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[Salilabbas]

Salam Alaikum Brothers & Sisters,

I recently posed the question of whether or not Tattooing is permitted in Islam. The question was directed to Agha Sistani through his website http://www.sistani.org

I received a response which i felt i should share with the rest of you to clear out any doubts about this matter since it is a growing culture in many communities in the Middle East (particularly Iran & Iraq) and Western world.

Salilabbas Sadak

Please See Attachment

[abuali]

The logic behind its permissibility is that 'permanent tattoos' are created by inserting ink under the skin. Since its under the skin, it doesnt hinder wudhoo or ghusl and cannot be touched.

Caution: The ruling is for permanent tattoos and not temporary ones which are on the skin

[abuali]

It would be interesting if you could send a follow up question:

Would tattooing be okay if the community in which I live looks down upon people who have tattoos?

[abuali]

It would be interesting if you could send a follow up question:

Would tattooing be okay if the community in which I live looks down upon people who have tattoos?

[Salilabbas]

I feel that would be more of a cultural barrier that needs to be discussed rather than a religious issue...

[abuali]

I feel Islam is a very social religion

i have seen several rulings discouraging practices that may not be haraam in themselves but may be looked down upon.

I have a strong feeling the same would apply to tattoing if the environment in which one lives is such that people look down upon tattoos

[Fatimah Zahra Karim]

True, Islam is a social religion...but it is more about reformation of a society to accept what Islam accepts and reject only what Islam rejects.

i have seen several rulings discouraging practices that may not be haraam in themselves but may be looked down upon.

If you mean looked down upon by religion, just because the society looks down upon them, could you please list a few? Should be interesting...

[abuali]

I will give you an example to elaborate my point (perhaps i didnt make it clearer earlier)

If you travel to a country where it is socially unacceptable/looked down upon for men to hug men/women to hug women (for arguments sake say it is perceived as a sign of homosexuality) although islamically its fine and even encouraged in situations such as eid. In such a country do you think the islamic view point would be to hug in public anyway regardless of what is socially acceptable? or would islam recommend not to hug in public to protect ones honour?

Say, if parents dont want their child to sport a tattoo. Would you think it would be islamically ok for the child to disobey his parents and go ahead and get it anyway?

My point is what is allowable (neither haraam nor wajib) can sometimes be recommended and sometimes discouraged depending on the situation.