Fatwa: # 15273
Category: Women
Country: South Africa
Date: 25th May 2007

Title

Can she wear contact lenses?

Question

is a girl allowed to wear colour contact lenses and can you plz describe the correct way for a girl to make sijdah

Answer

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatoh

1. Allah Ta’ala says in the Noble Qur’an:

وَلَأُضِلَّنَّهُمْ وَلَأُمَنِّيَنَّهُمْ وَلَآَمُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُبَتِّكُنَّ آَذَانَ الْأَنْعَامِ وَلَآَمُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُغَيِّرُنَّ خَلْقَ اللَّهِ وَمَنْ يَتَّخِذِ الشَّيْطَانَ وَلِيًّا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ فَقَدْ خَسِرَ خُسْرَانًا مُبِينًا (النساء 119)

(Shaitaan says) And I will lead them astray and I will tempt them with false hoes and give them my order so they shall slit the ears of cattle and I will give them my order so they shall alter the creation of Allah.  And whoever takes Shaitaan as friend instead of Allah has incurred an obvious loss. (Al-Nissa: 119)

The Mufassireen (Commentators of the Holy Qur’an) have stated that those who change their physical appearance permanently also fall under this ayah. Therefore to alter once natural appearance and mutilate oneself is unlawful in Shariah.  However, colored contact lenses do not fall in this category.

It will be permissible for a female to wear colored contact lens as long as her purpose is not to deceive people of her natural eye color.  For example if a boy proposes to her in marriage, he should be informed that she is wearing colored contact lens so that he may not be deceived in thinking that it is her natural eye color.

Also, since it is considered to be zeenat (adorning one’s self), it should not be used as a means to attracted non-mahram men. 

2. The correct way to perform sajdah for a female is to press her stomach against her thighs and to keep the elbows in, touching her sides.

Dar al-Mukthar (with Rad al-Muhtar) 1:504 H.M. Saeed Company

Al-Fatawa al-Hindiya (1:75) Maktaba Rasheediya

- (والمرأة تنخفض) فلا تبدي عضديها (وتلصق بطنها بفخذيها) لانه أستر (در المختار)

- والمرأة لا تجافي في ركوعها وسجودها وتقعد على رجليها وفي السجدة تفترش بطنها على فخذيها كذا في الخلاصة (الفتاوى الهندية)

And Allah knows best

Wassalam

Ml. Ehzaz Ajmeri,
Student Darul Iftaa

Checked and Approved by:

Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa

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