Why Composite Bonding is Not Haram in Islam: 3 Explanations
C.J Ahmed-02.05.2023
Composite bonding or dental bonding is a procedure to fill broken,decayed tooth with usually resin and this kind of procedure is not haram in Islam. The argument against this procedure is from Muslims who do not have any understanding in Shariah and are famous for misinterpreting and misquoting verses in the Quran and hadiths.
They often quoted hadith against changing Allah (swt)’s creation is the below hadith and it is often used to forbid cosmetic procedures.,
The often quoted hadith is the hadith of Ibn Masud (rali).
- Narrated Ibn Masud:
The above hadith is the opinion of Ibn Masud (rali) and cannot be attributed to the prophet (sal). There are other variations as well.
- Abdullah reported that Allah had cursed those women who tattooed and who have themselves tattooed, those who pluck hair from their faces and those who make spaces between their teeth for beautification changing what God has created. This news reached a woman of the tribe of Asad who was called Umm Ya'qub and she used to recite the Holy Qur'an. She came to him and said:
It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah said: “Allaah has cursed the women who do tattoos and those who ask for tattoos to be done, those who ask for their eyebrows to be plucked, and the women ask for their teeth to be filed for the purpose of beautification, changing the creation of Allaah.” A woman from the tribe of Bani Asad whose name was Umm Ya’qoob heard of that and she came and said, “I have heard that you have cursed So and so and So and so.” He said, “Why should I not curse those whom the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed and who are mentioned in the Book of Allaah?’ She said, “I have read what is between the two covers [of the Qur’aan], and I did not find anything in it like what you have said.” He said, “If you have read it, have you not read that Allaah says,
‘And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad) gives you, take it; and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it)’
[al-Hashr 59:7]?”
She said, “Of course.” He said, “He forbade that.” She said, “I think your wife does it.” He said, “Go and look.” So she went and looked and she did not see what she was looking for. He said, “If she had been like that, she would not be with us.”(Bukhari)
In all of these hadiths it is narrated by bdullah Ibn Masud and he is attributing it to the prophet (sl) without narrating a narration directly stating that the prophet (sal) sai or cursed making gaps on the teeth for women. There ar other narrations in other books of hadiths which have weaknesses and let us focus on thee hadiths. The word used in these hadiths is “al-mutafallijaat” which means to make gaps between the teeth a a way to beautfy oneself and has nothing to do with filing the teeth. There is one authentic hadith indicating filing the teeth and below is that hadith,
3 Narrated Anas bin Malik:
Al-Rubayyi', sister of Anas b. al-Nadr, broke (one of) the front teeth of a woman. They came to the Prophet (sal). He made a decision in accordance with the Book of Allah that retaliation should be taken. Anas b. al-Nadr said: I swear by Him who has sent you the truth, her front tooth will not be broken today. He replied: Anas ! Allah's decree is retaliation. But the people were agreeable to accepting a fine, so the Prophet (sal) said: Among Allah's servants there are those who, if they adjured Allah, He (Allah) would consent to it.
Abu Dawud said: I heard Ahmad b. Hanbal say: He was asked : How retaliation of a tooth is taken ? He said: It is broken with a file. (Abu Dawud –Graded Sahih by Albani)
In this hadith, Ahmed ibn Hanbal gave his opinion that reataliation for breaking a tooth is to break it by filing it. If filing teeth is changing the creation, then breaking the teeth is also changing the creation but some might argue that under valid reasons such as justice it is allowed to break the teeth which brings the next argument that even if we agree for he sake of argument that filing the teeth is haram, still it is halal under necessity.
According to the shariah, even the forbidden becomes halal due to necessity and if there is no transgression. Allah says in the Quran,
"And why should you not eat of that (meat) on which Allah’s Name has been pronounced (at the time of slaughtering the animal), while He has explained to you in detail what is forbidden to you, except under compulsion of necessity?”
(Al-Quran-6:119)
And
"He has only forbidden you carrion, blood, and swine, and that which has been consecrated to any other than Allah. But who is driven by necessity, neither craving nor transgressing, it is no sin for him. For Allah is Forgiving, Compassionate."
(Al-Quran-2:173)
And again
“Whoever disbelieved in Allah after his belief, except him who is forced thereto and whose heart is at rest with Faith but such as open their breasts to disbelief, on them is wrath from Allah, and theirs will be a great torment”
(Al-Quran-16:106)
The above verses clearly explains that things which are haram becomes halal for a necessity If there is no transgression.
"Narrated Anas (rali):
The Prophet (sal) allowed `Abdur-Rahman bin `Auf and Az-Zubair bin Al-`Awwam to wear silk because they were suffering from an itch" .
(Sahih Al Bukhari)
The Prophet (sal) said in a hadith narrated by Ibn Abbas (rali):
"Allah has forgiven my nation for mistakes and forgetfulness, and what they are forced to do."
(Ibn Majah- Graded Sahih by Albani in Sahih Sunan Ibn Majah and narrated by Baihaqi and others and graded Hasan Sahih by Albani )
It was narrated that ‘Amr Ibn al-‘Aas (Rali) said:
I experienced a wet dream on a cold night during the campaign of Dhaat al-Salaasil, and I was afraid that if I did Ghusl I would die, so I did tayammum, then I prayed Fajr with my companions. They mentioned that to the Prophet (Sal) and he said: “O ‘Amr, did you lead your companions in prayer when you were junub?” I told him what had kept me from doing ghusl and I said: “I heard Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): ‘And do not kill yourselves (nor kill one another). Surely, Allaah is Most Merciful to you’ [al-Nisa’ 4:29].” The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) smiled and did not say anything.
(Abu Dawood- classed as Saheeh by Sheikh al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawud).
In the above hadith narrated in Abu Dawud, Amr bin al aas(Rsli) did tayammu instead of the obligatory bath you have to take if you are junub but the prophet (Sal) never found fault with him and just smiled and said nothing.
What needs to be understood is using one hadith to give umbrella fatwas and prohibiting everything from cosmetic surgery to breast implants is crazy because none of these are changing the creation because Islam does not specifically forbid them. Changing beauty is subjective and if making changes to your body is forbidden based on one hadith, then cutting the hair is also changing the cration of Allah (swt) but cutting the hair is allowed.
Narrated Muawiya: ”I cut short the hair of Allah's Messenger (sal) with a long blade” (Sahih al Bukhari)
4 Narrated Ibn `Umar:
Allah's Messenger (sal) said, "To shave the pubic hair. to clip the nails and to cut the moustaches short, are characteristics of the Fitra." (Bukhari)
Narrated `Abdullah:
The Prophet (sal) and some of his companions got their heads shaved and some others got their hair cut short. (Bukhari)
All of these hadiths proves that cutting the hair is allowed in Islam. Now, some might argue that cutting the hair is different from making gaps in the teeth but there is one hadith which is not narrated by the prophet (sal) but by Abdullah ibn Masud aho also said that even plucking the eyebrows is changing Allah (swt)’s creation.
Narrated `Abdullah:
Allah has cursed those women who practise tattooing and those who get themselves tattooed, and those who remove their face 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 (sal) has cursed? And that is in Allah's Book. i.e. His Saying: 'And what the Apostle gives you take it and what he forbids you abstain (from it).' (59.7)” (Bukhari and Muslim)
There is nothing to prove in Islam that composite bonding is haram.