Question Summary:
Is it permissible to shape and neaten the eyebrows?

Question Detail:

Previously I had been shaping my eyebrows. However, I now want to stop this as I know it is a massive sin. is it possible to clean the eyebrows? especially if someone has a lot of hair? only clean? to make the eyebrows look neat. And is it possible to use scissors just to neaten and balance the eyebrows? could you please let me know what is persmissible?

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykumwa-rahmatullāhiwa-barakātuh.
It is not permissible for one to pluck one’s eyebrows. Consider the following Hadeeth:
Rasullullah (SallallahuAlayhiWaSallam) said:

حدثنا شَيْبَانُ بْنُ فَرُّوخَ ، حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ يَعْنِي ابْنَ حَازِمٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ، عن النبي صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قال لَعَنَ اللَّهُ الْوَاشِمَاتِ وَالْمُسْتَوْشِمَاتِ ، وَالنَّامِصَاتِ وَالْمُتَنَمِّصَاتِ ، وَالْمُتَفَلِّجَاتِ لِلْحُسْنِ الْمُغَيِّرَاتِ خَلْقَ اللَّهِ
 
“Allah hascursed those women who practice tattooing, request tattooing be done for them, those who shave the eye-brows, those who request that they eyebrows be shaved and those who create spaces between their teeth artificially to look beautiful, such ladies have changed what Allāh has created.” (Saheeh Muslim, Hadeeth #3973)
 
However, the Fuqaha (Jurists) have stated that it is permissible for one to remove the stray strands in order to neaten the eyebrows.[1]
Mufti Ismail Desai,
Darul Iftaa
Durban, South Africa
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.