Question: I have a friend who has a tattoo before he converted to Islam, and now he prays but since the tattoo is on his face, the procedure of removing the tattoo is dangerous, what does Islam say about tattoo and is his Namaz valid. Also he has done Umrah with his tattoo, is this Umrah valid or not?

Answer: To get a tattoo done is not permissible in Islam as it entails to causing a permanent change in the creation of Allah Ta’ala. It is mentioned in the narration of Saheeh Bukhari,

“إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ نَهَى عَنْ ثَمَنِ الدَّمِ، وَثَمَنِ الكَلْبِ، وَكَسْبِ الأَمَةِ، وَلَعَنَ الوَاشِمَةَ وَالمُسْتَوْشِمَةَ، وَآكِلَ الرِّبَا،
وَمُوكِلَهُ، وَلَعَنَ المُصَوِّرَ”

“The Messenger of Allah Salla Allahu Alayhi Wa Sallam forbid the income of selling blood, the selling of dogs, the earnings of a prostitute. And he cursed the one who imprints a tattoo, the one who it is imprinted on, the one who takes interest, the one who gives interest, and he also cursed the one who takes pictures.”

If one gets a tattoo done, then if it is possible to remove it without causing harm to one’s body, then it should be removed. If it is not possible to remove it without harm, then it is not necessary for him to remove it, and it will be sufficient for him to do Taubah, (repent to Allah with sincerity)

In both cases, his Wudhu and Ghusl will be done, as there is no Najaasat (Impurity) on the body, and there is nothing preventing water from reaching the skin. This is because the colour off the tattoo is below the skin. Therefore his Salaah and Umrah will also be valid.

لِأَنَّهُ إذَا غُرِزَتْ الْيَدُ أَوْ الشَّفَةُ مَثَلًا بِإِبْرَةٍ ثُمَّ حُشِيَ مَحَلُّهَا بِكُحْلٍ أَوْ نِيلَةٍ لِيَخْضَرَّ تَنَجَّسَ الْكُحْلُ بِالدَّمِ، فَإِذَا جَمَدَ الدَّمُ وَالْتَأَمَ الْجُرْحُ بَقِيَ مَحَلُّهُ أَخْضَرَ، فَإِذَا غُسِلَ طَهُرَ؛ لِأَنَّهُ أَثَرٌ يَشُقُّ زَوَالُهُ؛ لِأَنَّهُ لَا يَزُولُ إلَّا بِسَلْخِ الْجِلْدِ أَوْ جَرْحِهِ، فَإِذَا كَانَ لَا يُكَلَّفُ بِإِزَالَةِ الْأَثَرِ الَّذِي يَزُولُ بِمَاءٍ حَارٍّ أَوْ صَابُونٍ فَعَدَمُ التَّكْلِيفِ هُنَا أَوْلَى….وَإِنْ فُرِّقَ بِأَنَّ الْوَشْمَةَ امْتَزَجَتْ بِاللَّحْمِ وَالْتَأَمَتْ مَعَهُ بِخِلَافِ الصَّبْغِ نَقُولُ: إنَّ مَا تَدَاخَلَ فِي اللَّحْمِ لَا يُؤْمَرُ بِغَسْلِهِ كَمَا لَوْ تَشَرَّبَتْ النَّجَاسَةُ فِي يَدِهِ مَثَلًا، وَمَا عَلَى سَطْحِ الْجِلْدِ مِثْلُ الْحِنَّاءِ وَالصَّبْغِ، وَقَدْ صَرَّحُوا بِأَنَّهُ لَوْ اكْتَحَلَ بِكُحْلٍ نَجِسٍ لَا يَجِبُ غَسْلُهُ…..وَفِي الْفَتَاوَى الْخَيْرِيَّةِ مِنْ كِتَابِ الصَّلَاةِ سُئِلَ فِي رَجُلٍ عَلَى يَدِهِ وَشْمٌ هَلْ تَصِحُّ صَلَاتُهُ وَإِمَامَتُهُ مَعَهُ أَمْ لَا؟ أَجَابَ نَعَمْ تَصِحُّ صَلَاتُهُ وَإِمَامَتُهُ بِلَا شُبْهَةٍ. (شامي 1/330)

قَالَ أَصْحَابُنَا هَذَا الْمَوْضِعُ الَّذِي وُشِمَ يَصِيرُ نَجِسًا فَإِنْ أَمْكَنَ إِزَالَتُهُ بِالْعِلَاجِ وَجَبَتْ إِزَالَتُهُ وَإِنْ لَمْ يُمْكِنْ الابالجرح فَإِنْ خَافَ مِنْهُ التَّلَفَ أَوْ فَوَاتَ عُضْوٍ أومنفعة عُضْوٍ أَوْ شَيْئًا فَاحِشًا فِي عُضْوٍ ظَاهِرٍ لَمْ تَجِبْ إِزَالَتُهُ فَإِذَا بَانَ لَمْ يَبْقَ عَلَيْهِ إِثْمٌ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَخَفْ شَيْئًا مِنْ ذَلِكَ وَنَحْوِهِ لَزِمَهُ إِزَالَتُهُ وَيَعْصِي بِتَأْخِيرِهِ وَسَوَاءٌ فِي هَذَا كُلِّهِ الرَّجُلُ وَالْمَرْأَةُ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. (شرح النووي على مسلم 14/106)

And Allah is All Knowing