Is Hair Transplantation Permissible In Islam?

Summary: Hair transplantation in Islam is generally permissible if done for treatment using one’s own hair. There should be no intent to deceive, no haram materials used, and no intention to alter creation. Details matter.

Ruling On Hair Transplantation In Islam: An Overview

Hair transplantation, one of the methods sought after today due to aesthetic concerns or health issues, is a topic that requires careful evaluation from a fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) perspective. While the religion of Islam commands respect for human creation and the preservation of the body given by Allah, it also encourages seeking treatment and maintaining health. The balance between these two fundamental principles plays a key role in determining the ruling on interventions like hair transplantation.

In general, Islamic scholars hold the view that hair transplantation can be permissible under certain conditions. The foundation of these conditions lies in the procedure being performed for treatment purposes, the halal nature of the materials used, the absence of intent to deceive (tadlis), and the lack of intention to alter creation (taghyir al-khilqah).

What Is Hair Transplantation And How Is It Done?

Before delving into the fiqh dimension of the topic, it is useful to briefly understand what hair transplantation entails. Hair transplantation is a surgical procedure that typically involves harvesting hair follicles from one part of the patient’s own body (usually the back of the scalp) and transplanting them to an area experiencing hair loss. This procedure is performed under local anesthesia, and its primary goal is to enable new, permanent hair growth in the thinning or bald area. With technological advancements, different techniques like FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) and FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation) have emerged. The crucial point is that most modern techniques utilize the person’s own hair follicles.

Conditions For The Permissibility Of Hair Transplantation

According to Islamic jurisprudence, there are fundamental principles that determine whether an intervention is permissible. Specifically for hair transplantation, we can examine these conditions under the following headings:

Treatment Purpose And Necessity

The general Islamic perspective on cosmetic procedures leans towards avoiding those done purely for vanity or arbitrary beautification. However, hair loss, especially when it occurs at a young age or in women, can transcend being merely an aesthetic issue and turn into a serious problem that negatively affects a person’s psychology, potentially leading to social withdrawal. In such cases, hair transplantation can be considered a form of treatment or rectifying a defect.

Scholars state that cosmetic procedures aimed at correcting a defect or deficiency in the body are permissible. For example, treating burn scars or correcting deformities resulting from accidents falls under this category. Similarly, if hair loss causes significant psychological distress, undergoing hair transplantation to alleviate this condition can be considered within the scope of treatment. Hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) encouraging seeking treatment support this view.

However, the intention and the severity of the situation are important here. Interventions performed purely arbitrarily, out of an obsession with looking more beautiful, or with the intent to deceive others are not in line with the spirit of Islam.

Halal Nature Of Materials Used

One of the most critical conditions for the permissibility of hair transplantation is the source of the transplanted hair or material used. According to the generally accepted view in Islamic fiqh, transplanting hair follicles taken from one’s own body to another area of the same body is permissible. This is likened to moving a part of the body to another location, and no external haram (forbidden) substance is introduced.

However, using another person’s hair (human hair), the hair of animals considered najis (impure) in Islam like pigs, or synthetic materials intended for deception is not considered permissible. There are hadiths related to the prohibition of using another person’s hair. One of the main reasons for this prohibition is that it can be contrary to human dignity and can lead to deception.

Therefore, it is crucial for a Muslim considering hair transplantation to ensure that only their own hair follicles will be used in the procedure.

Absence Of Intent To Deceive (Tadlis)

Islam forbids all forms of deception and misleading others by appearing different from one’s reality. If hair transplantation is done with the intention of making a person look significantly different, concealing their age, or deceiving others (e.g., a potential spouse), it becomes objectionable due to this intention. However, if the purpose is to correct an unnatural appearance caused by hair loss, restore self-confidence, and regain a normal appearance, then there is no intent to deceive. Intentions are judged by actions, and the purpose for which a person undergoes the procedure affects the ruling.

Discussion On Altering Creation (Taghyir al-Khilqah)

One of the most significant fiqh discussions regarding hair transplantation and similar cosmetic procedures is whether they fall under the category of “altering Allah’s creation” (taghyir al-khilqah). The Holy Quran mentions that Satan will incite humans to alter Allah’s creation (An-Nisa, 4:119). This verse and related hadiths (e.g., those prohibiting tattooing, plucking eyebrows, filing teeth for beauty) indicate that arbitrary interference with one’s natural creation is haram (forbidden).

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said in a hadith:

لَعَنَ اللَّهُ الْوَاشِمَاتِ وَالْمُسْتَوْشِمَاتِ وَالنَّامِصَاتِ وَالْمُتَنَمِّصَاتِ وَالْمُتَفَلِّجَاتِ لِلْحُسْنِ الْمُغَيِّرَاتِ خَلْقَ اللَّهِ

La’anallâhu’l-wâshimâti wa’l-mustawshimâti wa’n-nâmisâti wa’l-mutanammisâti wa’l-mutefellicâti li’l-husni’l-mughayyirâti khalqallâh.

“Allah has cursed those women who practice tattooing and those who get themselves tattooed, and those who remove facial hair (pluck eyebrows) and those who get their facial hair removed, and those who create spaces between their teeth for beauty, changing the creation of Allah.” (Bukhari, Libas, 83-87; Muslim, Libas, 120)

This hadith clearly states that altering creation arbitrarily for the sake of beauty is a cursed act. However, Islamic scholars have clarified that this prohibition is not absolute and that interventions performed for treatment or to remove a defect do not fall under this category. If hair transplantation is done for treatment or to regain a normal appearance, it is considered not as distorting creation, but rather as correcting an existing deficiency or defect. The use of one’s own hair follicles also strengthens this interpretation, as it involves rearranging the body’s own elements rather than adding foreign substances.

Relevant Verses And Hadiths

The primary sources we refer to when evaluating the ruling on hair transplantation are the Quran and the Sunnah.

Narrations Regarding The Prohibition Of Altering Creation

The hadith mentioned above from Bukhari and Muslim (the “cursing” hadith) is fundamental evidence showing the prohibition of arbitrary interference with creation. This hadith serves as an important criterion for defining the limits of cosmetic procedures. Changes made out of vanity or dissatisfaction with the form Allah has given fall under this prohibition.

Hadiths Encouraging Treatment

On the other hand, Islam commands the preservation of health and the treatment of illnesses. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

تَدَاوَوْا عِبَادَ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يَضَعْ دَاءً إِلاَّ وَضَعَ لَهُ شِفَاءً

Tadâwaw yâ ‘ibâdallâh, fa innallâha lam yada’ dâ’an illâ wada’a lahû shifâ’an.

“O servants of Allah! Seek treatment, for Allah has not sent down any disease but He has also sent down its cure.” (Tirmidhi, Tibb, 2; Abu Dawud, Tibb, 1)

This hadith emphasizes the importance of seeking treatment for diseases and physical defects. If hair loss is considered a “disease” or a “defect” that causes psychological distress, then striving to treat it is legitimate.

Furthermore, the incident where Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) permitted Arfajah ibn As’ad (may Allah be pleased with him), whose nose had been cut off in battle, to wear a nose made first of silver and then of gold (Tirmidhi, Libas, 31; Nasa’i, Zinat, 41), serves as significant evidence that cosmetic interventions are permissible in cases of necessity or to correct a missing limb or feature.

View Of The Turkish Directorate Of Religious Affairs (Diyanet)

The High Council of Religious Affairs of the Turkish Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), an important reference for Muslims in Turkey, has stated its view on hair transplantation. According to the Council’s fatwa:

“In Islam, interventions and alterations aimed at changing the characteristics given at creation (fitrah) are forbidden… However, if there is an abnormality or excess in any organ of the body that is considered strange by other people and causes psychological discomfort to the person, correcting it through surgery is considered a treatment process, not distorting the fitrah… Accordingly, there is no religious objection for those whose hair has fallen out due to illness or accident, or those who have sparse hair and feel psychologically disturbed by it, to undergo hair transplantation for treatment purposes. However, using someone else’s hair or wearing a wig for hair transplantation is not permissible. Because the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) stated that Allah curses those women who add false hair (to their own) and those who ask for it to be added (Bukhari, Libas, 83; Muslim, Libas, 120). Since the hair transplantation operation involves taking the person’s own hair and transplanting it to hairless areas, it does not fall under the scope of using someone else’s hair and is therefore outside this prohibition.” (Decision of the High Council of Religious Affairs)

This view from Diyanet aligns with the general fiqh principles explained above and confirms that hair transplantation is permissible if done for treatment purposes using the person’s own hair.

Related Issues: Wigs And Hair Dyeing

While discussing hair transplantation, it is useful to briefly touch upon the often-confused topics of wearing wigs and dyeing hair.

Ruling On Wearing Wigs

Wearing a wig, i.e., false hair, is different from hair transplantation. The majority of Islamic scholars do not permit the use of wigs, especially those made from another person’s hair or those intended for deception. The cursing hadith mentioned earlier prohibits adding false hair (which can include wearing wigs). However, some scholars have permitted the use of wigs made from synthetic materials for treatment purposes (e.g., for cancer patients who lose hair due to chemotherapy), provided they are not intended to deceive. Nevertheless, the general tendency is to avoid wearing wigs.

Ruling On Dyeing Hair

Hair dyeing is a different matter. In Islam, dyeing white hair is generally considered permissible, even mustahabb (recommended). However, the point to note here is the color of the dye. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) generally discouraged dyeing hair black, recommending henna or other natural colors instead. It is considered makruh (disliked) especially for elderly people to dye their hair jet black to appear younger. Although there are differing opinions regarding women dyeing their hair black to beautify themselves for their husbands or men doing so in situations like warfare to appear more vigorous, the general advice is to prefer colors other than black. Other important conditions are that the dye’s ingredients must be halal and it should not prevent water from reaching the hair during ablution (wudu) or ritual bathing (ghusl).

Points To Consider

A Muslim brother or sister considering hair transplantation should pay attention to the following points:

1. Intention (Niyyah): Sincerely review why you want the procedure. Is the purpose treatment, or just an arbitrary cosmetic intervention? Is there any intent to deceive? If your intention is pure, your action will be acceptable, Allah willing.
2. Method and Material: Ensure that the procedure uses only your own hair follicles. Hair from others or haram/suspicious materials should not be used.
3. Choice of Specialist: Be careful to choose a competent and trustworthy doctor and clinic. Do not risk your health.
4. Avoiding Extravagance (Israf): Hair transplantation can be costly. Acting within your means and avoiding extravagance is an Islamic sensitivity.
5. Consultation (Istisharah): It may be beneficial to consult trusted scholars or knowledgeable individuals before making a decision.

Final Thoughts

My dear brother/sister, to summarize, the religion of Islam is one of ease and addresses the legitimate needs of human beings. Hair transplantation performed using one’s own hair follicles, for the purpose of alleviating distress caused by hair loss and seeking treatment, is considered permissible by the majority of Islamic scholars, provided it does not involve deception or the intention to alter creation. However, in every situation, the purity of intention, the permissibility of the method and materials used, and adherence to Islamic principles are essential. Allah undoubtedly knows best. May Allah grant us all the ability to act according to His pleasure in all our affairs.

Bibliography

• The Holy Quran, Surah An-Nisa (4:119).
• Al-Bukhari, Muhammad ibn Ismail. Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Libas (Book of Clothing), Hadiths 83-87.
• Muslim, ibn al-Hajjaj. Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Libas wa al-Zinah (Book of Clothing and Adornment), Hadith 120.
• Al-Tirmidhi, Muhammad ibn ‘Isa. Jami’ al-Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Tibb (Book of Medicine), Hadith 2; Kitab al-Libas (Book of Clothing), Hadith 31.
• Abu Dawud, Sulayman ibn al-Ash’ath. Sunan Abi Dawud, Kitab al-Tibb (Book of Medicine), Hadith 1.
• Al-Nasa’i, Ahmad ibn Shu’ayb. Sunan an-Nasa’i, Kitab al-Zinah (Book of Adornment), Hadith 41.
• High Council of Religious Affairs (Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı, Turkey). Fatwa regarding Hair Transplantation (Accessible through their website and publications).

(Note: Hadith references are based on standard classifications. Minor variations may exist in different prints and editions.)

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