65/59.4. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 4886 — Changing Allah’s Creation for Beauty
"And whatsoever the Messenger (Muḥammad pbuh) gives you take it..." (V.59:7)
Hadith About Tattooing: Beauty Limits and Obeying the Messenger
Sahih Bukhari : 4886
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 4886
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ لَعَنَ اللَّهُ الْوَاشِمَاتِ وَالْمُوتَشِمَاتِ وَالْمُتَنَمِّصَاتِ وَالْمُتَفَلِّجَاتِ لِلْحُسْنِ الْمُغَيِّرَاتِ خَلْقَ اللَّهِ. فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ امْرَأَةً مِنْ بَنِي أَسَدٍ يُقَالُ لَهَا أُمُّ يَعْقُوبَ، فَجَاءَتْ فَقَالَتْ إِنَّهُ بَلَغَنِي أَنَّكَ لَعَنْتَ كَيْتَ وَكَيْتَ. فَقَالَ وَمَا لِي لاَ أَلْعَنُ مَنْ لَعَنَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَمَنْ هُوَ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ فَقَالَتْ لَقَدْ قَرَأْتُ مَا بَيْنَ اللَّوْحَيْنِ فَمَا وَجَدْتُ فِيهِ مَا تَقُولُ. قَالَ لَئِنْ كُنْتِ قَرَأْتِيهِ لَقَدْ وَجَدْتِيهِ، أَمَا قَرَأْتِ {وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانْتَهُوا}. قَالَتْ بَلَى. قَالَ فَإِنَّهُ قَدْ نَهَى عَنْهُ. قَالَتْ فَإِنِّي أَرَى أَهْلَكَ يَفْعَلُونَهُ. قَالَ فَاذْهَبِي فَانْظُرِي. فَذَهَبَتْ فَنَظَرَتْ فَلَمْ تَرَ مِنْ حَاجَتِهَا شَيْئًا، فَقَالَ لَوْ كَانَتْ كَذَلِكَ مَا جَامَعْتُها.
Alqama Narrated from:
`Abdullah (bin Masud) said. "Allah curses those ladies who practice tattooing and those who get themselves tattooed, and those ladies who remove the hair from their faces and those who make artificial spaces between their teeth in order to look more beautiful whereby they change Allah's creation."His saying reached a lady from Bani Asd called Um Yaqub who came (to `Abdullah) and said, "I have come to know that you have cursed such-and-such (ladies)?" He replied, "Why should I not curse these whom Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) has cursed and who are (cursed) in Allah's Book!" Um Yaqub said, "I have read the whole Qur'an, but I did not find in it what you say." He said, "Verily, if you have read it (i.e. the Qur'an), you have found it.Didn't you read: 'And whatsoever the Apostle gives you take it and whatsoever he forbids you, you abstain (from it). (59.7)She replied, "Yes, I did," He said, "Verily, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) forbade such things." "She said, "But I see your wife doing these things?" He said, "Go and watch her." She went and watched her but could not see anything in support of her statement. On that he said, "If my wife was as you thought, I would not keep her in my company."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 4886In-book reference : Book 65, Hadith 406USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 6, Book 60, Hadith 408
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 4886
This hadith about tattooing and changing Allah’s creation is direct and serious. Abdullah bin Mas‘ud mentioned women who tattoo, seek tattooing, remove hair from their faces, and make spaces between their teeth for beauty, describing them as changing Allah’s creation. When Umm Ya‘qub asked where this was in the Qur’an, he pointed to the verse: whatever the Messenger gives you, take it, and whatever he forbids, abstain from it. The main lesson is not just about outward beauty. It is also about accepting the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم prohibition as binding. The narration also shows that Abdullah did not accept a double standard in his own household, because he said he would not keep his wife if she were doing that.
What we learn from this hadith
- The hadith warns against specific beauty practices mentioned in the text.
- The reason stated is changing Allah’s creation for beauty.
- Obedience to the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم is supported by the Qur’anic verse quoted in the narration.
- A person should not excuse in family what he condemns in others.
