Bigotry: The Dark Danger

If the Spirit of the Fanatics Dominated This World...

If the prohibitions of the peddlers of nonsense regarding painting and sculpture were implemented in daily life, there would be no pictures, paintings or statues anywhere in the world, no advertising posters, court art or visual media.

Let us now have a look at what kind of world might await the fanatics in the light of these prohibitions. If the bans on painting and sculpture of the peddlers of superstition were applied in daily life, there would be no paintings, pictures or even advertising posters anywhere in the world. Therefore,

• · No illustrations could be used with written preaching materials.
• · There would be no illustrations in school text books.
• · There would be no pictures on bank notes.
• · There would be no glorious paintings or wall decorations in palaces.
• · There would be no illustrated descriptions of the human body in anatomy classes.
• · There would be no schools of fine arts or the like.
• · There would be no illustrated newspapers, magazines, books or web pages. Watching TV would be forbidden, since that consists almost entirely of images.
• · With the banning of media organizations, we would have to forego the innumerable benefits to be obtained from the media. It would also be impossible to preach moral values, and tell people of goodness and truth, as required by the Qur’an.

Make-up, Grooming, Cleanliness, Modernity and Culture, “Quality” for Short, Are All Requirements of Islam

Of course a Muslim must be well-groomed, clean and attractive, because beauty, grooming, beauty and taking pleasure in art are all characteristics beloved of God and, as set out in the verses cited above, are all blessings bestowed on believers. There is nothing in the Qur’an to suggest that it is unlawful for women to wear make-up and be well-groomed. Indeed, women also used to go out looking as attractive and well-groomed as possible in the time of our Prophet (pbuh). Women wore make-up at that time, too: Men, too, including our Prophet (pbuh) in particular, wore kohl on their eyes. As one hadith reveals:

Narrated Aisha (ra): The Messenger of God (pbuh) applied kohl to his eyes while he was fasting. (Sunan Ibn Majah, Chapter 9, Hadith 1678)

Muslim women in those days used lipstick, rouge and kohl and painted their hands and nails with henna. Women and men used special dyes to color their hair. Our Prophet (pbuh) used to encourage people to dye their hair, and even dyed his own.

Zainab said: I went to Um Habiba, the wife of the Prophet (pbuh) when her father, Abu-Sufyan bin Herb had died. Um Habiba asked for a perfume which contained yellow scent (Khaluq) or some other scent, and she first perfumed one of the girls with it and then rubbed her cheeks with it. (Sahih Bukhari, Book 63, Hadith 251) (Khaluq is pinkish-yellow in color and serves as a kind of rouge.)

Other hadiths on the subject are as follows:

In a Tabarani tradition it is commanded “to change the hair color so as to oppose the foreigners.” (2111)

Narrated Abu Huraira: God's Apostle said, "The Jews and the Christians do not dye (their grey hair), so you shall do the opposite of what they do (i.e. dye your grey hair and beards)." (Sahih Bukhari, Book 56, Hadith 668; Sahih Muslim, Book 24, Hadith 5245)

Anas bin Malik said, Abu Bakr dyed his hair with Henna' and Katam (i.e. plants used for dying hair). (Sahih Bukhari, Book 58, Hadith 257)

Anas b. Malik said, Abu Bakr and Umar dyed hair with henna. (Sahih Muslim, Book 30, Hadith 5779)

Narrated under the authority of Sohayb al-Khayr: The Prophet (pbuh) said “The best dye you use for your hair is this black substance which enhances your women’s love to you and reflect a more dignified image to deter your enemy.” (Sahih Muslim)

Hadiths also tell us that yellow was the hair color that was most pleasing to our Prophet (pbuh):

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas: When a man who had dyed himself with henna passed by the Prophet (pbuh), he said: “How fine this is!” When another man who had dyed himself with henna and katam passed by, he said: “This is better than that.” Then another man who had dyed himself with yellow dye, passed by, he said: “This is better than all that.” (Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 33, Hadith 4199)

O Ansar, dye your hair red and yellow, and be different from the A’aajim (Persians). (Narrated by Ahmad, 21780)

(The Companions) generally saw fit to dye their hair yellow. These included Hazrat Ali, Ibn Umar and Abu Huraira. Some dyed it with henna and katam, and some with a black dye. Among those who preferred black were Hazrat Uthman, Hazrat Hassan, Hazrat Husain (the two sons of Ali), Uqba ibn ‘Amir, Ibn Sirin and Abu Burda.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar: … “I saw the Apostle of God (pbuh) dyeing with yellow color, and nothing was dearer to him than it. He would dye all his clothes with it, even his turban. (Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 32, Hadith 4053)

Abu Qatadah (ra) once asked the Messenger of God (pbuh): "I have long hair, should I comb it?" The Prophet (pbuh) replied: "Yes, and look after your hair." Hence Abu Qatadah used to sometimes apply oil twice a day (i.e. apply oil and comb it) because of the order of the Prophet (pbuh). (Imam Malik has narrated this Hadith Mishkaat p. 384)

Narrated AbuDharr: The Prophet (pbuh) said: “The best things with which grey hair are changed are henna and katam.” (Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 33, Hadith 4193)

In the time of our Prophet (pbuh), instead of nail polish, there are numerous accounts of women painting their nails with henna. Our Prophet (pbuh) is also said to have encouraged his own wives to do that.

Narrated Aisha: A woman made a sign from behind a curtain to indicate that she had a letter for the Apostle of God (pbuh). The Prophet (pbuh) closed his hand, saying: “I do not know if this is a man's or a woman's hand.” She said: “No, a woman.” He said: “If you were a woman, you would make a difference to your nails, meaning with henna.” (Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 33, Hadith 4154)

Narrated Aisha (ra): When Hind, daughter of Utbah, said: Prophet of God, accept my allegiance, he replied; “I shall not accept your allegiance till you make a difference to the palms of your hands…” (Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 33, Hadith 4153)