FatwaKedahDress, Awrah & Adornment
PANDANGAN FATWA MENGENAI MENCACAH TATU
What is the ruling on getting a tattoo, and what should a person who already has one do?
Short answer
Tattooing and asking to be tattooed are forbidden, based on a hadith that curses those who tattoo and those who request it.
A reference, not a fatwa. First sentence of the summary below — read the original fatwa and consult your state authority before acting.
- Authority
- Kedah State Mufti Department
- Status
- Opinion (irsyad)
- Series
- Irsyad Al-Hukmi
- Topic
- Dress, Awrah & Adornment
No evidence of gazettement in the source — this is not a gazetted fatwa.
Summary
Tattooing and asking to be tattooed are forbidden, based on a hadith that curses those who tattoo and those who request it. The reasons given include blocking water from reaching the skin during purification, risks of allergy and infection, altering Allah's creation and imitating non-Muslim practices, and causing slander and wasting money. A person who already has a tattoo must repent and remove it with available technology if it causes no harm. If removal is harmful, the tattoo may be left and is excused, and it need not be removed after death.
Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.
Perbuatan ini adalah haram dan dilaknat oleh Allah
Read the full fatwa on the Kedah website (new tab)
How to cite
Cite the original fatwa and its authority. Rujuk Fatwa is only where you found it.
Kedah State Mufti Department. “PANDANGAN FATWA MENGENAI MENCACAH TATU”, date not stated. https://ifatwa.kedah.gov.my/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/10-PANDANGAN-FATWA-MENGENAI-MENCACAH-TATU.pdf. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/ruling-on-getting-a-tattoo/