Question:

Asalamu Alikum waramotullahi wabarakatu, I have a question regarding hair and eyelash extensions. Are they forbidden in Islam, if so why? I have heard that for eyelash extensions, the glue which is used on lashes invalidates ablution, is this correct? Also I have found these Hadiths regarding hair extensions, are they authentic and do they apply to lashes as well?

It was narrated from Safiyyah bint Shaibah, that ‘Aishah said:
“The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said. ‘May Allah curse the woman who affixes hair extensions and the woman who has that done.‘”
[Sunan an-Nasa’i • Book 48, Hadith 58 • Graded Sahih (Authentic)]

Abd Allah said:
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) cursed the woman who adds some false hair and the woman who asks for it.
[Sunan Abi Dawud • Book 35, Hadith 10 • Graded Sahih (Authentic)]

Asma’, daughter of Abu Bakr, reported that a woman came to Allah’s Apostle (peace be upon him) and said: I have a daughter who has been newly wedded. She had an attack of smallpox and thus her hair had fallen; should I add false hair to her head? Thereupon Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said… “Allah has cursed the woman who adds some false hair and the woman who asks for it“.
[Sahih Muslim • Book 37, Hadith 175 • Graded Sahih]

Answer:

Wa Alaykum us-Salam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu,

Hair extensions and eyelash extensions are forbidden in Islam according to many of our scholars. What is intended by hair extensions are pieces of real hair, animal hair, or synthetic hair that a woman attaches to her real hair to make it appear longer, thicker, or more appealing.

This practice is prohibited based on the narrations you cited in your question. These narrations are authentic, many of them being reported in al-Bukhari and Muslim. For example:

Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that: “the Prophet (ﷺ) has cursed the lady who lengthens her hair artificially and the one who gets her hair lengthened, and also the lady who tattoos (herself or others) and the one who gets herself tattooed” [al-Bukhari and Muslim]

The scholars mention that this hadith proves that hair extensions are prohibited, rather a major sin, because the Prophet (ﷺ) cursed the women who did so. In Islamic law, any action that incurs the curse of Allah is evidence that it is a major sin. In this case, the Prophet (ﷺ) cursed such women and hence this proves it is a major sin [See: Fath ul-Baari (10/377)].

The scholars mention that the juristic reason (‘illah) as to why hair extensions are prohibited is because they are a form of deception. A woman wears these hair extensions to appear to have a fuller head of hair, or longer hair, or a different type of hair, etc.

The juristic reason appears in one narration:

Sa’id bin Musayyib reported: Mu’awiyyah (may Allah be pleased with him) came to Medina and he addressed us. He took out a bunch of hair and said: “Why do I see that one of you does that which Jews do? (I can recall) that when this act (of adding artificial hair to one’s head) reached Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ), he named it deception” [Muslim (no. 2127)]

In terms of eyelash extensions, then the scholars mention that they take the same rulings as hair extensions. That is, they are considered as al-Wasl (extending the hair), which the Prophet (ﷺ) prohibited in the aforementioned Hadith. This is because eyelash extensions share the same juristic reason (‘illah) with hair extensions, which is deception [See: Fataawa Nur ‘ala ad-Darb (11/82) of Shaikh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen]. Other scholars also add the point that eyelash extensions are harmful to the body, hence from this angle it is haram as well because Islam prevents what harms the body [See: Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah (17/133)]

As for whether eyelash extensions break wudu or not, then our scholars have discussed it. In Wudu, it is a must for a person to wash their face and the eyelashes are part of the face according to the scholars [See: al-Moowsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah al-Kuwaityyah (42/195-196)]. It is not allowed to perform wudu while there is something that prevents the water from reaching the places of Wudu. In this case, it is the hair of one’s eyelashes.

Some of our contemporary scholars who are experts in Fiqh examined whether or not eyelash extensions prevent water from reaching one’s real eyelashes, which are part of the places of wudu. A number of these scholars said that water is capable of seeping through the eyelash extension because it has spaces/gaps between each artificial hair, hence not preventing the water from reaching the actual eyelashes. This is the position of Shaikh Khalid al-Mushayqih [Fiqh ul-Nawaazil fil-Ibaadah (pg. 17)], Shaikh Sa’d al-Khathlaan [Sharh Fiqh an-Nawaazil (pg. 34-35)], Shaikh Abdullah al-Tayyar [Fiqh al-Muyassar (9/11)] etc. These scholars have reached this conclusion despite mentioning the fact that eyelash extensions are attached using a type of glue/adhesive. Thus, it appears, and Allah knows best, that the glue/adhesive is not enough to prevent the water from reaching the real eyelashes that are underneath the eyelash extension. And so, the wudu will be valid.

In sum, it is not permissible to wear hair extensions and eyelash extensions are not permissible. However, if a woman wore them and performed wudu, her wudu would be valid.

And Allah knows best

Faisal bin Abdul Qaadir bin Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan