What is the ruling on selling cosmetics for women who put makeup outside their homes showing their faces with full makeup?

Answer

Praise Be to Allah and Peace Be Upon His Messenger.

Referring to your question, the majority of Muslim scholars think that it is haram to help the disobedient commit more sins. Allah says: “And Help one another in performing the virtue, righteousness, and piety, but do not help one another in sin and transgression. And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is Sever in punishment.” Al-Mai’dah: 2

If the seller knows that the customer will use the product illegally, then it is haram for the seller to sell it. For example, the seller cannot sell cosmetics to women who show off their faces with full makeup. Shaikh Muhammad Ahmad Hussain, the General Mufti (Muslim Legal Scholar), in the Palestinian Legal Verdict Council was once asked about the ruling on opening a hair salon where women work to beautify other women who could be non-Muslims or who are not observing Hijab. He was also asked whether the payment they get out of working there is halal or haram.

He said that there is no final judgement on the money one gets out of working in a hair salon. If the work which is done is considered to be halal, then the money is halal. If the work which is done is haram, then the money is halal. Earning the money depends on how one works to get that money.

There are two reasons for going to care centers or hair salons.

First, some people go to get their bodies tattooed, or to remove eyebrows. These are considered haram. The prophet (PBUH) said: “Allah has cursed those women who tattooed themselves, the women who remove their eyebrows, the women who make spaces between their teeth for beautification changing What Allah has created.” Related by Muslim

Another haram deed that could be done there is when a woman needs to do something that makes the hairstylist or any lady look at the customer’s ‘Awrah.

Second, there are some halal beauty care forms that can be done there (in beauty centers). For example, it is halal for Muslim women to get their hair cut, dyed, or to get hair oil bath. It’s worth mentioning that even the halal beauty care forms for women should be done in a place where the workers are only women.

However, if the hairstylist fixes the hair of women who do not observe Hijab, or show off their faces with full makeup, then the money is not halal. Thus, if the hair salon provides beauty care which could be haram or help others to do haram, then it should not open and Muslims cannot work there.