compel her to remove them. As for the hair on a woman’s legs, it may be said: if it is so abundant that her legs become like those of men, there is no harm in removing it. But if it is natural, then this is based on a principle: the removal of hair falls into three categories—what is prescribed, what is forbidden, and what has not been addressed.

What is prescribed includes pubic hair, underarm hair, and the moustache; these are to be removed, without any issue. What is forbidden is the beard in the case of men, and plucking facial hair in the case of both men and women. Plucking facial hair means removing the hair of the face, whether the eyebrows or anything else. As for that which has not been addressed, the scholars, may Allah have mercy on them, differed: is it permissible, disliked, or forbidden?

Some held that it is permissible, because whatever Allah has left unaddressed is a pardon. Since we have been commanded to do some things and prohibited from others, that which has been left unaddressed remains between being commanded and prohibited; when the two sides are equal, both are set aside, and it falls under the category of what is permissible.

Others held that it is forbidden, because it constitutes altering Allah’s creation. The basic ruling concerning altering Allah’s creation is prohibition, for altering Allah’s creation is among Satan’s commands. Allah said concerning him: “And I will command them, so they will change the creation of Allah.” [al-Nisa 4:119] It is therefore forbidden.

Others held that it is disliked, in view of the apparent balance between the evidences permitting it and those forbidding it. What I consider correct is that there is no harm in it, because it has been left unaddressed. However, it is preferable not to remove it unless it is disfiguring, for Allah did not create it except for a wisdom. Never think that Allah created anything without wisdom, though you may not know it.

This leads us to the issue of kidney donation: is it permissible or not? Some said: