Fatwa: Plucking eyebrows

Plucking (an-nams) is the removal of the hair from the face with something that plucks. That also means the removal of the hairs of the eyebrows to thin them or straighten them. Plucking is that which thins the eyebrows. Its prohibition has been mentioned in the hadith on the authority of 'Abdullah bin Mas'uud in the collections, the hadith on the authority of Ibn Abbaas according to Abi Dawud, and the hadith on the authority of A'isha according to an-Nisa'i that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his Progeny, cursed the woman who applies hair extensions and the one who has it done, the woman who plucks and the one who has it done, the woman who tattoos and the one who has it done, and the woman who has her front teeth gapped in order to change Allah's creation.

Imam al-Mahdi (as) says in Al-Bahr: Plucking refers to the removal of facial hair with something that plucks. It refers to that which one uses to pick. It also says in Al-Azhaar as well as in its commentary by Ibn al-Miftaah: It is religiously prohibited for a woman to pluck. Imam Yahya bin Hamza (as) said: "It is permissible for the married woman and handmaidens to look beautiful for their husbands." However, I say that the aforementioned proofs and others show that it is impermissible. The narrated traditions invalidate any opinions. The apparent is that it is impermissible. And Allah shows the right way!