Question
Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. I have a question regarding the Islamic ruling on a procedure involving my upper eyelids, specifically whether it would be considered corrective treatment or impermissible cosmetic alteration. I have naturally strong facial/bony structure, but my upper eyelid area is significantly hollow and shadowed. The combination of my underlying structure and lack of fullness in this area makes my upper eyes appear very sunken, This is something I have been conscious of for many years. I also have a history of longstanding TMJ/jaw problems and facial muscle tension, as well as an accident in which I lost/broke a tooth. These experiences affected how I felt about my appearance while growing up. I have consulted an oculoplastic surgeon who examined me and recommended eyelid treatment to restore volume and preserve the structure using a small porous-polyethylene implant in the upper-eyelid/orbital area. The purpose, as it was explained to me, is to preserve/reposition existing tissue and add structural support/volume to improve the significant hollowing and shadowing, rather than simply removing fat. I want to be honest about my intentions. I would like to correct the hollow and shadowed appearance because it has bothered me for many years. At the same time, I know that correcting it would make my appearance more aesthetically pleasing to me. I have naturally strong and somewhat masculine facial structure, and I would also prefer for the upper-eye area to appear somewhat softer and more feminine while retaining my natural features. This is where I am unsure about the Islamic ruling. I am not seeking to completely change my appearance or imitate another person's features, but I do recognize that I would be happier with the aesthetic result.
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
Sister in Islam,
You have naturally strong facial structure with a significantly hollow and shadowed upper eyelid area that makes your eyes appear sunken. An oculoplastic surgeon has examined you and recommended a small porous-polyethylene implant in the upper eyelid and orbital area to restore volume and add structural support. You have been conscious of this for many years. You wish to correct the hollowing, you acknowledge that the result would please you aesthetically, and you would also like the area to appear softer and more feminine. Your query relates to two issues, the ruling on the procedure itself and the role of your intention.
In principle, there are two types of alteration to the body. The first is the removal of a defect or the restoration of what is abnormal, deficient or outside the ordinary range of creation. This is treatment, and it is permissible. The second is the enhancement of a sound and normal feature in order to appear more beautiful. This is altering the creation of Allah for beauty, and it is not permissible. The qualifier "for beauty" is the basis of the entire distinction. The commentators of hadīth state that the censure applies to what is done in pursuit of beauty, and that when a person needs the same act for treatment or because of a defect there is no harm in it.
Accordingly, the ruling in your case does not turn on the technique, whether fat is removed or volume is added, nor on the implant, since porous polyethylene is a pure synthetic material and there is no objection to it in itself. It turns on whether the hollowing is a defect or a normal feature. In the enquired situation, a specialist has examined you and identified a significant structural deficiency in the upper eyelid and orbital area which he has recommended be corrected by restoring volume and support. The hollowing is pronounced enough to make the eyes appear sunken and has caused you real and ongoing distress for many years. This is a deficiency in the area, not a sound feature you simply wish to improve, and the procedure is corrective treatment. It is permissible for you to undergo it.
As for your intention, we commend your honesty in stating it. The Sharī‘ah judges first the objective state of the body, then the intention. Since the hollowing is a genuine deficiency, the fact that you will also be happier with the aesthetic result does not harm the ruling, because a person who corrects a defect will naturally look better and that is the very purpose of restoration. Your wish for the area to appear softer and more feminine is likewise incidental to the correction and is not objectionable, since a woman is permitted to wish to look feminine. What is not permissible is to extend the procedure beyond the correction of the deficiency into further reshaping of the eye area for beauty. You should therefore instruct the surgeon to restore what is deficient and nothing more.
It is important to note that your history of jaw problems and the loss of a tooth, while real and while they shaped how you felt about your appearance, are unrelated to the eyelid area and do not form part of this ruling. We advise that you weigh the risks the surgeon has disclosed and prefer the least invasive option that resolves the deficiency.
Allah knows best
Mufti Mirza-Zain Baig
And Allah Ta'ālā knows best.
Answered by
Mufti Mirza-Zain Baig
B.Ed, CSAA
Montréal, Canada · Canadian Centre for Islamic Research and Ifta
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