Are Tattoos Permissible for Treatment?

09 January, 2019

Q As-salamu `alaykum. Can you, please, advise me regarding this sensitive matter? I would like to proceed with a hair loss treatment but I first need know whether it's halal. There is this hair loss treatment (called scalp micro pigmentation) where they basically tattoo the scalp to create an appearance of naturally growing hair. I know that tattoos are haram, but this is for treatment, does it change anything? Thank you.

Answer

Sheikh Kifah Mustapha

09 January, 2019

Wa `alaykum as-salamu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His

In this fatwa:

In fact, you may go to hair transplant operation. Tattoos are not allowed; you should avoid it.

Responding to your question, Sheikh Kifah Mustapha, the Imam and Associate Director at the Mosque Foundation, one of the largest Islamic Centers in Chicago, states:

Growing hair is not an extreme necessity in Islam and for that nothing of haram can be bend to accommodate it. Islam, through the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), prohibited tattoos; he said: “Allah Almighty cursed those who make tattoos and those who ask for it.” (Al-Bukhari)

And because of that clear text, I see no space to use tattoos for such reason but going to medical treatment for hair implants is permissible.

Allah Almighty knows best.

Editor’s note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholar’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.