1. Principle: Changing the Creation of Allah
Qurʼanic Evidence
Allah ﶻ says:
وَلَأُضِلَّنَّهُمْ وَلَأُمَنِّيَنَّهُمْ وَلَآمُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُبَتِّكُنَّ آذَانَ الْأَنْعَامِ وَلَآمُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُغَيِّرُنَّ خَلْقَ اللَّهِ ۚ وَمَن يَتَّخِذِ الشَّيْطَانَ وَلِيًّا مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ فَقَدْ خَسِرَ خُسْرَانًا مُّبِينًا
Translation:
“And I will surely mislead them, and arouse in them false desires, and command them so they will slit the ears of cattle, and command them so they will change the creation of Allah. And whoever takes Satan as an ally instead of Allah has certainly suffered a clear loss.”
📖 Surah an-Nisāʾ 4:119
Scholarly Understanding
This verse establishes the principle that altering Allah’s creation for no valid reason is blameworthy. Scholars use this verse as a foundation, not a standalone ruling, when discussing tattoos and unnecessary body modification.
2. Tattoos (Permanent)
Aḥādīṫā Evidence (Primary Source)
The prohibition of tattoos is explicit in the Sunnah.
لَعَنَ اللَّهُ الْوَاشِمَاتِ وَالْمُسْتَوْشِمَاتِ، وَالنَّامِصَاتِ وَالْمُتَنَمِّصَاتِ، وَالْمُتَفَلِّجَاتِ لِلْحُسْنِ، الْمُغَيِّرَاتِ خَلْقَ اللَّهِ
Translation:
“Allah has cursed the women who tattoo and those who are tattooed, those who pluck eyebrows and those who have them plucked, and those who file their teeth for beauty, changing the creation of Allah.”
📚 Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (5931), Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (2125)
