created her with, whether by addition or removal, for the sake of beauty—neither for a husband nor for anyone else. Thus, if a woman’s eyebrows are joined and she plucks the hair between them to feign a clear space, or does the opposite; or if her hair is short or scanty and she lengthens it or weaves in someone else’s hair—every such act falls under the prohibition, for it is an alteration of Allah’s creation. The only exception is whatever is done to eliminate harm or pain. This is an abridged citation from Fath al-Bari. 1 I.e. the purpose is cosmetic enhancement. “al-mutafallijat” (plural of mutafallija) refers to a woman who seeks falaj, the gap between the upper incisors and canines; tafalluj is to file between adjacent teeth with a rasp or the like to create that space. 2 This adjective applies to all the categories just mentioned and is the reason why the Prophet invoked a curse, which in turn establishes the prohibition. The hadith is recorded by al-Bukhari, 10/306, 310, 311, 312; Muslim, 6/166–167; Abu Dawud, 2/191; al-Tirmidhi, 3/16 (who declared it authentic); al-Darimi, 2/279; Ahmad, no. 4129; Ibn Battah, al-Ibanah, 1/136/2–137/1; Abu Ya‘la, 246/2; al-Harawi, Dham al-Kalam, 2/33/1; and Ibn ‘Asakir, 11/298/1–2, all through the narration of Ibn Mas‘ud. In Musnad Ahmad it appears through numerous chains with varied wording; it is also transmitted by al-Tabarani, 3/35–36; Ibn ‘Asakir; and Haytham b. Kulayb in his Musnad, 49/1, 98/2, and 99/1. In one version, Qabisah b. Jabir said: