Can You Pray with Makeup On?

Question: 72390

Is a woman’s prayer considered permissible after doing wudu and putting make-up on her face?

Summary of answer

You can offer prayer with makeup on so long as the makeup is not impure because purity of clothes and body are essential for the prayer to be valid.

Answer

Table Of Contents

Praying with makeup on
Wearing makeup in front of non-mahrams

Praying with makeup on

If a woman does wudu then puts makeup on her face, that does not matter, and it does not affect her wudu or her prayer, so long as it is not najis, because purity of clothes and body are essential for the prayer to be valid.

Wearing makeup in front of non-mahrams

It is not permissible for a woman to wear makeup in front of non-mahram men , because she is commanded to cover her face in front of them and because wearing makeup is an adornment that leads to fitnah. If she does that and then prays, she will have the reward for her prayer but she will have the burden of sin for tabarruj (wanton display).

It says in Fatawa al-Lajnah al-Daimah (17/129):

“There is no reason why a woman should not adorn herself by wearing makeup on her face, or kohl, or doing her hair in a manner that does not make her resemble unbelieving women, but it is also essential that she cover her face in front of men who are not her mahrams.”

It also says (17/128):

“Using kohl is allowed in Islam, but it is not permissible for a woman to show any of her adornment, whether kohl or anything else, to anyone other than her husband or mahrams, because Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“…and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands…” [al-Nur 24:31]

And Allah knows best.

Was this answer helpful?

Source:

Islam Q&A