Ruling on a man plucking hair from his forehead and between the eyebrows

Question

Praise be to Allah.

It is not permissible for a
man to remove anything from his beard because of the many ahaadeeth which
enjoin leaving it alone and letting it grow. The definition of the beard is
that which grows on the jawbones, cheeks and chin. See the answer to
question no. 69749.

As for hair other than
that, such as the hair that grows on the forehead and between the eyebrows,
there is nothing wrong with removing it according to some scholars.

Others are of the view that
it is not allowed, especially if it is removed by plucking, with a thread or
otherwise.

The reason for the
difference of opinion is the difference of opinion about the meaning of the
word namas (plucking) which is mentioned in the hadeeth which curses the one
who does that. Some of them interpreted it as specific to the eyebrows and
some interpreted it as including all facial hair. Namas is haraam for both
men and women, because it is changing the creation of Allaah, and there is
no difference between men and women in this case.

The first view – which is
that namas applies only to the eyebrows – was held by a number of scholars,
and the scholars of the Standing Committee issued fatwas on that basis. They
stated that it is permissible to remove facial hair apart from the beard and
eyebrows, and we have quoted their fatwa in the answer to question no.
1173
and 21400.

The second view – which is
that namas refers to removal all of facial hair – was held by many scholars
and was favoured by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him),
who said it is not allowed for men to pluck hair from their faces.

He (may Allaah have mercy
on him) was asked): What is the ruling on plucking grey hairs from the hair
and beard?

He replied:

With regard to the beard or
facial hair it is haraam, because this is namas. Namas means plucking the
facial hair, of which the beard is a part, and it was proven that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed the woman
who plucks facial hair and the woman who has that done. We say to this man:
if you were to look for every hair that has turned white and pluck it out,
you would have no beard left. So leave what Allaah has created as He created
it and do not pluck anything.

But if it refers to
plucking hair from the head, it does not reach the level of being haraam,
because that is not namas. End quote from Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn
‘Uthaymeen (11/123).

It seems – and Allaah knows
best – that namas refers specifically to removing hair from the eyebrows.
Based on that there is nothing wrong with a man removing hair from his face
other than the beard and eyebrows.

And Allaah knows best.