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Is it permissible for a woman to adorn herself with makeup in front of other women? And is that considered tabarruj (displaying one's charms)? And does what is mentioned in verse 60 of Surat An-Nur indicate the impermissibility for an unmarried woman to adorn herself in front of mahram (unmarriageable kin) men and others, and in front of women? And is it permissible to apply kohl in front of non-mahram men?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

There is no harm for a woman in using adornment and displaying it before women and mahrams, provided there is no fear of temptation, due to the Almighty's saying: "And not display their adornment except to their husbands..." (Verse). As for the interpretation of verse 60 from Surah An-Nur: "And as for the elderly women who no longer expect marriage, there is no blame upon them for putting aside their outer garments while not displaying adornment," the "elderly women" (al-qawa'id) refers to old women who are past marriage and menstruation, and the garments (thiyab) intended are the jilbab (outer garment). They are permitted to put them aside on the condition of "not displaying adornment" (ghayra mutabarrijatin bizinah), meaning not revealing what would attract attention to them, although it is more preferable for them to be fully covered. And if an older woman is required to be covered, then a young woman is even more so.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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