Tattoos and Lahv O La'hb ---- Taseer Cheema, MD

Quran is a book which provides basic principles and outlines the salient features of the constitution of an islamic republic and its left up to the islamic society to derive legislation. Allah swt not only provided means of sustenance and nourishment for the benifit of the society but also addressed the asthetic sense of the man, hence made this world or should i say the whole universe full of beauty. He provided things of beauty to charm and please the eyes of the humanity.If we look around the immense beauty all around it throws us into amazement. We the humen are here for a purpose and the basic goal is to achieve that target and that can be avalied only by the development of personality.

The Hasanaat are the deeds which pave the way to the success and Syyiaat are those which prevent us from being victorious. PLease see my post "halal/haram/syyiat/hasanaat" for the details of these terms. There is an other term which Quran introduces "La'av" and "La'ab". These terms are very significant and need special attention. La'av: are those deeds or activities which divert your attention from a useful matter and indulge you in vain things and activities which have no significance or importance and make you consume your time and effort and energy and money for nothing. La'ab: A deed which has movement in it but it produces no positive results. It is opposite to being serious( Quran uses the term Jidd= something serious) 4:119 Satan (Iblis) in allegorical terms had said, “I surely will lead them astray, I will entice them, confound them.” (2:34-36, 7:11, 15:30-32, 17:62, 18:50, 20:116, 38:74). According to Satan’s promise, these representatives of his mislead men and women away from the Qur’an, and COUNFOUND them with RITUALISM and SUPERSTITIONS, such as magic, dreams, astrology, amulets, numerology, ghoul, exorcism, and vain beliefs. Marking cattle's ears, choosing red cows or black goats for specific sacrifices, are superstitions that the clergy propagates.

They try to present the Laws of Allah operative in the World of Creation in a distorted fashion. They assign miracles to living or dead "saints" ignoring the Law of Cause and Effect (4:51, 4:60). Whoever befriends this handiwork of Satan, has ignored Allah. Such a person is verily a loser and his loss is manifest. Now let me prsent Quranic verses to make clear whats laav and laab La'ab: When the divine message is pesented to them they dont take it serious. 9:65 And if you ask them (O Messenger), they will say, “WE ONLY TALK AND JEST.” Say, “Do you realize that you are mocking Allah, His Revelations and His Messenger?” 9:67 The hypocrites, both men and women, are all of a kind. They enjoin the doing of what is wrong and forbid the doing of what is right, and withhold their hands from doing good. They are oblivious of Allah, and so He is oblivious of them. (Whoever forgets Allah, forgets himself and his honored stature of being a human 59:19). Verily, the hypocrites drift away from humanity. Not serious trowards life: 43:83 So let them chatter and play until they meet their Day which they have been promised. Again not taking the life seriously andbindulgence in vain rituals 52:12 Who peddle the play of SHALLOW RITUALS. 70:42 Let them CHAT AND PLAY until they meet their Day which they are promised. La'av: These are the things which divert your attention and make you focuss on those which prevent you to achieve the goal you are here for.Piling up money and not keeping it open for the wellfare of humanity is also one of those acts(102/1),Let not your wealth or children make you drift from the right path (63/9) 15:3 Let them eat, drink, and enjoy life while hanging on to false hopes (47:12).

They will come to know. (If they do not come to the Truth, the Truth will come to them, and they will see it 102:7). LAHWAL HADITH: 31:6 But among people, there are those who invest their time in HADITH which is unfounded, so as to lead those without knowledge away from the Path of Allah, making mockery of it (the Qur'an). For such there is shameful punishment in store. [In order to defend the ‘Imams’ of Hadith, some commentators try to explain away ‘Lahwal Hadith’ as music. This obviously makes no linguistic or contextual sense]. 31/6---- Mafhhoomul Quran On the other hand, there are people who do not have before them any higher objective in life; and they consider this worldly life and its temporary comforts as an end in itself. In this manner, without having any knowledge or wisdom they themselves go astray and also lead other people away from the right path. They ridicule the higher values of life and the path leading towards them. These are the people whose end will be a very humiliating chastisement. There are plenty of ahadith which are presented to denounce tattooing such as Narrated Abu Huraira: "Allah's Apostle said, 'The evil eye is a fact,' and he forbade tattooing. (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Dress, Volume 7, Book 72, Number 827)" "EVIL EYE IS A FACT"? and i would say in the words of Quran Hatoo Burahnokum in kuntum saadiqeen. There is no such thing as "evil eye", its all superstition.

Narrated 'Aun bin Abu Juhaifa: "My father bought a slave who practiced the profession of cupping. (My father broke the slave's instruments of cupping). I asked my father why he had done so. He replied, 'The Prophet forbade the acceptance of the price of a dog or blood, and also forbade the profession of tattooing, getting tattooed and receiving or giving Riba, (usury), and cursed the picture-makers.' (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Sales and Trade, Volume 3, Book 34, Number 299)" "price of a dog or blood" chech mahnay darad? Whats Qisaas and diyat??? IN addition to it,why in the first palce, he had a slave when Quran had abandoned slavery. Picture making is forbidden then why Syedna Sulaimaan was enjoying this art work 34:13 They worked for him as he desired, making forts, sculptures and images, pools, and boilers well-dug into the ground. We said, “Labor O Children of David, in gratitude for what you have been given. Few of My servants are truly grateful in practice.” Narrated 'Abdullah: "Allah has cursed those women who practise tattooing and those who get themselves tattooed, and those who remove their face hairs, and those who create a space between their teeth artificially to look beautiful, and such women as change the features created by Allah.

Why then should I not curse those whom the Prophet has cursed? And that is in Allah's Book. i.e. His Saying: 'And what the Apostle gives you take it and what he forbids you abstain (from it).' (59.7) (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Dress, Volume 7, Book 72, Number 815)" Prophet cursed??? I think He was "Rehma tallil Aalameen". He could not use foul language, is'nt it false accusation hence merits to be a blesphamy. "hairy face" no women would want to have that.Allah never forbade things of "zeenat". I think there is no need of any hadith to denounce tattooing since this comes under "Laav and Laab" and we have clear guidelines from Quran. NOw lets look at this from an other aspect. Tattooing is a "culture" and people who are obcessed with it spend so much time and money in thinking,planning and getting it done. A small tattoo may cost about $ 100 to $200 which is a waste of money. That same amount can be used for the wellfare of the society.On to the top of it, this practice has health hazards such as its one of the source of spread of Hepatitis B and C and Hep c is a devastating disease which is acquired through the use of sahred needles. The people who draw tatoos do not observe safe techniques and the dye tiself is contmanated and may become source of spread of infection.This is why i would strongly discourage tattooing on two reason
1- Its Laav O Laab
2- Medically hazardous