Question Summary:
Is it permissible to wear bridal jewellery on the head and the side of the head? Is it permissible to wear giant nose rings?

Question Detail:

I have several questions about the customs that Hindustani Muslima brides practice.

1)     Is it permissible to wear jewellery on the forehead and the side of the head, called Mirzan-e-Parva?
2)     Is it permissible to wear giant nose rings?

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
 
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
 
Marriage is one of the most joyous occasions in a person’s life.  The husband and the wife’s first meeting is a moment of excitement and exhilaration.  The wife should prepare herself as much as she can to please the husband.  Likewise, the husband should dress as smart as he can.  Looking beautiful and handsome does not contradict the Shari῾ah.  Consider the following texts:
 
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «لَا يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ مَنْ كَانَ فِي قَلْبِهِ مِثْقَالُ ذَرَّةٍ مِنْ كِبْرٍ» قَالَ رَجُلٌ: إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ يُحِبُّ أَنْ يَكُونَ ثَوْبُهُ حَسَنًا وَنَعْلُهُ حَسَنَةً، قَالَ: «إِنَّ اللهَ جَمِيلٌ يُحِبُّ الْجَمَالَ، الْكِبْرُ بَطَرُ الْحَقِّ، وَغَمْطُ النَّاسِ»
The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “No one will enter Paradise who has an atom’s weight of pride in his heart.”A man said, “What if a man likes his clothes to look good and his shoes to look good?” He said, “Allah is beautiful and loves beauty. Pride means denying the truth and looking down on people.” [i]
رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: «إِنَّكُمْ قَادِمُونَ عَلَى إِخْوَانِكُمْ، فَأَصْلِحُوا رِحَالَكُمْ، وَأَصْلِحُوا لِبَاسَكُمْ، حَتَّى تَكُونُوا كَأَنَّكُمْ شَامَةٌ فِي النَّاسِ، فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْفُحْشَ، وَلَا التَّفَحُّشَ»
'You are on your way to meet your brothers, put on a nice dress and fix your riding so you appear distinct among people as a fleck [on a beautiful face]. Allah does not like roughness nor rough manners.' [ii]
 
 قال ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما :  إني لأحب أن أتزيَّن للمرأة كما أحبُّ أن تتزيَّن لي المرأة
Sayyiduna Ibn ῾Abbās (radiallahu anhuma) said, “Verily I love dressing for my wife just as I like her adorning herself for me.[iii]
Beautification for a woman is praiseworthy and recommended within the parameters of Shari῾ah.  Jewellery plays a very big role in adornment.  Jewellery was worn by the Sahābiyyāt (females) in the time of the Prophet (salallahu alaihi wasallam).[iv]  Hence, to wear jewellery is permissible.  To wear jewellery on the forehead and side of the head is also permissible.  Let alone permissible, if the wife adorns herself solely for her husband with the intention to please him, inshā’Allah, she will be rewarded for such a deed.[v]
 
However, if the jewellery on the head and the side of the head referred to as ‘Mirzan-e-Parva’ is a salient feature of the Hindus and this practice may lead to adopting other practices of the Hindus,  , then it is makrūh (disliked) to wear such ornaments
 
Maulana Abdul Hayy Lucknowi (Rahimahullah) states it is perfectly permissible to wear nose rings whatever the size.  The scholars have made an analogy of nose rings to that of earrings.  Just as earrings are permissible, likewise nose rings are permissible.[vi]     
 
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mawlana Faraz Ibn Adam,
Student Darul Iftaa
UK
 
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
www.daruliftaa.net