Tattoos are considered haram in Islam based on explicit statements attributed to the Prophet Muhammad, recorded in the two most authoritative collections of hadith. The ruling is one of the most consistent in Islamic jurisprudence: all four major schools of Islamic law, the Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali madhabs, agree that permanent tattoos are forbidden. The prohibition rests on two main grounds: the hadith evidence itself, which includes a direct curse attributed to the Prophet and the broader Quranic principle against permanently altering the creation of Allah without necessity.
The hadith evidence
The primary evidence for the prohibition on tattoos in Islam comes from two authentic collections of hadith, Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, which are considered the most reliable records of the sayings and practices of the Prophet Muhammad. A well-known narration attributed to Abdullah ibn Mas'ud states that the Prophet cursed women who tattooed others and those who had tattoos done, alongside those who plucked their eyebrows and those who filed their teeth for cosmetic beautification, describing all of these practices as altering the creation of Allah. The Arabic root used for tattooing in these narrations is washam, which scholars confirm refers to the practice of permanently pricking the skin and inserting colour beneath it, which is identical in method to modern tattooing. The presence of an explicit curse in the hadith elevates the ruling beyond simple discouragement to the category of a major prohibition in Islamic legal terminology.
The Quranic principle behind the ruling
Altering the creation of Allah
The Quran in Surah An-Nisa (4:119) records Satan declaring an intention to command people to alter the creation of Allah. Islamic scholars cite this verse as establishing the principle that permanently modifying the body's natural form as Allah created it is an act that follows this condemned path. The body in Islamic thought is not the property of the individual to alter permanently at will but is a trust from Allah to be cared for and returned in the state in which it was given, except where medical necessity applies. Permanent tattoos, which cannot be easily removed without significant medical intervention, represent an irreversible alteration of the body's created form.
Avoiding harm to the body
Islamic jurisprudence holds that the body is a trust from Allah and that causing unnecessary harm to it is prohibited. The tattooing process involves repeated needle puncturing and carries risks of infection, allergic reaction and scarring. Some scholars cite the general principle of avoiding harm (la darar wa la dirar, meaning no harm and no harming) as an additional basis for the ruling, alongside the specific hadith evidence. The body should be protected and maintained rather than subjected to unnecessary pain or risk of harm without a compelling medical reason.
Historical association with non-Islamic practices
Some scholars also note that tattooing in pre-Islamic Arabia and the broader ancient world was associated with pagan practices and idol worship, similar to the reasoning behind the Biblical prohibition in Leviticus. Islam emphasises distinctiveness of Islamic identity and discourages the adoption of practices associated with idol worship or non-Islamic religious cultures. While this is a secondary consideration compared to the direct hadith evidence, it forms part of the broader scholarly reasoning around the ruling.
Necessity (darurah) as an exception
Islamic jurisprudence recognises the principle of darurah or necessity, which can make otherwise prohibited acts permissible when there is a genuine medical need and no alternative exists. Scholars have applied this principle to medical tattooing: radiation markers used during cancer treatment, areola reconstruction following mastectomy and similar medical procedures that use permanent pigment placement for clinical reasons. These medical applications are not considered to fall under the prohibition because they serve a genuine medical necessity rather than cosmetic alteration of the body's natural form. This exception is narrow and does not extend to cosmetic tattooing.
What if someone already has a tattoo?
The ruling on existing tattoos is more nuanced than many people realise. Islamic scholars draw a distinction between committing an act that is prohibited and having already committed it in the past. A person who received a tattoo before becoming Muslim or before learning that tattoos were prohibited, is not considered sinful for having it, as Islamic law does not hold people responsible for actions taken in ignorance of the ruling. The tattoo cannot easily be removed without significant pain, cost and risk and inflicting harm on the body to remove it is not generally required. The recommended approach in most scholarly opinion is to repent sincerely if the tattoo was received knowingly as a Muslim, not to seek painful removal and to avoid getting further tattoos going forward. The situation of a Muslim who gets a tattoo knowingly is different and falls within the category of sin for which repentance is sought.
| Situation | Scholarly position |
|---|---|
| Getting a new permanent tattoo as a Muslim | Haram. Prohibited across all four major schools of Islamic law based on explicit hadith evidence. |
| Having an existing tattoo from before becoming Muslim | Not sinful. The person is not held responsible for actions taken before accepting Islam. |
| Having an existing tattoo from before knowing the ruling | Sincere repentance is advised. Painful removal is not required but further tattoos should be avoided. |
| Medical tattooing for clinical necessity | Permitted under the principle of darurah (necessity) where there is no alternative. |
| Temporary tattoos (henna, non-permanent) | Generally permissible as they do not permanently alter the body's created form. |
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