongly think I have then that is from Allahs Tawfeeq on His servant and all praise belong to Him Alone; but if not, then that is from me and from the Shaytaan and I seek the pardon and forgiveness of the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful. The Nature of the Human Hair Stylist, Stacy McCurdy wrote1: Your hair is made up of proteins. Each strand has a cortex at the center. The cortex is made up of proteins in a chain down the length of the shaft. These proteins (called poly-peptide chains) are held together by peptide bonds which give the hair its strength. Surrounding the cortex is the medulla, again made of protein fibers and containing the pigment of the hair, giving the hair its color. Here also we find
See also, Facts About Getting a Good Permanent Wave by Canadian stylist, Doris Moller: http://www.dorismollerhairstyling.com/hair-perm.html
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the side bonds of the hair which hold the wave pattern of the hair. There are three types of side bond: salt bonds, hydrogen bonds, and the stronger disulfide bonds. Each of the bond types constitute about a third of the strength of the hair's curl. The disulfide bonds are what get changed in a permanent wave. Finally, the cortex and medulla are encased in a protective sheath called the cuticle. The cuticle is made of tiny, overlapping scales of keratin (the same thing fingernails and toenails are made from). The cuticle is what protects the hair from damaging effects of the environment. Some people have hair with a tightly closed cuticle, and some have a cuticle whose normal state is slightly raised. The arrangement of the hair's cuticle determines how readily the hair absorbs moisture, and how "frizzy" the hair appears to be.2 Curling the Hair The wave pattern of the hair is changed by curling it, usually on rollers of some type. These changes occur because we alter the side bonds of the hair. The salt and hydrogen bonds mentioned above are easily broken through the application of water and heat, which is why simply wetting the hair, wrapping it in rollers, and allowing it to dry - or using a curling iron - allows you to add curl.3 When the heat cools and the hair dries, the salt and hydrogen bonds reform on their own. The curl you get this way only lasts until the next time the hair is wet. Hot combs and flat irons work on the same principles to relax curl and straighten the hair. Perming the Hair The process we call permanent waving uses chemicals to break and reform the stronger disulfide bonds of the hair4. When the hair is washed and wrapped on a perm rod (the rod size used determining the tightness of the curl), we place the hair in the physical shape we want it to take. Then, by applying a waving
With regards to structure, all human hair has the same basic chemical composition in terms of keratin protein content. However, Franbourg et al. have found that Black hair may differ in the distribution of lipids throughout the hair shaft. Wikipedia (Afro-textured Hair). 3 Apparently, this appears to be applicable only to Caucasoid and Mongoloid hairs. 4 The disulphide bonds play the main role in changing your straight hair into a permanent curl or wave, added Doris Moller.
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lotion (also generally called relaxer) with an alkaline base (ammonium thioglycolate is most commonly used in today's perms), we raise the cuticle layer, making it more porous and break the disulfide bonds that hold the natural wave pattern. After the waving lotion has had time to process and has been rinsed away and the rods have been blotted to remove excess water, a neutralizer is applied. The neutralizer is actually what reforms the disulfide bonds of the hair and sets the new curl pattern in the most potentially damaging stage of the perming process. Once allowed to take effect, the neutralizer is rinsed away, the rods are removed, and the hair is re-rinsed for good measure. It can then be styled as desired.5 Perming: A Permanent Alteration The process of relaxing the hair is permanent. This means that it causes a permanent change in the wave pattern of the hair by destroying a significant portion of the chemical side bonds that give shape to the wave of the hair and also provide structural integrity and strength to the hair. In order to go natural you will have to grow the hair out and remove the relaxer portions of the hair. With an average rate of growth at one-half inch per month, a person whose hair is eight to ten inches in length will have to grow their hair for sixteen to twenty months before all of the relaxed hair has been grown out and removed, noted hairstylist, Crista Magneson. 6 In the article, The Truth About Hair Relaxers, Cassia McClain described the impact of the relaxers on the human hair as: a powerful process which transforms the basic chemical makeup of the hair strand. She gave a brief description of the reaction of the relaxers during the procedure and said, Once

http://www.hairfinder.com/hair4/go_natural.htm. See also Wikipedia (Perming). However, Crista Magneson, a hairstylist cautions, Perming your hair is a big deal. No matter what anyone else tells you, it is! If you've never done it before or it's been a decade or two since your last one, listen up because perms have come a long way. One important thing to remember is that it is a chemical treatment and it can take its toll on your hair, so be informed and use caution first! http://www.hairfinder.com/tips/permanentcurls.htm
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http://www.hairfinder.com/tips/permanentcurls.htm

this process is performed it is irreversible. This fact is also alluded to by Canadian hairstylist, Doris Moller.7 So, basically, relaxers and the other methods permanently alter the structure of the hair, although new hair growth is not affected. 8 Thus, As with hair dye, the treated portion of the hair moves away from the scalp as the new growth of untreated hair sprouts up from the roots, requiring periodic retreatment (about every 68 weeks) to maintain a consistent appearance (of the perm)9. Yet, even the repeated perming of the hair to maintain a consistent appearance is ultimately dangerous to the hair. This is because, as Doris Moller notes, When the cuticle rises up, (something which occurs as the relaxer is applied) to such an extent that the cortex (the layer underneath the cuticle) becomes exposed, then you have what we call damaged hair. Besides tangling, damaged hair is characterized by an increase in negative charges which is the reason why it is flyaway and difficult to manage. 10 Doris Moller further explained that when a conditioner is applied to the damaged hair it is expected to make those protruding cuticles (caused by the perming) to lie flat and to prevent the hair from being flyaway. This occurs such that its positive charges neutralize the negative charges in the (damaged) hair called electrophyllic attraction. Nevertheless, is it capable of restoring your hair to such a degree that the cuticle around your hair lies flat again? she asked rhetorically. Not quite, she asserted.11 In Summary The hair chemistry is basically constant across the human races, and there exists a wide difference between curling and perming the hair. While curling the hair involves reversible bond breaking and a change in the wave pattern of the hair; perming is an irreversible, permanent alteration of the hair which

Facts About Getting a Good http://www.dorismollerhairstyling.com/hair-perm.html 8 From Wikipedia (Hair straightening).

7 9 10

Permanent

Wave.

See

Wikipedia (Relaxers) Conditioners and Hair Static by Doris http://www.dorismollerhairstyling.com/hair-static-tratment.html. 11 Ibid.

Moller.

See:

could even, in the final analysis, lead to permanent hair damage whose effect is only reduced by regular use of conditioners. Changing the Creation of Allah Imam Abu Jafar Muhammad bin Jareer at-Tabaree may Allah shower blessings on him said: It is not allowed for a woman to change anything from her natural creation upon which Allah has created her by way of addition or reduction for the sake of beauty whether such is done towards the husband or anyone else. (For example), the one with connected eyebrows removing that which is between them, making it appear as if it was clear or vice-versa; and the one who has an additional tooth and so removes it or a long tooth and she cuts from it or beard or moustache or hair under the lower lip and she removes it by plucking. Or the one whose hair is short or of bad quality and so she lengthens it or affixes someone elses hair to it. All of that is included in the prohibition and are from changing the creation of Allah the Exalted.12 Qaadee Abu Musa Iyyaad bin Musa bin Iyyaad (rh) while commenting on the above ruling from Imam at-Tabaree (rh), added, It follows upon what he mentioned, that whoever is created with an extra finger or limb, it is not allowed for him to cut it off or remove it because that is part of changing the creation of Allah the Exalted.13 Imam Muhammad Naasirudden Al-Albaanee also cited the comment of Imam at-Tabaree (may Allah shower blessings on him them both) and affirmed it.14 This prohibition of changing the creation of Allah the Exalted as stated above is drawn from the Quran and the authentic Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam). Allah the Mighty and Sublime says:

Verily, I will mislead them, and surely, I will arouse in them false desires; and certainly, I will order them to slit the ears of cattle, and indeed I will order them
Sharh Ibn Battal alaa Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (17/198), Al-Jaamiu li Ahkaam al-Quraan (5/296), Tuhfat al-Ahwadhee (7/91) and others. 13 Al-Jaamiu li Ahkaam al-Quraan (5/296). 14 Silsilat al-Ahaadeeth as-Saheehah (6/694)
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to change the nature created by Allah. And whoever takes Shaytan as a Waliyy (protector or helper) instead of Allah, has surely suffered a manifest loss. (AnNisaa vs 119). Explaining the phrase:

and indeed I will order them to change the nature created by Allah Shaykh Abdur-Rahman bin Naasir as-Sadee (may Allah shower blessings on him) said, this includes changing the physical creation by tattooing, filing the teeth, removing facial hairs and separating the teeth for the purpose of beauty and things like that from the things by which Shaytaan deceived them leading them to change the creation of the Most Merciful. That involves being displeased with the way she is created and disparaging His Wisdom, and believing that what they carry out with their own hands is more beautiful than the creation of the Most Merciful15 In the hadeeth, Abdullah bin Masood may Allah be pleased with him reported that,

Allahs curse is upon women who do tattoos and the women who have them done, those who affix hair extensions, women who shave facial hairs and those who have their facial hairs shaved and those who have their teeth separated for the sake of beauty; those who change the creation of Allah the Mighty and Sublime.16

Tayseer al-Kareem ar-Rahmaan (204). Imam al-Qurtubee (rh) has mentioned five other ways in which the above verse was interpreted by the pious predecessors in some detail and so did Imam Ibn Jawzee (rh) amongst others. After citing the explanations, Imam Shihaabuddeen Al-Alloosee (rh) mentioned that the verse included all the meanings. Imam Ash-Shawkaanee (rh) averred similarly in his explanation of the verse. See: Al-Jaamiu li Ahkaam al-Quraan (5/292-297), Zaad al-Maseer (2/110), Rooh al-Maaanee (4/235), Fath alQadeer (330). 16 Collected by al-Bukhaaree (4507), (5476) and Muslim (3966). See Silsilat al-Ahaadeeth asSaheehah (6/691)
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Imam al-Khattaabee (may Allah shower blessings on him) explains: Serious threat is mentioned regarding these issues because they all involve fraud and deception. If permission is given to any of these things, it would have been a way of allowing other forms of fraud. It also involves changing the creation as is pointed to in the hadeeth of Ibn Masood in his saying that: those who change the creation of Allah.17 It becomes evident from the above texts of the Quran and the Sunnah and the explanations of our pious predecessors that it is prohibited to change the creation of Allah for the sake of beauty whether such a person desires to please her husband (or wife as the case may be) thereby or any other person. Qiyaas Saheeh: From the sources from which the rulings of the Shareeah are drawn is Qiyaas Saheeh (sound juristic deduction) which means to connect an additional matter with an original matter owing to a cause that connects them both.18 So, the ruling of a matter whose ruling is sought (al-Far, the additional matter) is derived from the ruling of the matter which is already clearly established (Hukmu al-Asl) in the Quran, authentic Sunnah or Ijmaa (i.e. alAsl, the original matter) due to a cause (al-Illah) that is shared by the Asl and Far. For example, Ameer al-Mumineen, Umar bin al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) said,

: :
I was delighted after looking at my wife and I kissed while I was fasting. So I said, O Messenger of Allah, I have committed a grievous thing today; I kissed while fasting! He (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) replied, What if you gargle water while fasting.19

Fath al-Baaree (17/52). Risaalatun Lateefatun Jaamiatun fee Usool al-Fiqhi al-Muhimmah (96). See also, AtTahqeeqaat wat-Tanqeehaat as-Salaafiyyaat ala Matn al-Waraqaat (470). 19 Collected by Aboo Daawood (2037), ad-Daarimee (1777) and others; graded authentic by Imam Al-Albaanee in Saheeh Sunan Abee Daawood.
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So, the Asl here is gargling water while fasting which is allowed. The Far is kissing while fasting; and the Illah that connects gargling water while fasting (Asl) and kissing while fasting (Far) is that they are both precursors to breaking the fast. Therefore, as with the Asl, the Far about which Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was asking is also allowed since they share the same Illah.20 Therefore, while commenting on the hadeeth of Umar above, Imam al-Khattaabee (may Allah shower blessings on him) said, This establishes Qiyaas, and connecting two things by a single ruling because they are both similar.21 The Ruling on Perming It becomes obvious from the foregoing regarding the subject of perming that: the Asl on this matter is tattooing or affixing hair attachments etc which are clearly prohibited in the texts of the hadeeth of Ibn Masood cited above. the Far is perming the hair for the sake of beauty whose ruling is not expressly stated in a text in the Quran nor Sunnah nor consensus. The Illah for the prohibition in the Asl is changing the creation of Allah for the sake of beauty.22 This Illah is obvious in the Far as it is clear also in the Asl. Therefore, since the ruling of the Asl here is one of prohibition which is clear from the text of the hadeeth of Ibn Masood, then the ruling of the Far is prohibition. That is, perming is also prohibited since it is a way of changing the creation of Allah which is the reason for the prohibition of tattooing and hair affixations.

and At-Tahqeeqaat wat-Tanqeehaat as-Salaafiyyaat ala Matn al-Waraqaat (481). Awn al-Mabood (5/263) 22 This point is also clearly stated by Imam al-Qurtubee, Badruddeen al-Aynee, AbdurRahman Mubarkfooree, Muhammad Naasiruddeen al-Albaanee (may Allah be pleased with them all), Shaykh Saleem al-Hilaalee and many others, past and present. Al-Jaamiu li Ahkaam al-Quraan (5/296), Tuhfat al-Ahwadhee (7/91), Silsilat al-Ahaadeeth as-Saheehah (6/693), Mawsooat al-Manahee ash-Shariyyah (3/224) and others.
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However, for those who hold that perming the hair is allowed, they say that it because there is/are no specific text(s) forbidding it as we have texts that prohibit tattooing, affixing hair attachments, removing facial hairs and separating the teeth. However, this assertion is fraught with problems: 1. It seeks to restrict the prohibition of changing the creation of Allah to the points that have been mentioned in the hadeeth only. This restriction is itself baseless. This is owing to the fact that the alterations that were mentioned in the hadeeth is NOT alaa baab at-Takhsees (to show restriction), they were rather alaa baab at-Tamtheel or Dhikru albad (to give examples). In other words, the hadeeth only stated some of the ways in which the people change the creation of Allah; it does not mean that it is the only way of changing the creation of Allah such that other ways of changing the creation of Allah would be deemed permissible. 2. It contradicts what the scholars, past and present have deduced about the verse and the hadeeth about changing the creation of Allah. They have not restricted changing the creation of Allah to those mentioned in the hadeeth; rather, they included whatever could be determined to form changing the creation of Allah the Mighty and Sublime. As cited above, Imam Ibn Jareer at-Tabaree, Qaadee Iyyaad and Abdur-Rahman asSadeee (may Allah be pleased with them) and others have included other forms of changing the creation of Allah that were not stated in the hadeeth. Imam al-Qurtubee (rh) while explaining the above verse said, The reference to changing (the creation of Allah) points to tattooing and things like it from those things of make-believe for the sake of beauty23 Thereafter, he said, There is difference of opinion regarding the reason for their prohibition. It is said it is because it involves false representation; and others say it is because it involves changing the creation of Allah the Exalted according to Ibn Masood. And this is the most correct opinion which also encompasses the first view.24

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Al-Jaamiu li Ahkaam al-Quraan (5/295) Ibid.

In addition, some of the people have said that perming is not a way of changing the creation of Allah since the hairs will grow off over time. This objection is also weak for the reasons that follow: a. It suggests that a change in the creation of Allah is only established if the hair does not grow off even if the perming is changing the creation of Allah. This is clearly incorrect because the change becomes established when the perming is done and not when the hair grows off. So the sinful act becomes established when the perm is made until it is removed or it grows off. So, that it will grow off does not show that it is not a sin to perm! b. It contradicts what the texts point to. For example, it is clearly prohibited in the hadeeth to affix hair extensions and shave the facial hairs. That the hair extension can easily be removed or that the facial hairs could still grow is not evidence to prove that it is not prohibited to change the creation of Allah by affixing hair extensions and shaving facial hairs. c. Except when the permed hairs fall off completely or are cut, the perm still remains on the hair; as such, the permed hair is ever different from the new growth of hair that has never been permed. This is the reason why hairstylists encourage that to maintain a consistent appearance, the hair should be permed regularly! So, that there are new hair sprouts is not evidence that the permed hair returns to its original condition in which it was before the perming. Therefore, it derives from the above discussion that from the means by which the people change Allahs creation in modern times for the sake of beauty is perming. Since changing Allahs creation is prohibited, then it is glaring that the most preponderant thing is to consider perming a forbidden act. When the Hair is Stubborn Some of the women have complained about their hairs being difficult. It causes them severe headache when they wash or comb them and worst still, when they weave them. In such cases, as it is with other matters that bring difficulty, permissible means of removing the difficulty should be sought.

However, 1. if there is no other means of removing the difficulty, and 2. it is confirmed that perming is a sure means of removing the difficulty, then 3. the hair could be permed 4. Within the limits that removes the difficulty described above.25 Therefore, similarly, Imam an-Nawawee (rh) regarding the hadeeth of Ibn Masood above, said, It means that they are doing that (i.e. the things mentioned in the hadeeth) for the sake of beauty. It also shows that what is prohibited is what is done for the sake of beauty. But if she is in dire need of it in order to remove a particular illness or defect in the teeth and things like that, then there is no blame. And Allah knows best.26 Allah knows best.

Compiled by: Abu Naasir Ibrahim Abdur-Rauf Kaduna, Nigeria. Rajab, 1432 AH.

This is in consonance with the rulings on the matters of Daroorah (dire necessity). Sharh Saheeh Muslim (7/241). Shaykh Muhammad Naasiruddeen al-Albaanee (rh) gave similar explanations. See: an-Nawaazil at-Teebiyyah (211- 238).
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