Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

 

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalaam alaikum,

When I was young - as old as 7 or 8 years old, I was sexually fondled by my cousin. I cannot remember why I did not tell this to my parents. But even today the memories haunt me. May Allah Subhana forgive my cousin-- but have I sinned too? How can I repent and ged rid of these memories. Please help me.

Secondly, can you please tell us if it is ok to do waxing- removal of body hair in the beauty parlour for legs and hands. And is there a `Satr` rule to follow here? 

 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

 

Answer:

 

Sin during childhood

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

 

Your Question: When I was young - as old as 7 or 8 years old, I was sexually fondled by my cousin……. May Allah Subhana forgive my cousin-- but have I sinned too? How can I repent and ged rid of these memories.

Aishah reported that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said, "The pen is raised for three (meaning: there is no obligation upon three): one who is sleeping until he wakens, the child until he becomes an adult, and one who is insane until he becomes sane."

Related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, and al-Hakim.

 

Dear and beloved Sister in Islam, rest absolutely assured that whatever one did in one’s age of childhood or before one had reached the age of understanding or puberty…..neither will their deeds be recorded in the ‘book of deeds’ with Allah Subhanah, nor will they be accountable for those deeds.

 

Since you were only a child, you will be absolutely blameless for whatever transpired in your childhood; it is your adult cousin who did the evil who will bear the complete burden of the sin he committed, and if he does not repent and sincerely seek forgiveness from his Lord for his transgression, he will have his due accounting in the Presence of his Majestic Lord in the Hereafter.  

 

Your Question: Secondly, can you please tell us if it is ok to do waxing- removal of body hair in the beauty parlour for legs and hands. And is there a `Satr` rule to follow here? 

Sahih Al-Bukhari  7.815        Narrated by Abdullah

Allah has cursed those women who practice tattooing and those who get themselves tattooed, and those who remove their eye-brow hairs, and those who create a space between their teeth artificially to look beautiful, and such women as change the features created by Allah.  Why then should I not curse those whom the Prophet (saws) has cursed?

 

It is absolutely permissible for a believing woman in Shariah to remove her unwanted hair from any part of her body she wishes, except for her eye-brow hair…..she may use any method she wills including shaving, clipping, cutting, waxing, creams, laser, etc.

 

Your Question: And is there a `Satr` rule to follow here? 

The ‘satr’ of a believing woman in the presence of non-mehram men is obviously her whole body except her face and her hands.

 

The scholars of the four major schools of thought are unanimous in their opinion that the absolutely minimum ‘satr’ of the believing woman, or her body parts which she is not to expose to absolutely anyone, even in front of her mehram relatives (except her husband) or other womenfolk…. is from the very beginning of her breasts to her knees (inclusive). 

 

It would be permissible and lawful for a believing woman to hire or request another woman to remove her unwanted hair from the parts of her body which do not form part of her minimum ‘satr’ (above the very beginning of her breasts and below the ending of her knees); but it would be absolutely prohibited and unlawful for a believing woman to expose any part of her body which forms her minimum ‘satr’ to any other person except her husband alone.

 

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone.  Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

 

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

 

 

Burhan