Hadith - Bukhari 9:651, Narrated Abu Sa'id
Al-Khudri
The Prophet 
said, "There will emerge from the
East some people who will recite the Qur'an but it will not exceed their throats
and who will go out of (renounce) the religion (Islam) as an arrow passes
through the game, and they will never come back to it unless the arrow, comes
back to the middle of the bow (by itself) (i.e., impossible)." The people
asked, "What will their signs be?" He said, "Their sign will
be the habit of shaving (of their beards)." (Fateh Al-Bari, Page 322,
Vol. 17th)
Hadith - Muwatta 51.7
Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd
ibn Aslam that Ata ibn Yasar told him that the Messenger of Allah
was in the mosque when a man came in with dishevelled
hair and beard. The Messenger of Allah motioned with his hand that he should be sent out
to groom his hair and beard. The man did so and then returned. The Messenger of
Allah said, "Isn't this better than that
one of you should come with his head dishevelled, as if he were a
shaytan?"
Women and Beauty:
The answer to the following question on cosmetics was kindly
provided by Shaykh Mustafa Jaffer.
Q1. Is the wearing of nail polish allowed for muslim women (in
public)?
ANSWER:
In itself, nail polish for women cannot be haraam. However, if used during
wudhu and it causes an impediment to water flowing to the fingernails, then
it is not allowed during wudhu. Moreover, if the nail polish can be an
attraction to non-mahram, then it becomes Haraam.
When you say in public - If it is among women only, of course there is no
objection. But if there are men other than her immediate relatives (i.e.
husband, father brother and son), then she cannot wear the nail polish.
Q2. What is the ruling on wearing cosmetics (in public)? If a person
always uses them (in moderation), so they become a part of the
general appearance of the woman, do they fall under the category of
'ma dhahara menha'?
ANSWER:
'Ma dhahara menha'(literally meaning 'what emanates from her [natural]
self' is the manifestation of natural beauty only. The use of cosmetics,
however moderate it may be, is still an addition to the natural features of
a person.
The use of cosmetics for a woman is limited to:
a) For her husband
b) When she is among other women
c) When she is among men who she cannot marry - brother, father and son.
In any case other than the three above, the use of cosmetics to enhance
beauty will be haraam.
Wallaahu A'alam
Mustafa Jaffer
May Allah (SWT) reward you for your efforts.
Natural Products used in Islamic Countries:
KOHL
Kohl (khur, kuhl, kahal, or kohol) is a black substance used by the women of the Arabian Peninsula as eyeliner and
eyeshadow. Apart from making the eyes look brighter and larger, kohl was once believed to have value as a protection
against eye disease. It's blackness also controls the sun's glare in the desert, and thus it is used by both men and women of the
desert.
Kohl is powdered antimony, a brittle metallic elementary body of bright bluish-white colour and flaky crystalline texture.
Artemis imports, a belly dance mail-order supply house, sells both light and darker grades of kohl of fine quality. It can also
be found at middle eastern grocery stores, but beware of any powder which does not appear to be very finely and
consistently ground. The "kohl" pencils used in modern makeup are a completely different item and should not be applied in
the manner the powder is applied, next to the eye.
To apply kohl you need:
1) a small stick or large toothpick which has both ends rounded off. Place this in olive oil overnight
so that it soaks into the wood. You may also use the olive oil to clean your stick after use.
2) a packet of kohl powder.
IMPORTANT: If you wear contact lenses you must apply kohl BEFORE inserting lenses. (Mandatory legal disclaimer: In
my experience this has not damaged my gas-permeable contact lenses, however I accept no liability if somehow you feel that
it has damaged yours.) To proceed with application: pick up stick in right hand to apply to right eye. Dip tip of stick into
kohl powder. Hold stick parallel to eye, and starting at the inner point of the eye, run it between the eyelids ACTUALLY
TOUCHING THE EYE. (It doesn't hurt, really.) Re-powder stick, pick up in left hand and repeat on the other side. You may
also enhance your eyebrows, or draw points off the end of your eyes.
You will feel when it is in the correct location, and you will have your eyelids nicely black around the roots of the eyelashes
with no white skin showing. Kohl is water-proof but not "spit-proof", which is a great atribute in hot climates. A tiny amount
of power will last you a couple of years, and it's much healthier for your eye than commercial cosmetics which you wouldn't
dare put into your eye. Excess powder will gather at the corner of the eyes and you can remove it. It is much less artificial
looking than painting a line outside the lids with commercial eyeliners; people will notice your eyes, but they won't be quite
sure why.
About the importation of khol.
Be careful with some khols.
the scariest a notice/reminder from the FDA and the
customes agency : about the importation of khol which contains some lead that could be : very harmful!
which contains some lead that could be : very harmful!
Mainly any khol which isn't stamped with ingredients or : something mentioning the content
is under extreme suspicion. : ...so...be careful. if in doubt - ask. but, i have found *good* khol
to be wonderful!
ROUGE
Rouge (zerkoun), a fine red powder prepared from safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) was used to paint ladies' cheeks in
traditional Arabia. It was also applied to the lips. The Bedouin of Arabia are known to have used the red roots of the
Arnebia decumbens (a plant of the Boragnaceae family) to make rouge.
EAR-PIERCING and NOSE-PIERCING
In Arabia a girl usually has her ears pierced at birth, and a Bedouin child may have them pierced in two or three places. The
holes are kept open with silk cords until she is old enough to wear ear-rings. There are even some pieces of jewelry which
attach to the nose, and then attach to other head ornaments.
TATTOO
(TAQWA PALACE NOTE: Permanent tattooing is forbidden in Islam because it
is destructive to the skin and Muslims should not distinguish
themselves by ranks but by faith, Insha Allah)
Tattoo, the practice of making permanent marks or designs on the skin by puncturing and inserting a pigment or pigments, is
practised by many groups of women. It began in Mesopotamia thousands of years ago, and is especially popular amongst the
Marsh Arabs. The various patterns of facial tatoos are invariably geometric, and sometimes indicate tribal status.
AROMATICS
Authentic old Arabian garments will be steeped in incense. The ancient Egyptians were immensely fond of frankincense and
myrrh attar produced in southern Arabia. Popular attars today include: musk, henna, amber, jasmine, lavender, and lemon
grass. One practical aspect of attars is that the one derived from the henna flower is said to be an excellent anti-perspirant.
REFERENCES:
ART OF ARABIAN COSTUME by Heather Colyer Ross
Information on kohl application - personal experience
Information on henna courtesy of Kimberly Cyr
