Many Muslims ask whether tattoos are haram after hearing that the Prophet ﷺ condemned tattooing. The answer rests on a specific hadith, and understanding what it says, and what it does not say, clears up most of the confusion. Scholars read the ruling from a clear textual basis, then apply it carefully to temporary designs, to repentance, and to the practical questions that follow for someone who already has a tattoo. The Authentic hadiths by topic collection is a useful place to read the wording of these reports yourself.
What the hadith reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim says about tattoos
The clearest text on this subject is a report from Ibn ‘Umar, related by al-Bukhari and Muslim, in which the Prophet ﷺ cursed the woman who tattoos and the woman who asks to be tattooed: « The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) cursed the woman who adds hair extensions and the one who asks for it to be added, and the woman who tattoos and the one who asks to be tattooed. » The curse in this report falls on both parties, the one who performs the tattoo and the one who requests it. Scholars take a curse of this kind as a sign of a major prohibition, because the Prophet ﷺ does not curse people for minor matters.
The ruling is therefore not based on a general impression but on this explicit wording. The prohibition attaches to tattooing the body, and it applies equally to the one who tattoos and to the one who has it done. Recognising this two-sided scope is what distinguishes the hadith ruling from vague claims that tattoos are simply unclean.
Why scholars prohibit permanent tattoos
Scholars explain the prohibition through the reason they associate with the act. The most commonly given explanation is that permanent tattooing alters the form Allah created, which is why the hadith places tattooing alongside other practices that change the body. This reasoning is the scholars’ own explanation of the ruling; the wording of the report itself is the curse quoted above, and the explanation is how the ruling is understood.
The reasoning also explains why the prohibition concerns marks that remain. A mark that is meant to stay on the skin for life is a lasting change to the body, and that is the element scholars treat as decisive. Because the concern is permanence and alteration, the ruling is read in light of this purpose rather than applied mechanically to every surface decoration.
Permanent tattoos, henna, and temporary stickers
The ruling is not extended to every form of decoration on the skin. Henna is a well-known adornment that fades over weeks and is permitted, and temporary stickers or designs that wash off are generally understood to fall outside the prohibition, since they do not permanently alter the body. What matters is whether the mark is permanent: a design that disappears with time or can be removed does not carry the lasting alteration the hadith condemns.
This distinction gives a practical test. Ask whether the mark is designed to stay for life. If it is, it falls within the scope of the ruling. If it is temporary, as henna and stickers are, the concern about permanent alteration does not apply in the same way.
Repenting from an old tattoo: removal, wudu, and prayer
Someone who has a permanent tattoo and regrets it should turn to Allah in repentance, asking for forgiveness and resolving not to return to the practice. Repentance is the central obligation here, and Allah accepts the sincere repentance of those who turn back to Him. The mercy of Allah is wide, as the verse says: « Verily Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. »
Scholars generally do not oblige a person to remove an existing tattoo when removal would cause harm, such as scarring or serious injury. Where removal is safe and possible, it is commendable, but it is not a condition of repentance. Ruling on removal in a specific case is a question for a knowledgeable scholar who knows the person’s circumstances.
A tattoo on the body does not invalidate wudu or prayer. The mark is not impurity in itself, so a person with an existing tattoo performs wudu and prays as usual. The concern of the ruling is the act of tattooing and the lasting alteration it creates, not the continued validity of worship.
For a fuller scholarly discussion of this question, the Islam Question & Answer’s discussion of tattoos sets out the reasoning in detail.
The hadith reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim condemns both the one who tattoos and the one who is tattooed, and scholars read the ruling as a prohibition on permanent alteration of the body. Temporary henna and stickers fall outside that concern. If you already have a permanent tattoo, turn to Allah in sincere repentance, and remember that your wudu and prayer remain valid.
Sources quoted
Every quotation was checked word for word against the Quran and hadith texts in our database.
- Surah Al-A’raf, verse 32
- Surah An-Nisa, verse 52
- Hadith narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim — authentic
The Al Muslim Plus editorial team · reviewed on November 6, 2026