Answered by Muftī Yūsuf Badāt
Question:
Is it permissible to write Qur’ānic script on the skin of the arm and keep it there.
Answers:
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم
In the name of Allāh, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Jazāk Allāh Khayr/ Thank you for contacting Mathabah Institute
Scripting anything on the skin is tantamount to tattooing. This is prohibited in Islam as it entails tampering and altering the natural way the Almighty has created one’s form and body. Tattooing also entails ink mixing with blood of the body and forming on the skin which constitutes Islamicly legislated impurities. – (See: Rad Al-Muḥtār, Vol 1, Page 330, Dār Al-Fikr)[1]
The body is a trust given to us by Allāh. We can only use and treat it according to His instructions and guidelines. The devil will do his best to swerve us away from Allāh’s directives as described by the Qur’ānic verse below;
“He (the Devil) said, “Surely I will take an appointed share from Your slaves, and I will lead them astray, and I will tempt them with false hopes, and I will command them, whereby they shall slit the ears of cattle, and I will command them, whereby they shall alter the natural creation of Allāh.” “Whoever takes the Satan for a friend, instead of God, incurs an obvious loss.” – (Qur’ān 4:119).[2]
A woman who used to practice tattooing was brought to ‘Omar Ibn Khaṭṭāb (may Allāh be pleased with him). ‘Omar Ibn Khaṭṭāb got up and said, “I beseech you by Allāh, who amongst you have heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saying something about tattooing?” l got up and replied, “O leader of the believers! l have heard something on this subject matter.” He enquired, “What did you hear?” I stated, “I heard the Prophet saying, ‘Do not practice tattooing and do not get yourselves tattooed.” – (Bukhārī 5946)[3]
Only Allāh knows best
[1] يُسْتَفَادُ مِمَّا مَرَّ حُكْمُ الْوَشْمِ فِي نَحْوِ الْيَدِ وَهُوَ أَنَّهُ كَالِاخْتِضَابِ أَوْ الصَّبْغِ بِالْمُتَنَجِّسِ لِأَنَّهُ إذَا غُرِزَتْ الْيَدُ أَوْ الشَّفَةُ مَثَلًا بِإِبْرَةٍ ثُمَّ حُشِيَ مَحَلُّهَا بِكُحْلٍ أَوْ نِيلَةٍ لِيَخْضَرَّ تَنَجَّسَ الْكُحْلُ بِالدَّمِ، فَإِذَا جَمَدَ الدَّمُ وَالْتَأَمَ الْجُرْحُ بَقِيَ مَحَلُّهُ أَخْضَرَ فَإِذَا غُسِلَ طَهُرَ لِأَنَّهُ أَثَرٌ يَشُقُّ زَوَالُهُ لِأَنَّهُ لَا يَزُولُ إلَّا بِسَلْخِ الْجِلْدِ أَوْ جَرْحِهِ فَإِذَا كَانَ لَا يُكَلَّفُ بِإِزَالَةِ الْأَثَرِ الَّذِي يَزُولُ بِمَاءٍ حَارٍّ أَوْ صَابُونٍ فَعَدَمُ التَّكْلِيفِ هُنَا أَوْلَى وَقَدْ صَرَّحَ بِهِ فِي الْقُنْيَةِ فَقَالَ: وَلَوْ اتَّخَذَ فِي يَدِهِ وَشْمًا لَا يَلْزَمُهُ السَّلْخُ اهـ لَكِنْ فِي الذَّخِيرَةِ لَوْ أَعَادَ سِنَّهُ ثَانِيًا وَنَبَتَ وَقَوِيَ فَإِنْ أَمْكَنَ قَلْعُهُ بِلَا ضَرَرٍ قَلَعَهُ وَإِلَّا فَلَا وَتَنَجَّسَ فَمُهُ وَلَا يَؤُمُّ أَحَدًا مِنْ النَّاسِ اهـ أَيْ بِنَاءً عَلَى نَجَاسَةِ السِّنِّ وَهُوَ خِلَافُ ظَاهِرِ الْمَذْهَبِ وَقَالَ الْعَلَّامَةُ الْبِيرِيُّ وَمِنْهُ يُعْلَمُ حُكْمُ الْوَشْمَةِ وَلَا رَيْبَ فِي عَدَمِ جَوَازِ كَوْنِهِ إمَامًا بِجَامِعِ النَّجَاسَةِ ثُمَّ نُقِلَ عَنْ شَرْحِ الْمَشَارِقِ لِلْعَلَّامَةِ الْأَكْمَلِ أَنَّهُ قِيلَ يَصِيرُ ذَلِكَ الْمَوْضِعُ نَجِسًا فَإِنْ لَمْ يُمْكِنْ إزَالَتُهُ إلَّا بِالْجَرْحِ فَإِنْ خِيفَ مِنْهُ الْهَلَاكُ أَوْ فَوَاتُ عُضْوٍ لَمْ تَجِبْ وَإِلَّا وَجَبَتْ، وَبِتَأْخِيرِهِ يَأْثَمُ وَالرَّجُلُ وَالْمَرْأَةُ فِيهِ سَوَاءٌ اهـ – كتاب حاشية ابن عابدين رد المحتار مجلد ١/ صفحة ٣٣٠ دار الفكر
[2] وَلَأُضِلَّنَّهُمْ وَلَأُمَنِّيَنَّهُمْ وَلَآمُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُبَتِّكُنَّ آذَانَ الْأَنْعَامِ وَلَآمُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُغَيِّرُنَّ خَلْقَ اللَّهِ ۚ وَمَن يَتَّخِذِ الشَّيْطَانَ وَلِيًّا مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ فَقَدْ خَسِرَ خُسْرَانًا مُّبِينًا – النساء ١١٩
[3] عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ أُتِيَ عُمَرُ بِامْرَأَةٍ تَشِمُ فَقَامَ فَقَالَ أَنْشُدُكُمْ بِاللَّهِ مَنْ سَمِعَ مِنَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي الْوَشْمِ فَقَالَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ فَقُمْتُ فَقُلْتُ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنَا سَمِعْتُ قَالَ مَا سَمِعْتَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ لاَ تَشِمْنَ وَلاَ تَسْتَوْشِمْنَ – رواه البخاري ٥٩٤٦
